Of renewal and restoration……The work at Tigers serves as a daily reminder of how much children can become part of a new community and family if given a chance to make a new start in life! Take Ivan, for example: his performance at school was not very good when he first began living with a foster family, but has now greatly improved, and he has even developed an interest in dance and drama and has joined the school choir. Many boys who were once abandoned and saw little hope for their future have, like him, become active members of community and school activities, and have experienced the renewal and restoration that lie at the heart of the Tigers’ vision!

For one boy, the past few months have brought loss and distress. We were all greatly saddened to learn that Julius’ foster mama has passed away very suddenly. Julius had been very happy in his new foster family and so this sudden loss came as a big blow to him and his foster siblings. Thankfully, the Tigers Club project were able to support him and the family throughout this difficult period and another lady, Resty, has now taken over the care of Julius and his siblings.

Three cheers to the Tigers foster carers! Resty’s kindness and love serve as a stark reminder of the growing enthusiasm and dedication to the Informal Foster Care Scheme which Tigers has seen develop among foster carers, their friends and relatives. Although foster care is not a widespread concept in Uganda at present, our dedicated team of foster “mamas” and “papas” is growing steadily, and foster parents themselves encourage others to take in some of the many children who are longing for a safe place to live and be loved!

Dinah on tour! As we speak, the Tigers social worker in charge of Informal Foster Care, Dinah Mwesigye, is touring the UK and visiting foster care agencies around the country, to learn from their approach and work and share with them the Ugandan experience. Dinah is excited about all she has learned and seen, and feedback from the many agencies and individuals she met during her three week stay indicates that people are fired up by her dedication, personality, the Tigers’ approach to foster care and the commitment of the foster families.

Dinah’s exciting visit and the continued growth of the programme would not have been possible without the faithful support of the McKnight Foundation, who have funded our work and taken a lively interest in the developments of our approach, successes and challenges of the work and have just visited the project in Uganda. Thank you to all at McKnight!

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Boys at Tuydabujja looking into the rabbit hutches.... but so far, only cages and grass hint at the imminent arrival of this new type of livestock on the farm!

Once the rabbits finally arrive at Tudabujja, farm manager Patrick will be able to teach the boys how to look after and rear rabbits, thus adding to their farming skills. The boys are already following a varied agricultural curriculum and take good care of the pigs and the cows Bella and Theresa, as well as of the crops that grow there. In October, they were able to enjoy the fruits of their work, such as tomatoes, egg plants, green peppers and milk.