Newsletters (12)
Dear people,
How are you guys doing? By the looks of it, still nice weather! That's actually what I miss most about Belgium. The seasons.
A beautiful autumn. A cold winter, spring blossom and summer terrace weather. Here we have summer and rainy season. We are now in full rainy season. Plodding up to our ankles.
Through red earth mud roads. Anyway, that too is part of Africa.
Our kids have started their last semester. They have summer holidays here in December and January.
In recent months, many wonderful projects have been realised in Foodstep.
For instance, we received washable sanitary pads from a Belgian organisation. Now all the girls can always nr school!
Some days all the beds were outside for a big clean and all the kids' rooms were painted inside. Afterwards, the whole outside area was given a fresh coat of paint.
There was harvesting in the fields to fill the plates with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Many solid construction works were done.
A renovation with a well near the girls' toilets. Repair of storm damage to some roofs, our rubbish got its own house with big bins to sort better.
(Although that is a big drawback in Uganda, here everything is still burned in a heap).
We were also sent beautiful solar panels by Eco Technix from Belgium. We are waiting until the storm season is over to install these on our Foodstep roofs.
Another leap forward!
And then the true metamorphosis of our Foodstep playground!!!
New swings, slide, seesaw, a netted ping-pong table.A proper washing area by the water barrel.
For the older ones a beautiful seating area under a beautiful straw roof, made Dr John Longok, one of our older children in Foodstep. The sports poles for netball, basketball and volleyball, were also renewed.In short, a real job was done.Thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors for bringing these projects to a nice conclusion.
Our own Foodstep kids helped too!Thank you!
Both boys and girls took a jewellery making course!The results are gems! And now for sale, just like our sewing projects, in our little shop.I'm going to ask our eldest kids to put these on line too.
I heard from many that the annual Foodstep BBQ , again as always, was a great and tasty success! To everyone behind and in front of the scenes, suuuper thanks!
The restaurant here is quietly starting to get going. Children are helping out eagerly and well.Can already prepare many recipes themselves. Am super proud.This week the furniture for the first bungalow will also be delivered. I am very curious to know what you think of it.
My dear parents, along with yet other friends had a lovely time in Uganda. Always good to treat the home front to the beauties of Uganda. We visited the children's prison together.How impressed they were how this place is no longer hell on earth. Thanks to my entire Foodstep team.
I just get a call that a neglected 7-month-old girl has been found.So going to close right now.Another little toddler waiting for a hopeful future, I Foodstep Uganda.
Thanks to family, friends, sponsors, and prayers, we can make this happen.
God's Blessing
Nathalie and all Foodstep Uganda kids
Dear people,
My name is Nathalie Seliffet.
Come from Belgium and travelled 17 years ago, together with my husband Werner Steurbaut and 2 young teenagers to faraway Africa. In the middle of nowhere, Uganda.
We sold all our possessions in Belgium and left with 7 suitcases for a Dutch project in northern Uganda, Lira.
They were looking for a crisis manager to re-energise a school, bakery, orphanage and sesame seed project. Since we always wanted to move nr Africa, this seemed like a great dream come true....
Renee Froger didn't sing for nothing' most dreams are a lie....'
Because when we got there, there was no sign of this project at all!!!
There you are.....and now what!
I think I prayed the street stones out of the way (although there are only sand roads here). Not even a week in Uganda and we had to learn that there had to be plan B. To this day, I always have a plan B in my pocket.
Back to the capital Kampala, our kids had to go to school.
One day I heard a mother punishing her child by saying 'I will send you to Kampiringisa!!!'
Not knowing what this was, until one day I was driving on the road to Impigi. I suddenly saw a signpost with Kampiringisa Rehabilitation Centre. Now I had to know! Drove up by myself, as the driver didn't want to be seen there. What I found there....the hell on earth....!
Children v 2y - 18y, naked, hungry, no water, no place to sleep, wandering around like zombies. I had never seen anything like it....
I came home and said to my husband, either we go back to Belgium, or I have to do something about this. These children desperately need help! Despite this being a government institution for unruly children, I was able to work with my amassed team to give these children a dignified life.
The place had not been cleaned in 12 years. The cows were in the dormitory. The ammonia smells of urine were unbearable. Our eyes had to be flushed every 5 min. But anyway....we were off on a big plan, God s plan.
