Children's prison part 3 of 3

Miracle: 1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) an event that is contrary to the established laws of nature and attributed to a supernatural cause
2. any amazing or wonderful event 3. a person or thing that is a marvelous example of something: the bridge was a miracle of engineering


When a child has no information about their family, contact numbers, etc, he or she could remain at Kampriengisa untill their 18th birthday...or when someone determines that maybe they are finally 18 (no records you know).

In December 2010, Natalie and Werner were permitted, under the umbrella of the institution, to take up to 20 kids from Kampriengisa to a home/orphanage and become the caregiver for them. These kids now live in a huge house, with the girls on the top floor with a live in social worker and the boys on the bottom floor. All the kids help with the daily chores involved in managing such a large group: cleaning, cooking, doing laundry (by hand). All the kids, except the oldest, go to a nearby local school. Sponsors pay for all the school fees. The oldest boy was deliberately damaged as a child to be used in begging, so has very limited use of his left arm and no vision in one eye. However, he has artistic talent and has a part-time apprenticeship position in a local garage painting cars. His boss likes him a lot and perhaps he will be the first one to "graduate" out into a job and place of his own.

The 20 kids housed at Coming Home, are from different tribes, speak different languages and had been at Kampriengisa various lengths of time. There are many obstacles that have been overcome in developing these youngsters into a functioning group with common values: holding the best of the Ugandan culture and background (like respect and concern for others) while trying also to give them some western values that will help with job finding and keeping (like doing what is promised and keeping time).

All the kids are provided counseling and re-socialization through the efforts of Ugandan staff trained in these fields. These are the only paid staff used by Food Step and Coming Home. Natalie and Werner are volunteers, tackling this huge life changing, character building effort, along with other volunteers whom they have recruited.

The social workers at Kampriengisa have 20 more kids identified that could go with Natalie and Werner's Food Step Uganda Ltd, when there is space for them. The court battle over the large acreage given to Food Step may be settled in the next few months, allowing Coming Home to have a permanent location and resources for growing some of their own food.

For the 20 kids who have been out for the past year, having a daily life filled with food, safety, health, games, schooling, respect and laughter qualifies as a miracle of the highest sort. What each one will make from the opportunity, God only knows. But there is much joy in making the opportunity happen.