AMECEA/CCC: Meet Ugandan Nun Revitalizing Life of Abandoned Children

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

For the past four years, Sr. Teddy Nakitto has been giving hope and new life to foundling and orphaned children who missed the warm care of their parents and taken to St. Philomena Baby’s-home under St. Peter Claver Iganga Parish in Jinja Diocese, Uganda.

The member of the Little Sisters of St. Francis (LSOSF) after a successful reintegration of a child, expressed joy in the realization that through her dedication, the little ones can once again have life and one day fulfil their dreams.

“Today I feel reenergized. This achievement has given me more energy and I can continue serving these children who need me for even ten years,” Sr. Nakitto the administrator of the home said on Wednesday, March 20, after a team from the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), Catholic Care for Children in Kenya (CCC-K), and Uganda (CCC-U) and the Association of Religious in Uganda (ARU), visited Iganga parish to advocate for alternative care for children and conduct a pilot-reintegration that involved the entire community and the church.

The Ugandan nun narrated, “I love my work and even though I was getting drained with this demanding apostolate, this visit has strengthened me a lot and has also challenged me to think twice and know that these children need me to realize their future.”

The institution that was established in 1954 to accommodate a maximum of 100 children at a time Sister Nakitto the administrator said, currently has 11 children who will be reintegrated to their families after some time.

According to the nun who served for three years in one of the Baby’s homes in Kenya, when St. Philomena Baby’s home receives an abandoned or orphaned child, they follow all the required regulations together with the government to trace the family of the abandoned child and begin the process of bonding so by the time of reintegration the child has created a rapport with the relatives.

“Normally together with duty bearers, we trace the family members of the child, we do the bonding, we sensitize, and keep meeting the family. After the child has bonded well with the family, we close the file and keep monitoring for about two years,” Sr. Nakitto said.

She expressed that the pilot reintegration for one of the children done by AMECEA, ARU, and the CCC- Uganda and Kenya in collaboration with St. Philomena Baby’s home was a unique and special one since it involved not only the duty bearers but also the Church.

“Even though we have done reintegration for so many children in the past, by coordinating with the Probation Officer and other duty bearers on the ground including the Local Council 1 and 2, and a few community members, the reintegration of today is remarkable as we have involved the church in the process and celebrated the Holy Mass, something we have never done before,” the nun said.

She promised that going forward, even though the church has been helpful when it comes to charity matters like fundraising and visiting the children in their homes, they will be involved in the entire reintegration process irrespective of the child’s denomination since the Baby’s home run by the Catholic nuns welcomes all without discrimination.

Once all the children are reintegrated into their families, the Baby’s home which Sr. Nakitto says has only 11 children will not be closed any soon. Instead, the administration intends to repurpose the home and still have a wing for emergencies in case there is a need to care for an abandoned child.

“Our intention is not to close the baby’s home completely but we will leave it in case of emergencies since issues of children can never end,” the Sister said and narrated further, “We plan to repurpose the home to a day-care. This apostolate for day-care is viable since parents normally request if they can leave their children for baby care as they go to work.”

While appreciating the team that organized the pilot reintegration, the emotional nun who revealed has never lost a child since she began serving at St. Philomena Baby home, went to her knees as the culture of Uganda women to express respect and said, “I thank you for identifying this Institution to be a model, I don’t deserve all this honour and support but I thank God for all the success.”

She added in reference to the Ubuntu philosophy, “I am because you are, thank you for giving me a shoulder to lean on, I cannot thank you enough but God will reward you.”