Malayaka House

By the time this is posted I’ll already be in Uganda, but I wanted to start this blog with a short explanation of why I’m going on this adventure and what I’ll be doing (thanks to Andi for this idea – check out her blog from Mongolia when you’re done reading mine).

Evan and I will be living and volunteering at an orphanage called the Malayaka House in Entebbe, Uganda for the next six months. After studying abroad and teaching in South Africa we wanted to find a program that would bring us back to Africa and have us working with children again. This summer, through our good friend Erin who works at St. Mike’s, we met Robert. Robert came to Uganda in 2005 to do some research and, through a series of wild events, found himself starting an orphanage for sick and abandoned children. Now, just over six years later, “Uncle Robert” has 36 children between the age of 1 and 19 living under his roof. He also employs eight Ugandan women that the children call “Aunties” and they take care of absolutely everything at the Malayaka House. They create their own schedule and ensure that the children are clean, healthy, and well-fed.

Because this project wasn’t one that Robert intended when he came to Uganda in 2005, everything about the orphanage has been developed and altered along the way. Up until last year Robert was still taking in children whenever the local police would call and say that a child was in a life or death situation and needed a new home, but right now there isn’t any more room to grow. The cost of living in Uganda has risen drastically in the last year and Robert has the children in a more expensive school. So right now the Malayaka House is looking for new ways to raise money and develop businesses for the oldest children.

We met with Robert in August because we were interested in learning more, and he immediately invited us to go stay at his guest house and volunteer for as long as we liked. With very little knowledge of the Malayaka House, but with a great deal of confidence in Robert and what he is doing, we decided to go for it. Our role at the house is abstract and will be determined by both our abilities and the needs of the children and their aunties.

So follow us on this journey to Uganda , and please check out the Malayaka House website!

And a special thank you to all my family and friends who donated both money towards my trip and clothes for the children, I’m extremely grateful!