Mama Charles

Maama Charles moved to our Family Centre in September 2015 from Katogo 2 Slum. She immediately saw change in her life, relishing the opportunity to learn new skills in farming and she was so grateful to be in a new place of peace. We have seen her really come alive since being at the centre; she used to be someone weighed down by stress and burdens but now she carries a lightness about her spirit and a new look of joy in her face.

However, we continue to learn during this first programme how complex life in a slum can be. About one month into the programme we discovered that Mama was pregnant, and she had kept this information from us during our assessment phase. It seems that she had found a new ‘husband’ who had promised to provide for her, but then got her pregnant and subsequently let her down. We were committed to Mama and so decided to allow her to stay. We did everything possible to make sure that her baby was delivered successfully, and that both Mama and baby were healthy.

The baby was delivered very early by caesarean section at just 28 weeks due to some complications, and miraculously survived! This meant that for the majority of her programme, Mama was in hospital caring for her baby (and God provided a great place for her to stay in Kampala, free of charge). Mama and baby are now back at the Family Centre and will be able to continue the programme.

Through the Family Centre and this very difficult situation, Mama has a new outlook on life. She now knows that she has the ability to make choices that will change her life. She believes she can accomplish things through her own skills and strength, without needing to compromise her value in the hope that a husband will provide for her. She is eager to learn new skills in business, farming and parenting so that she can be empowered to not only survive in the future with her children, but to thrive and flourish.