The mission of Bitone Children’s Center is to restore the hopes of disadvantaged Ugandan children who have been traumatized by the effects of living in a war-torn region. Many children who use our services have lost their parents and their homes, and are subject to deadly diseases and economic hardships. We believe that every child, regardless of his or her gender, race, or cultural background, has the potential—and therefore deserves the opportunity—to excel. Our vision is that by providing basic food and shelter, quality education, and a nurturing environment, in addition to training in traditional Ugandan dance, music, and theater, these children’s lives will again become meaningful.

Our story begins with two lives full of both challenge and compassion. In 2004,two native Ugandans, Branco Sekalegga and Hassan Kayemba, took it upon themselves to address the numerous problems that Ugandan children face daily as a result of living in a war-torn region.

Both Branco and Hassan were born into poor, rural families that were unable to provide them with basic material needs, let alone engage their social and intellectual interests. Growing up, Branco and Hassan witnessed many young people searching for food, clothing, medicine, acceptance, and love. Their personal hardships, including losing their fathers at young ages, have spurred them to productively use their experiences to help others who continue to struggle with similar issues. They have also learned how to direct the internal strength they were forced to cultivate in adolescence to navigate current difficult
situations.

Unfortunately, Branco and Hassan’s stories are not unique. Most Ugandan families have undergone social, political, and economic traumas due to wars, diseases, poor education, and domestic violence—with children at the center of the suffering.

Due to the constant presence of war, HIV/AIDS, and poverty in Uganda, countless young lives have been lost and hopes have been crushed. When a family lives in poverty or suffers from disease, children are often forced to sacrifice their education to work to survive.

With an unstable economy and few job opportunities, young people often end up on the streets and engaged in criminal acts, further diminishing their future prospects of success while maintaining the all-to-familiar cycles of poverty and violence. For many children in Uganda, the harsh realities of daily survival rob them of an ability to envision a different future, both for themselves and for their communities. Empowering children to believe in their own abilities and achieve their dreams makes them agents for change, which then has the potential to empower entire communities.