Save Sunshine Shelter Kids (formerly known as Mercy Alive Africa) is a charity in Uganda working with street children and communities living in severe impoverishment. The organization began its work with street children in 2006 as an initiative to cultivate a strong reading culture among them. As the number of children grew, it became necessary to introduce additional programs to better serve their needs, leading to the creation of Save Sunshine Shelter Kids. Save Sunshine Shelter Kids is currently not internationally registered or affiliated with any organization outside Uganda. However, we are actively working toward building partnerships with international organizations to enhance our funding and expand our impact.

Hajara began her interactions with street children when she was 14 years old at a popular supermarket balcony in downtown Kampala. She attracted the attention of eight street children who approached her after a long day spent searching for food in dustbins, wandering the streets, and crossing busy city roads.

During her first interaction with the street children, they initially approached her aggressively and attempted to take her school bag. However, as she engaged with them, she realized they were fascinated by what she was reading. They wanted to be able to read as she did and to wear school uniforms like hers. She read a few paragraphs to them and explained their meaning.

Some of the children were loud and restless, shaped by the harsh realities of their lives. Each time they saw a police officer approaching, their fear was evident in their expressions and the way people reacted around them. Observing how dirty and malnourished the street boys were sniffing drugs from small bottles and chasing one another added to the challenge, as all of this could be perceived as dangerous and invite negative assumptions, which we could not ignore.

There were no structured or organized programs at the time because Hajara was a student herself and could only meet with the street children in the evenings after school. Although she recognized the urgent need for change and improvement, at this early stage, Hajara could only teach them how to read. It gradually became easier as a few of the children already knew how to read and write.

She embarked on a mission to collect clothes from people who had more than they needed. On weekends, Hajara managed to gather clothes, food, and reading materials from her school friends and her grandmother’s house, sometimes even inviting the street children into her grandmother’s home. Along the way, a few more youths joined Hajara, including both former street children and those who had never lived on the streets. Initially, the primary goal was simply to provide first aid to the sick and share meals. Over time, the reading program grew and inspired the creation of many other initiatives aimed at extending support to street children, particularly in rehabilitation.