Homeless Street Children
Homeless street children are young boys and girls who live and wander aimlessly on streets of major towns and cities without adult supervision or care. In spite of their human vulnerability, needs, gifts and talents; street children are abandoned in their own isolated outcasts where they are often victims of extreme violations of their basic rights by their peers. Their desperation, undeveloped skills and rejection by the mainstream society have a far more reaching consequence on their own lives in particular and on the society as a whole. To the worse extent, they become trapped in the cycle of poverty that forces them into crime and violent confrontation with the public.
Umuryango realizes that the solution to aforementioned problem is multi-dimensional. It includes psychosocial, cultural, socioeconomic and spiritual approaches. Through its interventions based on Christian love and on the particularities of each child’s situation viewed in a local context, Umuryango is uniquely poised to solve and address the problem.
In a nutshell, Umuryango rescues homeless children from streets, gives them a loving home to grow in, puts them in school and reintegrate them into the society as independent, productive members who are physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually whole.
Underprivileged members of the Community
When we began the work of Umuryango Children’s Network, our vision was to establish a home for street children. As it often is, God’s vision was much broader than ours. Moving beyond the street children ministry, God gave us the vision to start a tuition-free kindergarten school for underprivileged children in the community, who would otherwise be unable to pay for school. In addition to being a tuition-free kindergarten, our school provides free breakfast and free school uniform. In other words, their child development needs (academic, physical, spiritual, emotional etc) are met.
Umuryango also works closely with local and community leaders to help the least privileged members of the community and to find solutions that collectively benefit the community. Some of our initiatives include bringing electricity and running water into the village for easy distribution into homes, providing job opportunities and assisting low-income members to access healthcare insurance. Umuryango greatly values local partnership with the community.