Brian(16) dropped out school in primary four(4) in 2018. In 2018, he joined the streets of Lira town after the separation of his parents that left him and his siblings with their grandmother and uncle.

At the hands of their relatives, Brian says, they did not encounter better care. They were forced to work beyond their capacity, subjected to beatings and abusive words sometimes with little or no food. This pushed him to start looking for where his mother was thus ending up on the streets in Lira town.

“On the street things did not go as I expected. Life quickly became harder day by day,for I as new so getting what to eat and where to sleep was a challenge. I joined  other street kids who taught me things such as sniffing glue, pick-pocketing at night as well as picking metal scrap for selling to earn a daily living“, narrates Brian.

It was at this point that Brian came into contact with CRO social workers upon which he later joined the CRO Lira center where he was enrolled for rehabilitation. At CRO, Brian tells,“I was introduced to many new interesting things such as rehabilitation class programs, counseling, music and dance, games and sporting activities among others.“

CRO also conducts family tracing search and family visits and this was done for Brian as we paid a visit to his family in Aduku village though it yielded no results as his grannie and uncle had negative feelings about him.

One day while Brian and his friends went around searching for scrap, he encountered his mother who asked him where he was sleeping and staying. But on telling her that he was on the street, she just left off – saying no additional word to his son.

This prompted CRO to try gain to trace Brian’s mother within the suspected area of Lira town and finally he was able to be resetled with his mother and his siblings at their home in bar-lwala angwet-angwet- Lira city.

“Now, I can strongly say that am transformed and can live better because I have my Potato and Maize/bean garden all planted by me. Things I would never imagine doing it and have started my small harwking business of soap and tooth paste around the city.“ says Brian.

     Brian glorifies God for His protection and plan towards him. He adds,“Thanks to CRO and teachers for their hard work to change my hopeless situation to meaningful life. May God Bless all who invested on me and made me who I am now. Amen