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
