About Us
Raising leaders for the next generation
African Hearts Community Organisation (African Hearts) is a Christian based, non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in Uganda, East Africa. A grassroots charity, African Hearts was established in 2001 to help address the growing numbers of children and youth living and working on the streets of Kampala. Forced by the death of parents, family abandonment, violence, or hardship at home, street life leaves children exposed to exploitation, abuse, and extreme poverty. It is commonly held that life for street children is dirty, violent, and short. Hungry, abused, and alone, they quickly become addicted to drugs in order to deal with their suffering, and become conscripted into gangs that make them criminals for as little as a dollar a day. African Hearts Community Organisation currently runs many projects to assist street children by offering holistic support.
2001
In 2001
A brass band of young people was formed with the aim helping street children to get out of street life. The band was housed in a garage offered by a kind community lady within the slums of Kisenyi in Kampala.
2008
In 2008
Through the support of well-wishers, donors and the local community, African Hearts registered legally as a national not for profit organization and has grown into a fully-fledged and multi- faceted organization that continuously supports children and youth living on the streets of Kampala, to get a life beyond the streets.
2009
In 2009
The first Transit home for boys was established in the nearby Senge village, Wakiso district to provide a home for the boys rescued from street life. Now housed in a home, the boys find a family of fellow boys with love, acceptance, and most of all undergo rehabilitative psychosocial, spiritual and homeschool support provided by their compassionate uncles and aunts (social workers).
2011
In 2011
Faced with a challenge of stigma and discrimination of reformed children enrolled in the various schools, African Hearts through the support of friends and donors established the African Hearts Nursery School in Senge village, Wakiso district as a safe haven where the girls and boys rescued would be able to attain a good formal education in a convenient learning environment. To date, the school has supported 4500 number of children including orphans and vulnerable children from within the local communities.
2017
In 2017
Following our engagement with street children, The village of Hope was established in Mityana district as a proactive preventive approach to address the very reasons for children moving onto the streets. The village is a model approach to establish industry and improve livelihoods and empower families to get out poverty. This seeks to bring about holistic development to enable children thrive within their communities, using the very community endowments like land for farming, training community in modern farming practices, establishing a model farm to training community in modern farming practices as well as spiritual support.
2017
In 2019
A Transit home for girls was established in Wakiso town council to house the increasing number of girls rescued from sexual exploitation and trafficking within the slums of Kisenyi and Katwe. To date, a total of 148 girls have been rescued from sex trafficking, exploitation and prostitution.