Kato doesn’t know why his parents abandoned him. They left their home in rural Uganda one day in 2009, bound for the capital, and simply never came back. Overnight, the little boy was left completely alone, seemingly forgotten by the world and by those who should have cared for him most.

When local aid workers discovered Kato, he was homeless and 12 years old. “He had no food, no clothing, or shelter,” they told us. They brought Kato to their orphanage where he started school, and today, he’s one of their success
stories. “He’s very happy and so bright,” wrote the staff. “He’s the school football team’s goalkeeper and he wants to be a professional footballer! We treat him like our son.”

Kato’s journey from abandoned, frightened little boy, to an educated teenager with such mighty dreams, is repeated over and over with the children at this home. To date they have reached 680 children with shelter, education and love, helping them grow to thriving, contributing adults.

Crossroads shipped to Kato’s orphanage, including goods like a huge amount of school equipment, play equipment and supplies, even uniforms and sports goods for Kato’s soccer team, but also goods for their offices, the local medical clinics and the secondary school. “This shipment has changed us for the better,” they said. “The things we would have done in five to ten years, we are now going to achieve within two years.

We are going to save over US $27,000. This money will help us build more classrooms, pay our staff, treat the sick children as well as buy more land for our future projects. Some of our members shed tears of joy when receiving these goods as they could not believe that the goods were given to us free of charge by people who don’t know us but care so much.”

Sponsor a shipment

You can be part of changing the lives of children like Kato. Email partnerships@crossroads.org.hk for a selection of shipments currently awaiting sponsorship.