Our Work
We are building more than just a shelter; we are creating a family. Grateful serves as a bridge for children in Mityana, moving them from the uncertainty of the streets to the stability of a loving home.
The Challenge
No child should ever have to choose between a bed and a family. Yet, across Uganda, poverty often forces this impossible choice. When families reach a breaking point, children often end up on the streets or in institutional care, lost and without a sense of belonging. We know that while an orphanage provides a safety net, it isn't a replacement for the love of a family. The challenge is clear: we must move beyond just "surviving" and start building systems that keep families whole.
It doesn't have to be this way.
We believe that everyone who supports an orphanage does so out of a deep desire to protect children. That same compassion can be the engine for a new way of caring. We are proving that by redirecting our resources, we can support family-based care and community stability. It is not only more effective—it is what every child truly dreams of: a place to belong. There is a better way, and we are building it together.
There is a better way.
Our Approach
We believe that the heart of every person who gives is in the right place: we all want to protect children. At Grateful, we are taking that collective compassion and directing it toward a more sustainable future. Instead of long-term institutionalization, we focus on family-based care. We are proving that by supporting families and strengthening community bonds, we can provide a more effective, loving, and lasting environment for every child. We aren't just building a house; we are building a foundation.
Systemic change through District & Division transformation
Strengthening the community response and Social Service Workforce
Influencing change by advocating and changing hearts and minds
Meet Enoch
From a very young age, I understood what it truly means to live without a home. I survived on the streets of Mityana, and that experience shaped my heart and my purpose. Today, as the founder of Grateful Children’s Orphanage, I am committed to making sure no child has to face that same hunger, loneliness, and uncertainty. I know how hard it is to grow up without the warmth of a family. My life on the streets taught me that every child needs someone to believe in them. That is why I encourage every parent and guardian in our community to hold their children close, and why we work every day to keep families together and give children a place to truly belong.
Where We Work
Grateful Children’s Orphanage is rooted in Mityana, but our vision for a family-led Uganda knows no borders. We work in close partnership with the Government of Uganda, serving children and families across both rural and urban landscapes. Currently, our impact footprint includes:
Since 2023, we have successfully rescued 350 children from the streets of Mityana and reunited them with their families.
Our Promise of Protection
At Grateful, the safety of our children is our highest honor and greatest responsibility. We believe every child deserves a life free from abuse, exploitation, and fear. Our commitment to safeguarding is absolute and rooted in the very laws that protect our nation’s future: Article 34 of the Constitution of Uganda and the Children (Amendment) Act, 2024. We don't just follow the rules; we build a sanctuary where every child feels valued, protected, and heard.
Cultivating Independence: The Grateful Farm Initiative
At Grateful, we believe in a future that isn't just sustained by donations, but by our own hands. We have launched a community farm that serves as a heartbeat for our orphanage. By raising poultry and livestock, we provide our children with fresh, nutritious food while generating our own eggs and organic manure. This farm is more than a food source; it is a classroom where our children learn essential agricultural skills—empowering them to be the self-reliant leaders of tomorrow’s Uganda.
Children come first,
in everything we
do.
We are a child-focused organisation. It is important to us that children’s rights are protected and their voices are heard. We work with the government, to empower communities to put children first and to create systems and structures that prevent the unnecessary separation of children
We cannot do this alone
child in Uganda grows up in a safe and loving family.