I explain you how’s One day in Ugandan Orphanage after living with them for one week into the Improve the World Project.

Uganda is a country that with 46 million inhabitants has more than 2 million orphans which is practically 5% of the population, which is very high and access to 3 meals a day and education is something that not all children can enjoy.

The orphanages try to provide food, medicine and education to these children from international donations, but as there is also a lot of scam in this sense I went to Uganda to see how is the day to day life there in the orphanage of Ibrahim Kisoko.

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One day in Ugandan Orphanage

It is 6 o’clock in the morning and the day begins in the orphanages of Uganda,

All those who are committed to education wake up the children at this time because classes start at 7 a.m. In these centers, the entire floor can be used as a bed and there is usually one room for boys, one for girls and another for the youngest children who do not yet go to school.

In this orphanage 3 women live 24 hours a day 7 days a week with the children only in exchange for food and bed, who get up to prepare tea while the children clean themselves and get dressed to go to school.

Everyone pitches in to fetch water from the well, clean up, distribute breakfast and help dress the younger children.

Breakfast is usually bread, posho (a paste of corn flour and water) and tea.

Public education is almost non-existent in Uganda, so all schools are private, which is a great effort for the parents and a risk for the children who have to travel long distances, sometimes on congested roads and with drivers who are not very careful.

Once classes start, it is time to buy the food that will be cooked that day, which is usually rice, posho and soup based on beans, tomato and onions.

On weekends, meat or fish is alternated to add proteins to the diet, but since they are expensive products, not all centers can offer them, so the lack of proteins and vitamins is usually important.

Children who reside with their parents but are in a difficult situation are also visited and are helped from the ugandan orphanages with food and clothing.

In the meantime, the women have been taking care of the younger children and preparing food.

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At 1 o’clock the children come to eat and go in again at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, so they are the first to eat, since in this orphanage they always overcook to feed the children of the neighbors who do not always have enough food in their homes.

That is why, although Ibrahim takes care of 43 children, at meal times you can see more than 70 children waiting to eat.

And it is important for the community to collaborate and help each other.

Fortunately the well is nearby in this case, but other orphanages and here in the dry season, you have to bring it from further away, even several kilometers in some cases.

At 6 o’clock classes end and it is time to wash clothes and kitchen utensils to prepare dinner, with the same menu as for lunch. And yes, they have been at school for 10 hours.

Amenities differ between orphanages, some have tables and beds, others simply mattresses on the floor and a tarp to eat; as they all depend on donations, and these in turn on the visibility they get on social networks.

Therefore, it is not uncommon to see posts on Instagram or TikTok of children dancing, eating or sick… Anything to attract the attention of potential donors.

Ibrahim does not have a covered area for cooking, so when it rains it is a problem, and this happens quite often.

Some games are also organized or stories are told while dinner is being prepared.

Some even go over the next day’s lessons.