Luke’s Story

Luke was born in in Northern Uganda, in a town called Moroto. When Luke was still a baby, his family fled the war torn area and found themselves in Jinja Town searching for a better life. Unfortunately they were not able to make ends meet in Jinja either, as jobs are scarce and neither parent had an education trade skills. 

When Luke was just a baby, his father left his mother alone to care for four children. As a single mother, without a job or any education she was unable to provide food, medication or shelter. It wasn’t long until her youngest child died of untreated illness. Luke’s mother tried her best to care for her remaining children by collecting firewood to sell and by rummaging through the trash bins for food and clothing, however it was never enough to pay for even the most basic necessities. Due to the pain and struggles she endured, Luke’s mother turned to alcohol, which left her even less capable of caring for Luke or his siblings. The father eventually came back but he also was deep into alcoholism by this time and domestic violence often occurred against Luke, his mother and his siblings.  Luke was very ill when one of the PFP Directors found him in the slums of Masese and his mother begged PFP to help her by taking Luke into our care. She feared for his safety, his health and for his future if he were to stay with her.

Luke joined the Peace for Paul family in 2010 and enjoys studying and growing in this safe and loving environment. Over the years, both of Luke’s parents have tried to give up their drinking habit and though they are still deep in poverty, they welcome him to their home during school holidays for visits. Luke spends time with his family and enjoys building a relationship with his parents and siblings.