Uganda has an undeniable homeless crisis among their most vulnerable demographic. Their children are being tossed aside to become the Ugandan street children. Could the reality of homeless children really be helped through a Christian mission?
Authorized Derivative Work By: Nathan W. Hoff
Based on Article from the Love and Care for All Website “About Us” Section
Missionary: Darren and Fatuma O’Quinn
Written: December 17, 2024
Published Online: December 19, 2024
Introduction
The reality of an often-harsh social environment is weaved into the fabric of the vibrant Ugandan terrain. Although, faced often with cruel and unimageable atrocities Uganda’s most vulnerable – the children – in particular the street children who have been tossed aside by society can find a beacon of hope which shines brightly within its fragile borders.
Among the bustling Ugandan streets and the echoing dangers found within this nation’s vast cities and countryside; abandoned street children navigate a life burdened with uncertainty. Nonetheless, amid this struggle, there is an untiring commitment by a faithful Christian mission which brings to the forefront a message of compassion and transformation.
Driven by faith in Jesus Christ, a helping hand is extended to rescue, shelter, and nurture these young souls. Not only are the essentials of food, clothing, and education provided but also offer the sense of belonging and love that many of these children have never known. The impact of their work resonates far beyond immediate relief, fostering a future where these children can dream, aspire, and ultimately break the cycle of despair. None of which is possible without the unwavering hand of God.
In this article, we dive into the purpose for this incredible mission and the lives they touch, illuminating the miraculous changes that occur when faith meets action in the streets of Uganda.
The Risk for Uganda’s Children
The O’Quinn’s organization, “Love and Care for All” affectionately known as (Okwagala N’Okufaayao Family) has been working with children from the streets of Uganda and neighboring countries for many years. Most Americans are familiar with homelessness as an adult saturated crisis. In Uganda the homeless crisis is part of a vastly different demographic than that of the American experience. Here in Uganda the population most affected by homelessness are children.
According to a United Kingdom news article by the Independent:
Almost 60 per cent of the Ugandan population is under the age of 18, which makes children and youth particularly vulnerable to homelessness. As a result, it is estimated there are as many as 15,000 homeless children in Kampala alone.[1]
Kampala is the capital city of Uganda with a 2024 population according to World Population Review, estimated at 4,050,830.[1] Based on the calculation of the news article by the Independent that 60 percent of the national population are under the age of 18; this would mean that there is a two million plus population of 18-year-olds and under. Each at risk of being homeless in Uganda’s capital alone – not to mention the poverty-stricken surrounding areas. There is so much poverty found within Uganda, the day-to-day life can be so very hard. Usually, much harder than the average Western mind can comprehend.
The O’Quinn’s have established an organization which for many years has successfully included caring for children from the streets of Uganda. Their individual care approach for each child also encompasses working with their emotional rehabilitation. For the past seven years since opening their doors this organization has been a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the Ugandan Government.
There have been numerous numbers of children who have passed through the organization’s doors. Some of the children within our care don’t even remember where they are from; they came to us so young from either the Ugandan Police or Child Protective Services. As a childcare organization Love and Care for All works closely with the Ugandan governmental agencies. Most of the children come directly from the streets of the city Masaka, Uganda, a city near our mission. Masaka is a city consisting of about 70,000 inhabitants. Love and Care for All not only help children from Masaka, Uganda but sometimes the children come to us from neighboring countries such as Rwanda and Tanzania. Not to mention the various other communities through-out Uganda.
[1] Ugandan charity makes the most of limited resources to give shelter to homeless people #TheHomelessFund. (2020, January 23). The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/homeless-fund/homeless-fund-uganda-homeless-charity-street-resource-a9299156.html
[2] Kampala, Uganda Population 2024. (2024). Worldpopulationreview.com. https://worldpopulationreview.com/cities/uganda/kampala
The Mission
An American man whose overwhelming love and faith in God along with his godly Ugandan wife have taken on an extraordinary challenge that each regard as a loving blessing. For these two missionaries within the Christian mission-field to be able to contribute to the caring of those less fortunate is nothing short of obeying God’s will. It is not only the ability to care for children who in most cases do not know love, but it is also the transforming opportunity to share God’s love for them through Jesus Christ. Through this action imparting with them their value to God as an individual; an attribute which the majority of those helped could never afford to imagine. In the words of the founder of this mission; Darrin O’Quinn, from the depths of his lungs, “HalleluYAH! Praise God!”
The O’Quinn Ministries, known as Love and Care for All, is a rehabilitation home for former street children. Many of the children have developed bad behaviors which they have picked up while living on the streets, doing anything to survive. The mission works with these abandoned children through counseling to aid in eliminating as many of these bad behaviors as possible.
It is a process, and at times can take a long time to see results. Several of the children in their care have been hurt so badly both emotionally and physically (tortured), burnt, beaten. It is hard to put into words how abused many have been and even harder for the average person to imagine.
Love and Care for All, teaches the children in our care about the Lord Jesus Christ and just loves them unconditionally. Through this process of teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, love, and caring we are able to witness a change within their hearts as they return back to happy children. Every child needs to be loved, we offer them love and hope.
Within their mission for caring for the homeless, the O’Quinn’s have also created a Christian nursery and primary school which they affectionately call Zion Christian Nursery and Primary School. Darrin and his wife place the children in their care into the mission’s school where they can obtain a formal education. Unfortunately, this is dependent on money that the mission receives from donors. With the potential for low funding by donors, children in their care are only placed into school as their donations allow, and when they are emotionally ready.
God’s Results
As many of the children are with the O’Quinn’s for a while they will begin to start trusting them. As a child begins to build trust with their caregivers then and only then is it possible for the O’Quinn’s to begin recognizing the depths of the child’s life story. It is here where knowledge concerning their past and about their families begins to expose itself. This information leads caregivers to start attempting the search for the child’s family. Every effort to reunite the child with their families is at the forefront of the O’Quinn’s search; Darrin notes this uniting of families is all a process which takes time.
Since the O’Quinn’s have been a mission-based organization, they have reunited over 245 children with their families. For the past seven years this equates to about 35 children a year being united with loved ones. The monthly family unification rate equates to about 3.9 children every month being reunited with family. It is truly only with God’s involvement through answered prayers that such a task could be possible.
Unfortunately, there are some children that will be with the O’Quinn’s until they are able to be self-supporting contributing members of their communities. Other times there is a family who desires to foster or adopt them into their families. The O’Quinn’s believe that a family is always better than an organization.
Most of the children in our care have been through things that we in the Western world really cannot imagine children having to go through in the West. However, this unfortunately is the reality for far too many children in the O’Quinn’s region of Africa. Darrin highlights, “As the children stay with us one can see the hurt, anger, and pain wash off them and they become happy, healthy, smiling children.” This can only be attributed to God’s love for all of His creation.
Through God’s answer to prayers these once abandoned, at risk children have a future and a hope as they learn about Faith and the power of Prayer. Please, pray for the children.
Your Support Helps
Love and Care for All is a support driven Christian mission; simply put your support helps further the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the caring of Uganda’s homeless children. As the author of this article, I can personally speak to the great work being completed in Uganda by God through His servants the O’Quinn’s.
If you would like to consider supporting this mission, please review their website:
O’Quinn Ministries – Caring for the Street Children of Uganda
