Hamza was born in Uganda and lived with his father and stepmother. His stepmother mistreated him, and one day he lost the money she had sent him to the market with. Fearing her anger, he ran away to Kampala at age 7 and lived as a street child, begging and collecting scraps. He was in and out of remand homes. Eventually he came to live at Peace for Children Africa (PCA), where he received an education and support. He now hopes to become a doctor to help others, while also pursuing art, and to thank PCA and its supporters for changing his life.

1. Child Profile and Story

2. Hamza Sserwadda 18 Years Old Place of Birth: Namayumba village, Wakiso District

3. Family history I lived with my parents who loved me very much. They worked very hard.

4. My mum passed away when I was about 4 years old.

5. Circumstances that led me to live on the streets …. and experiences of life on the streets … I was living with my father and he married another woman.

6. When my father was there she was nice to me but when he was away she badly mistreated me. She would not feed me and make me sleep outside.

7. I told my father but he did not believe me because he only saw her loving me. My father worked away from home a lot so I suffered badly with my step mother.

8. One day she sent me to the markets to get food. I was very hungry. I saw people playing cards saying that I could double my money. I wanted to double my money to get some food for myself.

9. I put all my money on the cards but I lost it. I stayed at the markets all day because I was too scared to go home.

10. When I got home my step mother was very angry and she said she was going to kill me. When she learned that I did not have what she sent me for she got a big stick and chased me.

11. I hid from her until late at night. When I went back home she was still waiting for me with the stick. That was when I knew she meant what she had said about killing me.

12. I had to leave. I was seven years old.

13. I walked and walked and walked in the direction that all the cars were going.

14. I did not know what Kampala was like but I knew it when I reached it. At first I was happy to be in Kampala but then I started wondering what I would do. I kept walking around.

15. I saw a boy like me and I asked him where I could get something to eat. He gave me something and then left me.

16. I slept on verandahs and woke up hungry. I went with other street kids to collect bottles and metal scraps. One boy ate food from the rubbish but I did not want to eat it. I went to local markets and a lady gave me food.

17. I knew that I was a street kid when I started talking to other kids. I had to start eating scraps from the rubbish. I lived a good life but it was very hard.

18. I slept on verandahs and woke up hungry. I went with other street kids to collect bottles and metal scraps. One boy ate food from the rubbish but I did not want to eat it.

19. I went to local markets and a lady gave me food. I knew that I was a street kid when I started talking to other kids. I had to start eating scraps from the rubbish. I lived a good life but it was very hard.

20. I had some friends who loved me but some kids harassed me when I had money or metal scraps. Older kids would beat me and take my money or scraps.

21. I didn’t like sleeping on the streets because it was always hard to find somewhere to sleep. It was very cold and police or security guards would beat you or take you to jail. When it rained was when I hated it most because there was no shelter.

22. There were a lot of drugs on the street. Whenever I got money I would get fuel to sniff so that I could feel good. I liked it at first but after a while I didn’t like it anymore. Those days were very miserable.

23. If the police found you doing drugs they would arrest you. I was taken to remand homes so many times I lost count.

24. One time I stayed in prison for two years. We only got fed once a day and we would have to work from about 4.30 in the morning until late at night. I escaped with some other boys and went back on to the streets.

25. When I was back on the streets an older boy told me to stay with him and his friends. They were thieves who entered people’s houses. They used me because I was very small and could get into houses easily.

26. One night… one of the boys was caught by the owner of a house and was beaten to death.

27. For some reason I had known not to go into the house that night so that is when I knew I had to stop. I went back on to the streets and life was very hard.

28. How I came to live at PCA

29. One day I was walking in the slums with my scrap metal. I saw all the street kids going to a place where these men were giving them medical care, food and were talking with them. I didn’t talk to them the first time but they came back again.

30. I spoke to one of the men but he could not help me. Next time I spoke to Uncle Paul. He asked me a lot of questions. I asked him his story and he told me. He had a similar story and he told me to believe in myself.

31. Every time he came to the slums he would talk to me and give me some money.

32. One day he told me he wanted to start an organisation. I went with him but it was not established so I left.

33. Next time he saw me he convinced me to go back. He constructed a small papyrus structure and that is where I slept. Now I could clean my clothes and look smart.

34. The organisation grew from nothing. I saw how my life was changing and I decided then I was never going back to the streets.

35. Uncle Paul and Uncle Martin started bringing in other boys and we got bigger and bigger.

36. The uncles enrolled us in school but it was hard for me because I had only gone to Primary 3. I went into Primary 5 and did poorly but I studied very hard and read my books every day.

37. By second term I was second in my class and by third term I was first. I always listened to Uncle Paul because he always told me that I could achieve more than I thought.

38. He gave me courage to learn to speak English, from then I always studied hard so that I would come first.

39. Because of this I was included in a program called ‘ Connecting Classrooms’ which operated in UK, Senegal and Uganda. I worked hard in reading and Music, Dance and Drama.

40. Before the end of the year we had an exchange with them and I was selected to go to the UK. I told Uncle Paul I needed a passport and he spoke to a sponsor so that I could get one.

41. I had a chance to go in a plane something I never thought I would be able to do when I was living on the streets. When I was sitting on the plane I knew that if you believed in something enough you could succeed.

42. School details School name: Mackay College. Education level: Senior 2.

43. Favourite subjects Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Biology because ever since I was on the streets I wanted to be a doctor or someone who could help other people.

44. Hopes for the future (i.e. resettlement with family, further education, career aspirations)

45. In my future I have two things I would like to be. First is a doctor and then in my spare time I want to create art.

46. I want to be a doctor to help people who are suffering.

47. I want to take my message of thanks to the world.

48. I want to thank Uncle Paul. He is my best friend and my only parent I have known to guide me along the way.

49. I want to thank PCA because it has given me so much. I don’t have a lot of materialistic things but I have so much.

50. I want to thank everyone who has left their countries to come and help us at PCA.

51. I want to tell the people of the world that even though kids on the street are described as, and perceived as hopeless, they are not.

52. When they are given the opportunity they can achieve anything.

53. People and Governments need to address this problem. I hope in the future there are no street kids.

54. Hobbies, likes and dislikes

55. I like football, riding bikes, reading books and listening to music. I also like visiting new places.

57. PCA has just begun a land campaign. To read an extension of the post below, please visit our blog here: http://peaceforchildrenafrica-org.ning.com/profiles/blogs/pcas-next-campaign-in-the?xg_source=activity

58. If you believe that this is a step in the right direction for PCA and would like to support us with this ambitious goal, any donations towards the cause will be greatly appreciated. So if you, or anyone you know is interested drop us an email on this site or at [email_address] , or [email_address] , or our facebook account (Peace for Children Africa.) Peace and love always. - Paul

59. To get to the space below where you can donate toward the PCA land campaign, click on this link http:// peaceforchildrenafrica.org/ and scroll to the bottom of the page to find this donate button: