M-LISADA's Stories of Transformation
From The Streets to a Calling:
Charles's Finds His Future in Plumbing
Charles embodies M-LISADA’s transformative power. His story intimately shows the role and difference that M-LISADA plays in the lives of vulnerable
children. In a life filled with instability, tragedy, and loss, M-LISADA has been the enabling and supportive presence in Charles’s life. In times of need, M-LISADA has been the refuge that he could count on and turn to. Whenever his life has been at a crossroads, M-LISADA has been there to renew his hope by giving him guidance, direction, and opportunities.
Charles was 11 when he first joined M-LISADA’s programs in 2019. The tragic death of his father had torn apart his family and irreparably changed his life. After his father’s death, Charles’s family had no income and couldn’t afford to stay together. To help offset the financial burden, Charles’s three older sisters were sent to live with distant relatives in the village. This separation compounded Charles’s pain. The brutal reality and uphill struggle of Charles’s new life were starkly amplified when Charles and his mother were kicked out of their house and ended up living on the streets. Life on the streets was bleak; at times, they went days without anything to eat. Instead of being in school, Charles would roam the streets, doing what he could to help support his mother and hoping for a better life. Charles was desolate and desperate until a lady who knew about M-LISADA saw how Charles and his mother were living and told his mother about M-LISADA…….
When Charles joined M-LISADA’s Bridge Education Program, his life first stabilized and then changed. He now had a safe place to be; he was surrounded by friends who soon felt like family. He had multiple meals every day, began learning music in the M-LISADA Brass Band, and went to school. Unfortunately, once again, the fragility of life and the tragedy that lives within it struck again in 2022, when Charles’s mother passed away after an illness.
In the brokenness and loss of life, M-LISADA was once again the stable and reliable force that Charles needed to steady his life. M-LISADA believed
in him, encouraged him, and showed him it would be okay. With M-LISADA’s support, Charles stayed in school and boarded at M-LISADA Passion Primary School. In 2024, Charles passed his primary leaving exam. Finishing primary school was a milestone for Charles; it was a day and an achievement he could only dream of when he was living on the streets.
Today, Charles is a pioneer of M-LISADA’s renewed emphasis on vocational schooling and skills training that leads directly to employment. After graduating from Primary 7, Charles faced an important decision. He was older than most students entering secondary school. For a multitude of reasons, he knew going to secondary school for 4 to 6 years would be a tough uphill battle for him. With M-LISADA’s encouragement, he was empowered to choose a different path. vocational training in plumbing at YMCA Vocational School.
Charles strongly feels that he has found his calling in plumbing. It reminds him of his journey and gives him a feeling in his heart that he can’t describe or ever forget. His passion for the trade, willingness to learn, and positive attitude have made him the only student in his program teachers
have invited to work on worksites. During school breaks, Charles now works on work sites, installing plumbing in houses, repairing pipes, and carrying out maintenance.
In 2026, Charles finished his junior certificate in plumbing as one of the best students. He is now pursuing a two-year advanced certificate in plumbing. Charles’s life exemplifies M-LISADA’s mission and the holistic work we do to protect, heal, empower, and support vulnerable children, youth, and
women through music, life skills, and education. His story illustrates the importance of creating places where vulnerable children and young people can
find safety, belonging, education, encouragement, and the opportunity to discover their own gifts.
Vulnerable Children Have Gratudated from M-LISADA Passion Primary School since 2023
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Reaching For and Painting the Stars
with Elijah Muwerza
M-LISADA is proud to celebrate its first artist to have an international art exhibition. Elijah Muwerza was the main artist of a month long exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, entitled “In Plain Sight”. The exhibition explored the dynamic between visibility, the process of what is revealed when we truly look, and what also remains unseen. Elijah’s four featured artworks were the most in the exhibition. The was also the the only artist from outside Belguim to have his work showcased. The other six artists were from the African diaspora and lived in Belguim.
For Elijah, this exhibition is the culmination of a dream that started to develop at M-LISADA. It is an achievement that he never would’ve imagined when his doodling as a child made his dad angry. It is something that he never would’ve thought possible when he was placed in the care of M-LISADA after being taken from the streets to a quarantine detention center during the first COVID lockdown in Uganda.
Being a resident at M-LISADA for two formative years was transformational for Elijah. It profoundly changed his life. For Elijah, M-LISADA is a place where children discover their gifts. It is where talent is embraced and is able to shine. M-LISADA empowered Elijah with his own talent. It is where he fully found and proved his artistic talent to himself. M-LISADA was the first place that encouraged Elijah. It helped him believe in himself and focus on his skill. It showed him that a life different from the one he was living on the streets was possible. With M-LISADA by his side, when Elijah truly looked at himself, he saw the person he wanted to be; the life he wanted to live revealed itself to him.