Soon we were visiting the children twice a week. Sponsors were sought to pay for everything. Clothes, Plates, outdoor kitchen, windows in the cold rooms, water tanks, gutters, seeds to grow our own, ....OoK we gave medical care and schooling.We even brought our own social workers there, who stayed with the children. It soon became known that Foodstep, as my organisation call it, had things pretty much under control. Which did not always please everyone, but I never cared.
On the contrary, I started liberating children from this hell.
First there were 2, Peace 12 and Okiru 4. Then 15 kids, all living in our house! All coming from the camp.
When there were suddenly 50 children staying in and around our house, we took the plunge to buy a piece of land and build buildings on it. Boys and girls dormitories, sanitary blocks, dining hall, kindergarten, kitchen, administration area .
We are still here, Foodstep Uganda was born!
Kampiringisa we still visit, everything has changed a lot for the better. Foodstep built a beautiful girls' pavilion with money from the European Union. With its own sanitary facilities, garden, water supply and a vegetable garden.
One day at the market, I found a newborn baby in a plastic bag! At first I thought it was a kitten.
I went to the police. They said you have an orphanage, don't you? Well, but with older children, not babies! Take her, we'll try to track down her mother.
So there I was, with a newborn baby.
Luckily, our kids loved it! She was well looked after and Flavia became everyone's favourite.
And then it was all over! Now that the police knew that Foodstep also took in little babies, we were often called for help.
I should add that all our kids were placed in Foodstep by the child protection authorities and the courts. We are only assigned children who can no longer live at home. All our kids have had terrible lives.
Witchcraft and child sacrifices are daily occurrences here. More than once I have to go at 3 o'clock at night, (apparently the best time according to witchcraft) with 1 police officer, to free a child. Often dangerous game, as the witches claim I am taking their money.
Little babies dumped in a fish mine, children whose skulls have been chopped in to remove the spirits, little children set on fire because they did not want to stay in the room and kept running outside, tied to a tree or under a cupboard.
Children dumped alive in fresh concrete because it brings good luck, young girls so raped that plastic surgery is needed. Philemon, 4, was poured acid in his ears, so he could beg better,..... every child has his terrible past.
But fortunately, they are allowed to unwind with us. Every child goes to school. We have our own kindergarten. Also vocational schools (tailoring, hair dressing, mushroom farming, agriculture,)And recently training in hotel and Catering. Right on Lake Victoria.
Furthermore, all our children get medical care, we have good social workers to give and process the child's past. All our children receive nutritious food 3 times a day. Activities are provided in sports and games. Our foodstep acrobatic team leaves many amazed.
Moreover, we work closely with the authorities and each child has their own file. Arrangements for visits or return to the family are also closely monitored.
Also in Jinga, we work closely with Home of Hope. An organisation that takes care of disabled children.
So yes, you could say Foodstep team has a full agenda.
- Kampiringisa, the improvement foundation
- Foodstep Home with now 75 children v 3 months - 18 years
- our vocational schools
- cooperation with Home Of Hope
I can already hear you wondering how Foodstep can pay for all this. Quite simply, people like you, who not only care about us but also support us financially.
People who personally sponsor a child at 30 euros/month. But also a school that holds a benefit and donates a water barrel to us. Every little bit keeps us going.
Our biggest challenge now is :
- the high food prices
- high hospital bills
- a car for Foodstep (we sold our previous car during corona to buy food for the children)
- refurbishment work on the infrastructurein Foodstep
- school fees have risen again
...
I can show you the exact amounts of all these expenses if you like.
In any case, thank you for taking the time to read my story. And despite the many setbacks( poisoning v water tank, snake bite because someone threw hose into my car, house set on fire,....) we continue to fight for a hope full future , vr All our children!
Warm greetings from the Equator!
Nathalie Seliffet and all
Foodstep Uganda kids
Dear friends,
The long 'summer' holidays are over again ! It was a pleasantly busy time together with all our Foodstep kids.
Some went to sports camp, others went to work in our garden. Joel taught some kids how to make fun patterns and aprons. While our choir and musicians rehearsed their own work and sang their lungs out at many church services. How much they enjoyed the swimming lessons in ISU. Lovely to see the kids so happy and delighted!
