Two less sofa surfers in Acholi

Okot is a quiet, gentle lad with an endearing smile, a generous heart, and a hardworking attitude. He is really keen to learn, and loves going to school where he is currently in Primary 6 (top class is primary 7).

When I first met him, a few years back now, Okot was living with his mother and grandmother in Acholi Quarters. His mother has always struggled with mental health issues and the grandmother was the main carer. She was one of the ladies who made paper beads for selling as jewellery etc, and Okot, who at that stage had dropped out of school due to lack of finances, came along to the CRED Activity weeks. Since then, he has become one of the students who has been given support with school fees, and as a result is now happily attending the local school.

Because he is in school during the day, I haven’t seen him so much recently, as my visits tend to coincide with school hours. But when I have seen him in the past few months I have picked up a sense that his life isn’t as settled as it was regarding a home base.

Yesterday I found out that he is actually sofa-surfing, and has been for a while, due to his mother disappearing, and his grandmother returning to the family village in the north as she feels too old to cope with city / slum life anymore. 

Okot could have gone with his grandmother, but knew that he wouldn’t be able to attend school there if he did, so chose instead to stay in Acholi and hope that people would take him in. And they did, at first. But as he got older, it seems that the number of options of where to stay got less, and so in the last few months he has just been waiting at people’s houses as it gets dark, hoping that they will let him sleep on their floor for the night.

I was so sad when I heard this. What a way to live, and all because he wants to maintain access to education. 

So today, Harriet and I worked out a plan to solve the problem, which apparently is acceptable in Acholi Quarters, although in the UK probably wouldn’t be due to his still being a minor. The room that the Acholi children have for their Hopeful Haven schoolroom during the day is empty at night, so Walter is going to be ‘security guard’ and sleep there each night. It means he has a safe place as he can lock the door each night, he has a reliable roof over his head, and thanks to a quick trip to the market he has a mattress to sleep on. Mornings and evenings the ladies of the co-operative will ensure that he gets food and somewhere to wash, and during the day he will get food at school. There is even a lightbulb in the room so that he can do his homework. A good outcome all things considered.

But as Harriet and I chatted on, it turned out that there is another of the sponsored children who is in similar situation of sofa surfing. 

Aber is 12 years old and in P4. She also used to come to the CRED team weeks, and then got support to go to school. A while back her parents separated, and Aber moved in with her aunt as her grandparents aren’t around. However, a month or so back her aunt threw her out because there isn’t enough space and Aber can’t go to either of her parents as both have ‘disappeared’ to avoid paying some outstanding court fees incurred from the separation process.

So, Aber is sofa-surfing as well, and again is struggling to find anywhere reliable to stay. As a girl she is even more vulnerable than Okot, and Harriet has been doing what she can to look out for her. 

Now this is the other bit that wouldn’t be allowed in the UK, but apparently is OK in Acholi – Aber is also going to sleep at the schoolroom alongside Okot. Separate mattresses, separate sides of the room, and yes there’s part of me that is wondering if its OK. But, the ladies are happy with the plan, and when I gently questioned about the issue of teenage boy and girl under the same roof, I was assured that it would be OK – so who am I to challenge that?

I trust the ladies to keep a watchful eye, to provide pastoral support, and to give guidance about life choices. And if this solution means that Okot and Aber are now able to sleep in a safe and secure environment, without spending each evening wondering whose floor they will be sleeping on – well that can only be a positive.

And of course I am very aware that this sort of situation isn't unique to Acholi. How many young people are out there tonight - sofa surfing or sleeping on the streets, wondering where their next meal  will come from, and all through no fault of their own? Thank goodness for the opportunity to help reduce that number by two.