In the supportive space of M-LISADA, Elijah no longer felt invisible. He not only saw himself, he felt fully seen. As a resident, he was immersed in the life-changing qualities of positivity, friendship, love, and creativity. In addition to concentrating on and cultivating his artistic talent, he started to play the piano and loved being surrounded by music.
The motto of M-LISADA is Music to the Rescue. It is a motto that is built on the lived experience of our founders. In 2023, after M-LISADA had reunited Elijah with his grandmother, M-LISADA came to Elijah’s rescue after he was hit by a motorcycle and badly hurt. M-LISADA’s network and extended family quickly mobilized support for Elijah so he could get the treatment and care he needed. Our founder and director spent days taking him to different hospitals and overseeing the neurosurgery on his brain. With M-LISADA’s continued care, Elijah made a full recovery.
This painting took Elijah 8 weeks to complete; he created it after M-LISADA reunited him with his grandmother. For Elijah, this layered painting tells the story of his life, his journey on the streets, and how he felt back home. M-LISADA is symbolized in the painting as caregivers helping children with support from around the world.
Art is how Elijah feels the world and what is inside of himself. It is how he sees and communicates with life. Elijah is naturally soft spoken and shy. He often doesn’t have the words to convey the depth of his feelings, but art helps him express them. When he wants to tell someone they are important in his life, he makes a painting for them or includes them in one of his artworks. Apart from oil-based paintings and charcoal drawings, Elijah is also a sculpture. He has been trained in all of these mediums through the support of M-LISADA and our supporters.
Elijah can regularly be found at M-LISADA. He is currently teaching an art class that helps children in our Bridge Education Program learn to express themselves. Elijah also used his life story and artistic skills to teach a “Mapping Your Life Story” workshop to children at M-LISADA.
At the end of the “In Plain Sight” art exhibition, it was requested that Elijah’s work stay displayed until the middle of September. Elijah is planning on using some of the proceeds from the sale of his art pieces to fund a special art workshop at M-LISADA Passion Primary School.
Walking Through The Gate of Transformation
Sarah's Story
Without the support of M-LISADA, Sarah Inne, says she would’ve dropped out of primary school. She thinks she would either be helping her mom sell bananas or working hard and struggling in a village without much hope for a better life. When Sarah walked through the small gate and into M-LISADA, she changed the path of her future and transformed the possibilities for her life. Being part of M-LISADA gave her the confidence and opportunity to follow her dreams. Sarah’s determination to make the most out of her education has made her a role model, a pioneer, and a shining star for everyone at M-LISADA.
A love of dancing is what brought Sarah to M-LISADA. At the time, Sarah lived with her mom, her sister, and two brothers, and she was struggling to stay in school. One day, when Sarah was in primary 5, M-LISADA’s cultural dance team performed at her school. When Sarah saw the performance, she was so inspired that she went home and told her family she wanted to join M-LISADA’s cultural dance team. Her family promptly told her it was a bad idea. It would have a negative influence, and she couldn’t join…
At the time, many people had the wrong impression of M-LISADA. Since it was started by street kids from Katwe slum, they associated it with bad people and with people who took drugs. Sarah knew that this wasn’t true, so she defied her family and started going M-LISADA. She knew M-LISADA would teach her important life skills instead of loitering around with nothing to do. When M-LISADA told Sarah’s mom they would help her with school fees, her relieved mom said she could continue going to M-LISADA.
M-LISADA taught Sarah about the life-shaping skills of teamwork, confidence, discipline, and leadership. The cultural dance team’s friendly competition with M-LISADA’s Brass Band motivated, energized, and empowered her to be the best she could be. Everyone at M-LISADA saw how committed she was, and she quickly became one of the cultural dance leaders. The responsibility of being one of the dance leaders transformed her from a shy person who found it difficult to talk to people to becoming one of the center-stage singers in the cultural group.
Sarah’s love for learning has taken her from M-LISADA to Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Rwanda. After being one of the best students at her local high school, Sarah was selected to be in the 2016 African Scholars! Program in Zimbabwe. After becoming an African Scholar! Sarah continued her scholarly life by beating out competition from all over Africa to win a highly sought-after full tuition scholarship to African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. ALA has a reputation for being one of the most prestigious high schools in all of Africa. Sarah performed so well at ALA that she was offered a full tuition scholarship to African Leadership University (ALU), a partner University in Rwanda. In 202 Sarah graduated with a degree in international business and trade at ALU. She is also interested in becoming a lawyer and working for human rights. Sarah’s love for performing cultural dance has continued. She is currently part of a cultural dance residency in China.