We are happy to have visitors again in Foodstep, who keep bringing us goodies from Belgium and the Netherlands. Thanks for that! Without you, we would be pretty barren.
There were also quite a few visitors who stayed a while longer. They gave first aid lessons with 14 students obtaining their certificates. Our oldest boys were treated to a day out with real pizza!
A pilot from KLM brought 2 bikes and taught our teenagers how to assemble and maintain a bike.
Sweet people came to cook for the kids. Others were doing odd jobs. A friend is teaching them how to tie jewellery.
Some kids took a course and started a new project, our own Foodstep Mushroom farm!
Building our own grow house, firing, manure, .... unbelievable!
In short, we did not sit still.
And now everyone is back at school. 8 different schools! Some had such great results that their names were mentioned in the newspaper and so they also deserve scholarships. Our Christoph was even selected to join the famous gym (many Olympic marathon runners also train there) in football. How proud we are! He is not as tall as Lukaku, but plays like the best.
Packed and packed, every child went back to school. Our kindergarten class, with a new wonderful teacher, also started. We hope to get some rest now.
Nevertheless, the construction work does continue. For instance, we built a beautiful wall at our dining hall. Did some buildings inside get a lick of paint. And our own well gives us fresh water every day. The fence was also installed.
Projects like solar panels, refurbishing all sanitary facilities, further finishing our guesthouses, breeding rabbits and chickens,.... are on our wish list.
So we continue with cheerful courage!
Thank you for standing beside us. Praying for us. And support our Foodstep project!
Warm greetings from all of us.
Nathalie Seliffet
Dear friends,
I’m back home in Uganda, after a small medical intervention in Belgium and meetings with friends and sponsors.
O, how I missed the children! Meanwhile al lot has happened here.
First of all Werner was on his own, be it under the excellent care of our friends. He even went on trips, officially opened the girls building in Kampiringisa, helped volunteers with their internship and made further plans for our vocational school. So he also had a good time.
Our children were also busy. They have just started their final term. Our Peace, the first girl to arrive in Foodstep, has graduated from university. We are very proud of her. Our office is also filled with many sports prizes. Even a fishing contest in Entebbe sailing club gave us a nice catch.
At this moment already 10 of our own Foodstep kids are working in our Home. It is great to reap the fruits after so many years. I’m quite proud of it.
We also continue to work on our vocational school. And many visitors and volunteers come to visit. It is always a pleasant gang here!
We are going towards the end of the year. It was an eventful year. Lots of paperwork, courses, children files, the permission of the government to keep our Home open, construction, ebola crisis, new children, children who go back to their family, education and activities with the kids, ... Every day there is something on the agenda (and you still need a plan B!).
But I wouldn't miss it for the world!
On behalf of my family, my staff and of course all Foodstep kids, I want to thank you very much. Your prayer, financial support and love means that we can give a hopeful future to children in need.
Big kiss, blessed holidays and see you soon!
Nathalie Seliffet, Foodstep Uganda
Wonderful to see our kids helping to work on their future! Grow vegetables, helping each other, good school results, … We have already 8 children who are grown up and working in our project. Soooo satisfactorily.
We keep on fighting for the rights of the children. Fortunately we are on the list as Home where the children are safe, all go to school, are healthy, eat healthy food, receive social care and lots of love. The Ugandan government agrees with al this.
Even our project with the European Union in Kampiringisa (child prison) where we build a girls dormant, wil receive an official opening by the ministry of youth and welfare. The girls there are so happy! Own rooms, showers, toilets, clinic, fence, …. really unbelievable.
The construction of our school for hotel and catering wil also be great! The construction is already a fact, almost al rooms have a roof. We are thinking about the finishing up. Plastering, electricity, water, contesting the walls … wonderful!
Still busy with everything. Be confident, Foodstep is ok!! Should you hear other nonsense, feel free to inform. We receive visitors and volunteers on a regular base who see with their own eyes the working of Foodstep Uganda. Only a hopeful future for the children is what counts.
Thanks to al loving people who have a warm heart for Foodstep!
Big kisses from me (Nathalie), the staff and all of the children!
Dear friends,
We are very happy that we can send you another update from Foodstep Uganda.
Our Home has had a serious make-over and it shows! All buildings have received a new coat of bright and sparkling orange paint. Our new kitchen smells of big pans full of rice and beans. The large shed has been restored to its original horizontal position, we have a new water tank and we are currently renovating the girls’ toilets. Everything looks mighty smart again!
