How many children are taken care of by Ssamba Foundation?
Currently, there are 134 children in the whole program. But the number of children constantly fluctuates as new children join and older children leave the program as they reach adulthood.
Are the children adoptable?
No. The children who find their way to Ssamba Foundation have been orphaned, abused, shuffled from one family member to another. Like all children, they are seeking love and security. When they come to us, they are told they will never be left alone again. The children grow and learn in their culture and language and become contributing citizens in their own communities. Also, many children join with several brothers and sisters; it is the priority of our organization to keep families together.
Do the children have contact with their families outside of the foundation?
Most of our children that have family do have contact. As most of them come from the homes of guardians and visitors are also welcome.
How old are children when they leave the program?
That depends on the child and how far they want to pursue their education. Some children may leave the program and start working after having finished their Vocational Training. Others may stay in the program and attend primary school or even go on to High school.
Can I visit the Ssamba Foundation?
Yes. You are always welcome to visit if you have a godchild or are interested in one of our programs. You may also want to volunteer your skills with our program or generally our organization. Or to pay a simple holiday visit to Ssamba Foundation. If you want to visit our schools on your own, please notify our office so we can ensure the schools are aware of your travel plans and can make preparations to give you a warm welcome.
May I write to my godchild?
Yes! Your godchild will love to hear from you and will reply to each letter that you write! We strongly encourage letter writing because it helps create a special loving relationship between you and your godchild. All letters should be written in English. The children in Uganda use English as their study language though most of them use Luganda which is their mother tongue.
May I send a gift to my child?
Small gifts such as stickers, drawings, photos of your family, cards, coloring books, clothes, shoes or small monetary gifts may be sent to your godchild through our office. Packages are subject to high import taxes and unfortunately are not practical. We encourage godparents to provide their sponsored children with the greatest gift of all – love!
May I visit my godchild in Uganda?
Godparents are always welcome to visit their godchildren! If you would like to visit your godchild, please contact our offices which will notify the school of your plans. This way, the staff can be certain that your godchild will be available to meet you. Your godchild will not be allowed to stay with you overnight, but depending on his or her age, you may make arrangements to take him or her into the city or to spend the day at the school with them.
How long does my godchild need a godparent?
A child needs daily love and encouragement. As a godparent, you become an important part of a child’s emotional growth. Your financial support enables the Ssamba Foundation to provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education and other provisions for all of the children of the program, while giving you the unique opportunity to develop a special relationship with your godchild. As long as your godchild remains under the care of our Ssamba-family, he or she will benefit from your support. Whether in elementary school, trade school or in a year-of-service, your godchild is still supported by the Ssamba Foundation family, which includes generous people like you!
Am I the only godparent to my godchild?
No. To raise a child is more expensive than just one godparent’s contribution. Therefore, the children may also have godparents in other countries.
Does my donation go directly to my godchild?
Your financial support provides for the care of all the children including food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education. If you send extra money for your godchild’s birthday, your godchild is given a set amount and the remainder is placed into their private savings account or a group sharing fund, depending on the policy set in place. We ask our godparents to correspond with our office if they would like to send additional money to their godchild.
If I send a letter to my child, how long does it take before I can get an answer?
The children write back to their godparents in scheduled classroom events every month. It may take two to eight weeks before you receive an answer.
How to Help
Becoming a sponsor through our godparent program, you help a child in two ways. First, by developing a relationship that strengthens the child’s self-esteem; and second, by providing ongoing financial support for the care of all of the children.
If you are interested in sharing your talents and enthusiasm with the children at our schools, consider volunteering with us. If you have the time and commitment to share with our children, we would love to have you join our team.
Buying books for the community library is a simple and inexpensive way to directly improve the lives of the little disadvantaged children. Select a title of your choice and then send it to our library.
To support the Ssamba Foundation, which helps provide future care for all the children contact directly our office in Uganda or simply Donate Here or E-mail: ssambafoundation@gmail.com
There are many ways to get involved with Ssamba Foundation without leaving your home country. Our office would love your help becoming our Fundraising Ambassadors for details on working at one of our special events or helping with numerous administrative tasks in our office.