Music to The Rescue
Bruce's Story
Bruce Akampulira’s story is best told through the sweet sound of his tenor horn. The transformative power of his tenor horn has taken him from the slums of Katwe to the British Corps of Army Music. Bruce’s ability to harness the life-giving power of music made him a trailblazing and inspirational role model. Music has been the primary guiding force in Bruce’s life. It has made him the person he is. Music is what enabled him to stay in school. Bruce credits the hours he spent at M-LISADA practicing music with improving his concentration, which helped him study in school. His leadership, sense of teamwork, and listening skills were all forged and cultivated through music. Before Bruce started playing music, he was shy and purposefully isolated himself from others. Performing gave him confidence and taught him how to speak in public. Playing in the camaraderie of M-LISADA’s band created lifelong friendships and gave Bruce a place of belonging. Teaching music and life skills for three years earned him his first salary and taught him to be self-reliant.
Without M-LISADA’s intervention, Bruce’s life would’ve been very different. He was on the verge of dropping out of school in primary 5. When M-LISADA’s Music to the Rescue program came to his rescue, At the time, Bruce’s was living with his mother in the slum of Katwe after his father had passed away. Bruce was a very good student, but the school fees were simply too much for his mom to pay. When M-LISADA heard about Bruce’s situation, they talked to the head teacher and began sponsoring Bruce’s education…
After a failed attempt at joining M-LISADA’s Acrobatics team, Bruce became serious about joining M-LISADA’s Brass Band. At the time, M-LISADA didn’t have nearly enough instruments for everyone to play, so he had to be patient and wait his turn to learn. Inside the slum of Katwe, he saw how the band members were recognized and treated with respect by the community. He learned about the power of community bonds and of working toward a common goal. Every time M-LISADA faced problems, he saw how people came together to solve an issue they couldn’t solve alone.
With M-LISADA’s support, Bruce became an exceptional student and a model of academic excellence. Two years after almost dropping out, he finished Primary school as one of the top students in the country. In secondary school, he won a laptop after achieving one of the top scores in the country on his Class 4 O-Level Education Certificate Exams. Bruce was offered a government scholarship to university, and his name appeared in the paper after he finished secondary/high school as one of the country’s top students.
The power of music has taken Bruce to places he never could’ve imagined when he first picked up his tenor horn. Bruce has met the president of Uganda. He was part of the M-LISADA Brass Band that played at the Uganda International Football team’s games at the National Stadium. Music was the vehicle that took him to the British High Commission and to different parts of Uganda. In 2019, Bruce and 3 other musicians who learned how to play music at M-LISADA became the first four musicians from East Africa to be accepted into the British Corps of Army Music Program. Bruce currently serves as a musician in the Royal Corps of Army Music band based in Tidworth, England.
The First Girl of M-LISADA
Latifah's Story
Latifah’s story is indicative of the archetypal challenges and setbacks many children, especially girls in Uganda, face. It is also a living testament that represents the potential difference education, and in particular M-LISADA’s Education & Skilling program, makes. Lastly, it embodies the reciprocity and desire to support others in need that is embedded in the fabric of M-LISADA.
Latifah’s mother died when she was a baby. The death of her grandmother, a year later, left her primarily in the care of her 12-year-old brother Bosco, the founder of M-LISADA, and her other sisters. Her primary education was made possible due to the collective effort of different relatives. When it was time to start school, she never fully knew if and when she would go back to school. Her life followed a simple equation: when the money was there, she would go to school; when it wasn’t, then she wouldn’t. This start-and-stop pattern and extended system of support enabled her to finish primary school, but it likely wouldn’t have been sustainable enough for her to stay in secondary/high school.
In secondary school, costs rise significantly, the number of subjects jumps dramatically from 4 to 16, and the difficulty of returning to school after dropping out or missing extended periods increases significantly. A 2025 World Bank report confirms this, stating that only 27% of girls in Uganda are enrolled in secondary school….