The construction of our hotel and catering school is progressing really well, too. By now, all supports have been fixed and the general bricklaying has started. We are very much looking forward to being able to start our new vocational training school. All the other branches are doing very well, too! We are still growing crops, our glass cutters are busy with new orders and the tailors are producing new uniforms for our security officers. Also, our medical pedicure and hairdressing department have branched out: as from now, you can also book a wonderful and relaxing facial massage!
Our children have started their last term at school for this year. In December and January, they will have their holidays. Fortunately, we have volunteers to help us.
And how the children have grown! My little girls have suddenly turned into beautiful young women. As for the little guys… all at once, their voices are breaking. Even our youngest, Mozes Mogli, is already able to sit up!
We also had another visit from Grandpa and Grandma. They brought a fun group of friends with them and it was great to have them all with us, we had such a lovely time. The children also enjoy these visits a great deal. We played games, had an activity & sports’ day, we visited Kampiringisa…
And then there were the many visitors, from all over the world. It is always wonderful to get confirmed that we are doing the right thing here at Foodstep and that ALL our children are doing so well and are happy.
Warm wishes for all of you,
Nathalie
Dear friends,
Let’s start with saying ‘thank you so very, very much’ to those who helped us to turn Foodstep’s 10th anniversary into such a big celebration! Thank you for the hours and hours of preparations, the cooking, serving and tidying everthing away again. Thank you to everyone who worked behind the scenes to turn it into such a wonderful party! Thanks for everyone who attended the bbq, thank you for the presents, the financial support, the visits to old friends… really, it has warmed our hearts (which, with the high temperatues, wasn’t really that difficult… ;-))
However, we were also very happy to return Home. Did we miss our children! Fortunately, everthing went very smoothly in our absence. Big thanks and kudles to my wonderful team. And another fortunate development to report: yet another storm has blown over, the one about closing down all childrens’ homes in Uganda. I am very happy with that, as after 10 years of high ups and deep downs, closing down our Home would have been terrible, especially for our children. Right now, the kids are enjoying another two weeks of holidays. They are enjoying all the fun and games, the outdoor activities, our fashion show…. it is wonderful to see them being so happy!
With all the financial support we were given, we have renovated our Home completely. There are new gutters, a large water tank, all buildings got a fresh coat of paint, there is a shiny new kitchen and the thatched roofs have been replaced, too! Thank you so much, to all the generous people out there who support us.
On our allotment, the kitchen has been kept busy with processing all the crops. The concrete floor and fundaments of our Hotel School have also been finished, we’re all ready and waiting for the bricks!
I am so very proud and happy that I can send you these reports of our successes. We will keep working on more, as we are so very ready for the next ten years!
Thank you again to everyone who has helped to realise our dream: a hopeful future for every child!
Kiss, Nathalie
Dear Foodstep friends,
At last I have found some time to write you all a new Foodstep newsletter. We have been extremely busy, in many good ways! During the summer holidays (Christmas time on the other side of the Equator) many children went to visit their families. Some of them stayed on with their relatives after the holidays. The Ugandan government prefers to have as little as possible children in Homes. In fact, they would prefer to close all Homes. Fortunately, we work closely together with the Child Protection Services, the police and the local Courts of Justice. Our children are with us at Foodstep for a very good reason: they are unable to live with their families because of serious circumstances. We will keep you posted you personally!
This month, you will receive another update and a recent picture of your child at Foodstep. They are all doing so well! I still enjoy going to work every day of the week. My staff and the children, together they have become my family in Africa… what else could I wish for!
And we continue to build and restore. The entire boys’ dorm has been completely renovated. New floors, newly stuccoed and painted walls, new beds, new matrasses, new gutters on the roof… the boys are ready to go!
We also had the grand opening of our beautiful hair dressing salon. Some of our children received their diplomas in medical pedicure. Do call for an appointment at any time!
A very big and heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors. Thanks to you, we have realized yet another hope-giving project for our children!
And what else…. we had medical worries and we received a lot of medical care…. All babies have been inoculated. Three children have undergone major leg surgery. We have some new ‘found’ and neglected babies and infants. I am very happy to inform you that all went very well and that our new children are settling in.
