My name is Sekabembe Fred, and the children normally call me Uncle Fred. I am the founder at WESHARE-Uganda children/ Adolescent Foundation, founded in 2019 when I had finished my medical school and after 10 years of having served in the children/ adolescent ministry.
My story!
In 2003 while I was 8 years old, I was adopted by my local church, Newlife Presbyterian Church, Kajjansi, it was by then my Uncle Ivan and Alfred who brought me to church, together with my lovely Pastor, Pr. Mayanja, they helped me a lot and encouraged me to grow continuously in the fear of God. I remember by then my dad and mom didn’t have money for me to be taken to school. While I could spend much time without school, I have almost counted a school drop-out and the school often sent me home for school fees.
While away from school, I and my elder brother could stay looking for peelings/ feeds for my mother’s piglets, since these were the only hope of income for our family by then. Our family was quite a big extended family of about 15 members and many times we were struggling with what to eat and many times we slept on an empty stomach. I can never forget that year where I felt left out when I could remember the year my heart always cries, the love and care that my local church had and took me in when it all seemed the end of the world for me, they helped me and gave me a hand for me to attain education, by then we were a couple of children (over 100 children).
The church used to do a community outreach mission in the slum areas of Kajjansi (referred to as Kajjansi line), and from a number of other village settlements, many children and families were helped to attain a living. For the last 10 years, I have grown to be passionate and zealous at always making a difference in the children, have always yearned to see that children are not left out nor are they neglected while they adverse in their ages.
While I was at the medical school and after having had a 1-month placement at the children clinic, with a one-month community placement, I used to see a number of children who presented with various illnesses (some of whom had contracted HIV, some others were mal-nourished and others were young girls who had fallen victims of teenage pregnancies, many of these presented with pregnancy-related complications and some with complications due to unsafe abortions, to some it could have been a seduction, whereas others had suffered a sexual assault and many had dropped out of school).
From the many challenges and hard situations, I saw that these children go through, and when I remembered myself at the age of 8 years when the church took me in, I developed a passion that one day I would found an organization that would reach out and makes a difference in the lives of the children and adolescents.
Our vision is to reach out to Africa and the entire world at large. I remember when I earned my first salary, though it was small, I saved that money and said from this money I would start the initiative to found an organization. I cannot forget my lovely Pastor, Pastor Mayanja, we have met up and downs, some have been trial moments but amidst all; he has been one of my greatest encouragements, sharing ideas together and accomplishing great tasks together. Pastor Mayanja is one of the Co-Founders at Wells of Stewardship for Hope and Restoration Uganda and the Pastor of Newlife Presbyterian Church, Kajjansi.
WESHARE-Uganda was founded on the principle of faithful stewardship, hope, and restoration; we believe we share to make a difference. To thousands of adolescents, vulnerable children, children living with HIV/AIDs, young mothers/ single mothers out there, we believe that we can still make a difference in their lives and that they can still have hope again no matter how nasty life has been to them.
A number of our tailored programs are to ensure that we address the needs of young people; our programs involving sexual and reproductive health awareness, medical outreaches, clinic days program with the adolescent/youth club, school outreach programs, Adolescent conference, OVC Education support program, and women empowerment programs among others. We work with a number of organizations that carry the same goal of reaching out the young people.
