Supported needy children vow to give back to Sebei community
“We have learnt different skills that we are already using to earn a living,” said Kaptyombin.
Rt. Rev. Paul Masaba, the Bishop of Sebei Diocese, cutting the ribbon to officially mark the transition of beneficiaries into self-reliance, as Compassion International, government and graduands officials. (Photos by Javier Silas Omagor)
By Javier Silas Omagor
Journalists @New Vision
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The Bishop of Sebei Diocese, Rt. Rev. Paul Masaba, has urged graduates of Compassion International’s support programme to remain steadfast and committed to uplifting their communities.
“Some of the beneficiaries carelessly dropped out of school and eventually from the project,” he said during a graduation ceremony at St. All Saints Church, Kapchorwa.
The bishop also warned abusers of children’s rights or those who shield violators that such practices would not be tolerated.
Masaba commended the alumni for excelling in different fields and advised them to use their professions and skills to bring lasting change to Sebei sub-region.
The graduation brought together more than 300 alumni of Compassion International’s Sebei programmes, who gathered to celebrate their transformation from vulnerable childhoods to self-reliance.
From despair to hope
Among them was Doreen Chelangat, who recalled her bleakest moments.
“I was only waiting to follow my parents to death. There was no reason to continue living in a world of suffering,” she told the New Vision.
Chelangat lost her mother at the age of three and her father a few years later, leaving her in the care of poor relatives.
“My relatives were too poor to provide me with basic school needs,” she said, recalling that she nearly gave up in Primary Five despite being considered extraordinarily bright.
Her fortunes changed when Compassion International’s Gimotwa Child Development Centre enrolled her.
“Life became much easier when I joined Compassion International under registration number UG8250061. Whatever I needed in life was met by the project, which my grandmother could not afford,” she said.
Today, Chelangat is an enrolled nurse and operates a pharmacy in Kapchorwa town.
Overcoming hardship
Like Chelangat, Daniel Chebet survived a turbulent childhood.
“I had reached the end of the road. Life was unbearable; I almost gave up completely,” he said. Compassion’s intervention kept him in school, and today he is the first person in his clan to graduate with a degree in Petroleum Engineering from Makerere University.
For Cleopas Kaptyombin, survival itself was uncertain after losing his parents. “The community members thought I would die any time,” he said.
Compassion International stepped in, covering his treatment, feeding, accommodation, and education.
Today, he is a practicing nurse, having trained at Mengo Hospital School of Nursing and Midwifery.
“Compassion transformed my life completely. I owe my survival, my education, and my profession to this programme.”
Giving back to Sebei
Graduates like Chelangat, Chebet, and Kaptyombin praised Compassion and the church for standing with them until they became self-reliant.
They said the project not only supported their academics, but also equipped them with practical skills.
“We have learnt different skills that we are already using to earn a living,” said Kaptyombin.
“Now, we are channelling our skills and proceeds to give back to our communities by supporting other vulnerable children.”
The beneficiaries have since formed an alumni association to foster unity and mobilise resources to uplift vulnerable children across Sebei.
Dr. Nicklas Kalyebala, the senior manager of partnerships at Compassion International Uganda, commended the fresh graduates for their resilience and determination.
He said the programme has shifted community attitudes towards education and significantly reduced harmful cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Chelangat, Chebet, Kaptyombin, and their fellow beneficiaries are determined to mentor and uplift the next generation, ensuring that vulnerable children across Sebei have the same opportunities they once received.