There is a new swing at the playground, a new roof at the class room, we have new teachers, new children, new plans… even after 10 years in Uganda I am still very much enjoying all our challenges!
Thank you once again for all the loving support you give us.
X Nathalie Seliffet and all children at Foodstep
More...
Dear Foodstep friends,
let me start this newsletter by wishing you a wonderful 2018! I realize that many of you have had to deal with snow, rain and storms, whilst we were having a BBQ, eating mango fruit from our own trees and enjoying the daily sun!
It did not mean we did not have our difficult moments in 2017. There are people in this world who despise Foodstep and wish to ruin us. But guess what?? LOVE, true LOVE will really conquer ALL! And that is why the children, the staff and myself have blessed 2018 as a positive year. With family, friends, sponsors, volunteers whose only wish it is to move forward!
We are planning to open a hair dressing salon. Our pupils who are studying to become medical pedicures are headed for their diplomas. Our Belgian nurses are doing some splendid work! Massages are being taught by our Italian friend. All in all: our vocational training centre is up and running!
All Foodstep children had great grades at school. Their long Summer holiday is now heading towards it's end, so we are very busy preparing for the upcoming year. Every child has to bring many items for the coming three months. Toilet rolls, 12 note books, pencils and pens. Brooms to sweep the class room floors, reading material, school and exercise books...... we're busy as can be right now.
We are also very busy renovating our buildings, who have been ours for five years old. It is hard to believe but yes, we have been here for five years already! Even better: we are celebrating our 10th anniversary of our life in Uganda!
And we will most certainly attend our annual BBQ in Belgium, somewhere around the end of July.
2018 will be a break through year, of victory and lots of positivity!
We have had many inspections, both from Uganda and from abroad, and we have been doing wonderfully in the results. I have an incredible Foodstep team! So if ever you were to hear anything strange or unusual about us, please get in touch via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we will give you the full story in writing!
We wish to thank all our relatives, friends, sponsors, volunteers for their unconditional love for our Foodstep children! The Home, the children's prison project, Home of Hope for our disabled children and our vocational trainng centre The Rock give you a very warm welcome. We are ready for 2018! Will you support us once again?
Nathalie Seliffet
Dear friends,
Another newsletter from Uganda.
As you already know, there is never a dull moment at Foodstep. Recently, our social workers have been extremely busy with registering with all our children. In Europe, registration happens at birth, but it is no so over here. It has been a tremendous job, as most of our children do not even know who their parents are or where they come from. Let alone that they remember the name of their father or mother….! Therefore, Werner and I have now become the official parents of nine children! We have signed their birth certificates at the office of the probation officer of the Wakiso district. Our family keeps growing… ?
But there have also been children who have left our Foodstep nest. They passed their exams and some of them already found a job! Their graduation was one big party and of course we were EXTREMELY proud of them! It is amazing to see and to realize how these young adults, who once came to Foodstep as injured, deserted and neglected small creatures, have turned into self-assured, responsible, healthy and loving young adults. It was only last week that Hannah opened up her own shop! Isn’t that wonderful?
As before, Foodstep was present at the Day of the African Child. Our acrobatics team even performed for the Minister of Education and Child Welfare. Also, our Patrick was one of the speakers at the Children’s Parliament. This year’s subject was 'children in conflict with the law'. You could have heard a pin drop when he talked about his time at the children’s prison. Especially now that he has graduated and received a diploma for secondary education.
And of course, there were more building activities!
In Kampiringisa, together with the Minister, we did lay the first stone for our girl’s building. Being able, after so many years of talks, negotiations and meetings, to finally get these signatures was a truly memorable occasion. And to see our name at the entrance of the building even more so! The girls are very much looking forward to having a pace of their own!
On our land too, we had two new building projects going on. A toilet building, so the students from our vocational school will no longer have to use the bushes for their sanitary stops.
And a large chicken coop, with a hen house and some chickens have been realized by our children. Every weekend, they work in our garden, mow the lawn, sow and harvest vegetables and take care of our animals. Our land looks so beautiful right now!
Werner’s health has improved and he is doing very well. We still love each other very much, even after 27 years. What more could we wish for!
We wish you a very good Summer, hope you had lots of fun at the annual Foodstep Uganda BBQ and goodbye from all of us!
Big kiss,
Nathalie Seliffet
