More than five decades after the late Atuneta Abiria opened her home to care for three orphaned relatives, her family is struggling to sustain a growing orphanage that now shelters 75 vulnerable children in Koboko District. Despite limited resources, inadequate housing, lack of electricity, unreliable access to clean water, and mounting medical expenses, the family has continued to provide food, shelter, education, and healthcare to children from Uganda as well as refugee families from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With only two caregivers, overcrowded living conditions, and many children having no known relatives to return to, the orphanage faces increasing pressure to meet basic needs.Every day is a struggle for survival at Mama Atuneta Orphanage Centre in Koboko District, where a family-run home is caring for 75 orphaned and abandoned children amid growing financial and logistical challenges.
According to family members, the orphanage traces its roots to the 1970s when the late Atuneta Abiria began caring for her brother’s three orphaned children. What started as a family responsibility gradually evolved into a refuge for vulnerable children as relatives and well-wishers continued entrusting her with more children.
The home later began receiving abandoned babies and children whose parents could not be traced. Over the years, the family has relied on support from well-wishers to provide education, healthcare, food, and shelter.
Atuneta died on January 13, 2019, at the age of 88, leaving the responsibility of caring for the children to her family. The orphanage is currently managed by her daughter, Margaret Ajonye, following the death of her elder sister.
Ajonye acknowledged that the family is facing increasing pressure due to limited resources and a growing number of children but remains determined to preserve her mother’s legacy. “After she died, we thought people would stop bringing children here, but we have seen the number increasing. Some of them are children of refugees from South Sudan whose parents’ whereabouts are not known, while others are abandoned babies. We cannot turn them away despite the challenges,” Ajonye told Uganda Radio Network.
When Uganda Radio Network visited the home, it found that all 75 children are accommodated in seven rooms spread across three housing units, which also serve as storage spaces for food and other supplies. The solar power system installed on one of the houses broke down about two years ago.
The family now relies on torches for lighting at night. The orphanage also lacks a perimeter fence, exposing it to security risks. Access to clean water remains another challenge. The home depends on a well dug within the compound, which occasionally becomes contaminated and poses health risks. Neighbours sometimes provide clean water to support the children.
Among the most recent arrivals are newborn twins whose father reportedly brought them to the orphanage after their mother died during childbirth and he was unable to care for them. Eight-year-old Beatrice Afoyo (not her real name), who has lived at the orphanage for several years, expressed gratitude to the family for providing her with food, shelter, and clothing.
“I thank Mama for giving me everything like food, a home, and clothes. I am happy because she gives me everything,” she said. Of the 75 children currently at the home, 15 are aged between infancy and 10 years, while 10 are below the age of five. They are assisted by only two caregivers who support the family despite lacking formal training in childcare.
According to the family, some of the children are of South Sudanese and Congolese origin, particularly from refugee families, while others were abandoned and brought to the home by members of the public.
Hadija Driliga Yaya, a resident of Koboko District, expressed concern about the health and welfare of the children, especially the babies who share sleeping spaces. She called for urgent intervention, including the establishment of a sickbay, construction of additional accommodation, and improved security measures.
The head of the family told URN that when children fall sick, they are usually given first aid despite caregivers lacking professional medical training. If their condition does not improve, they are taken to nearby clinics for treatment, which is often costly. The family had not cleared a medical debt of approximately 300,000 shillings incurred while treating children suffering from infections, malaria, and typhoid.
Funds intended for feeding the children are sometimes diverted to cover healthcare expenses.
Joseph Mukasa, a well-wisher who recently visited the orphanage, said the family requires emotional, psychosocial, and financial support if the children are to have a better future. The challenge extends beyond childhood. Many residents who have reached adulthood continue to live at the orphanage because they have nowhere else to go and cannot trace their relatives.
“I lost my parents and I also don’t know where to go after here. This is my home where I grew up since I was a child,” one of the young adults said. While some school-going children benefit from bursaries at Koboko Parents Nursery and Primary School and Francis Ayume Memorial Secondary School, opportunities for university education and vocational training remain limited.
The orphanage currently relies on support from family members, individual donors, and annual fundraising drives. This year, organizers hope to raise 25 million shillings, of which 15 million is earmarked for the purchase of farmland as a sustainable solution to the home’s food security challenges. The fundraising campaign also seeks support for vocational training, sanitary materials, and infant care supplies.
Apayi Fiona, who is spearheading the charity drive, said the initiative is intended to create a sustainable future for the orphanage. “There is a need to have a sustainable plan for the home so that children can be helped without much pressure. They will be getting food from the farm, while other contributions can support other needs,” she said.
As the number of children continues to rise, the family is appealing for support to preserve Mama Atuneta’s legacy and secure a sustainable future for the children in its care.
According to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 3,036,803 of the 22,152,538 children enumerated in Uganda had either lost one or both parents or had parents whose survival status was unknown.
The figure represents 13.7 percent of all children in the country, meaning approximately one in every eight children is an orphan. In the West Nile sub-region alone, the census recorded 131,143 children who had lost both parents and 328,225 who had lost one parent, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing families and institutions caring for vulnerable children-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
