My name is Fred. I am  the second born of five children (four boys and one girl). We have grown up with our paternal grandmother in Namatala slum, Mbale City.

Darkness begins...

After the demise of my father in 2008, me and three of my siblings moved to Mbale town with our grandmother in search for survival since in village their was nothing we could depend on for earning.

Unfortunately, grandma did not have a stable source of income and as a result, me and my siblings would go to the streets  to pick left-overs, fresh food stuffs and charcoal dust from the bins and pits around markets, while  grandma would go to industrial area to pick thrown maize seeds and other food residues to supplement our efforts to feed the family. 

Street life was survival for the fittest and since there were many such kids, many times we would engage in risky behavior in order to obtain the basic needs.

Darkness fades ...

Through the CRO day street surveys, I was encountered by CRO Social Worker, Teacher Janet, interviewed and invited to the drop center in Mbale where I was enrolled into the CRO rehabilitation program.

After rehabilitation, in 2009 CRO enrolled me  into Nabuyonga P/S in  P.3 until completion in 2013 passing highly in Division 1 with 7 aggregates in 4 subjects.

Under CRO support, I joined Maluku SS where I was on top of the class with first grade in U.C.E exams.

In 2018, I joined Mbale S.S.S, the school I had yearned to join  and in 2019 sat for UACE and scored 16 points in BCM.

I was able to join Makerere University in 2021  offering a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy. 

I cannot thank CRO enough for enlightening my dark path  thus creating a ray of hope.

Just like many other successfully transformed children, Fred  is a  humble, hardworking and well behaved youth and  is often invited by social workers to share and encourage other students about  education and discipline—which he does willingly. We are proud of you.