Thankfully for Latifah, an M-LISADA sponsor entered her life at this crucial juncture, and she joined Secondary School. Up until that point, Latifah had been wary of having to drop out of school; she had always known it was a distinct possibility. She had learned that starting school, going back to school, and finishing school were three different things. Growing up in the Katwe slum, Latifah says around 80% of the people she knew went to school, but most of them dropped out before finishing primary school due to financial instability, often exacerbated by the breakup of their parents. The threat of children not being supported by fathers if the mother leaves them is an ever present one for the majority of families who are dependent on the father for financial support. This income disparity is exacerbated and reinforced when mothers and their female children’s (future mothers) income-generating skills are handicapped by not finishing school. As Latifah gained her voice in the safety of school and became exposed to a bigger and different life, many of her friends who had dropped out of school ultimately became teenage single mothers to the children of multiple fathers. Today, most of the mothers aren’t working; some of them live with their mothers, and life is hard for all of them. Without the support of M-LISADA and the ever expanding pathway of education, Latifah feels it is likely that her life would revolve around having children and suffering in dependency on a man for financial support.
Latifah is a strong proponent of the importance of girls attending school and completing their education. She credits education with the yearning to achieve more in life. As a girl, when you go to school, you discover opportunities and aren’t rushed or forced into making decisions. You have the time to go through the different stages of life and to develop and learn the right things at the right time. Through this process, you learn to stand on your own. Being in school also helps delay pregnancies and marriages that you don’t want and aren’t ready for. Latifah was inspired to go to university by Mary, the first girl in M-LISADA’s programs to do so. For Latifah, Mary was a role model who modeled a new way. She empowered Latifah to think, if Mary can go through these challenges, so can I. Only 4% of girls in Uganda go to either university or tertiary school. Many girls in Katwe don’t even consider it a possibility until they meet role models like Mary and Latifah.
Latifah works as a librarian at Mummy Foundation, a partner of M-LISADA, located in the very community where she grew up. Latifah is proud to give back to the community that she credits with raising her. She loves to teach reading and the world of books to children in Primary 3 and Primary 4. The majority of her students are girls. With the support of M-LISADA and her sponsor, Latifah graduated from Kyambogo University in 2021 with a degree in Procurement and Logistics Management.
Teenage Pregnancy in Uganda
Uganda has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world. According to the most recent figures from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (USHS), roughly 1 in 4 (24%) girls aged 15–19 have either had a child or are pregnant with their first child (2022).
From Loss to Living His Dreams
Okema's Story
In 2002, Okema’s father was one of 28 civilians brutally killed in the Opota massacre conducted by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army. His family was forced to flee their village for the relative safety of an army-protected town. They spent five years living first in a tent, then in a grass-thatched hut. When they finally returned home in 2012, Okema’s mother was unable to take care of Okema and his older sisters. Struggle to survive and desperate for help, Okema’s older brother asked M-LISADA to take care of Okema.
Okema was 12 years old when he arrived at M-LISADA in 2013. He didn’t speak English or Luganda, the two most commonly spoken languages in Kampala. His life had been characterized by loss and displacement. Okema came to M-LISADA with the dream of being able to go to school and study. It was a dream that Okema had long held on to but had lost hope of. When M-LISADA sent Okema to school, the rekindling of his dream gave him an empowering and newfound hope. When Okema joined M-LISADA, he didn’t just get a new home; he got a new definition of family. Okema learned that family is not just people whose blood you carry; family is who loves you and who you love. At M-LISADA, he also learned that the value of who he is as a person is not defined by what he looks like or by his story; it is defined by who he is on the inside and how he uses that to connect with the world…
Soon after coming to M-LISADA, Okema joined a Dance of Hope program that had just started. Okema felt special when he started playing the Adungu, a traditional instrument from his village. He was enthralled when he realized he had a gift for music. As he played the Adungu, he began to understand the instrument’s rich history, and it made him proud of his culture. He fell in love with the captivating power of music; the more he played, the more music became his world. When Okema came to M-LISADA he had hate in his heart and vengeance in his mind. He was traumatized and angry at the world and the brutality of what he and his family had experienced. In the supportive care of M-LISADA, the power of music touched Okema’s heart and healed his soul. Over time, the healing power of music transformed him into a person who embodies positivity, enthusiasm, and love.
Okema has always been a hard worker and a grabber of opportunities. At M-LISADA, he was cultivated to become a peer leader. Being an empowered leader at M-LISADA gave Okema the confidence to believe in himself and the world. This combination continues to propel Okema forward in life. It is what has enabled Okema to continually pursue and achieve his dreams. When Okema finished high school, he fulfilled the dream he had when he came to M-LISADA. With M-LISADA’s support, he followed his call to become a dentist and successfully finished dental school. After successfully leading M-LISADA youth in multiple Dance of Hope Tours in the USA, Okema moved to the USA and is currently following his passion and dream of becoming a professional musician.