Suubi Baby Home and Children Villages

So today was the 1st day that I did absolutely nothing since arriving in Uganda 3 weeks ago and this day of rest and relaxation was great and definitely needed. Since my last blog I started my new schedule and worked 9 days straight with just 1 day off waking up at 5am and not getting back until around 7pm each night but God is good! It is the reason why I am here and I can truly say that this experience so far has been so fulfilling😀

In my first post that I wrote from Uganda I briefly gave you an overview of Watoto's Baby Homes and Children Villages but in this post I am going to break it down a little more. 

Watoto opened their Baby Home back in 2007 even though the Children Vilages started in 1994. Watoto's mission is to "rescue, raise and rebuild". Baby Watoto is not an orphanage but a home where each baby is loved and taken care of concerning their every need. Watoto really encourages attachment, consistency and wants each baby to experience the normalcies of life. They have nannies that stay with them from the time they arrive until they go into the Children Villages. They also take them places like the zoo and teach them. I was presently surprised and impressed how much the toddlers knew at just 18 months or so. They understand so well and know all their body parts. They are so independent and do so much for themselves. It is fascinating to see!!

There are currently 2 Baby Homes, one in Suubi, where I work which is about an hour from Kampala depending on traffic and then the other one is in Gulu which is about 6 hours north of Kampala. There are 3 Children Villages one in Suubi, Gulu and Bbira. Each property also has a church, clinic, schools and individual houses where the mothers and their children live. (For more info about the children villages here is the website: https://www.watoto.com/our-work/watoto-villages/).

Last time I mentioned that some of the toddlers went for bonding and are transitioning to the Children Villages. The Baby Home is only met to house children age 2 and under and then they transition over to the Children Villages. So when space becomes available in the Children Villages the toddlers have a month of bonding with their new mothers and family so when they do transition out of the Baby Home it will be a less traumatic experience. Watoto provides care for these children all the way through college and when they graduate Watoto even gives them a portion of the money from their sponsors that they have put aside in a savings account, to start them off in their adult life.

What has been the highlight of my time at the Baby Home so far?  Last week some of the children in Tigers went to the pool. Everybody was loving the water except for this one precious baby girl that has captured my heart. She was screaming her head off and so afraid. I am excited to announce that yesterday during pool time she was sitting in the water playing, laughing and splashing the water. She even stood up next to her brother for about 5 minutes (she cried last week when I stood her up on dry land). I felt like a proud mother😍 My heart was and still is full of joy to see how much these children grow in just a week. The love, prayers, consistency and attention given to them by the nannies and the volunteers definitely has a positive effect.

Along with having 4 different classrooms with about 25 children in each, there is also a nursery upstairs that houses newborns. It is a closed off section where they are and you have to ask in advance if you can work with them because it is a sterile area. I was going to ask if I could work with them next week but one of the nannies came and got me on Monday and asked if I could help out with the newborns because they were short nannies. I love how God gives you the desires of your heart without you having to  go above and beyond. It was a great experience! There were 9 newborns and they were so cute and precious. I also had the chance to feed them but the nannies were pros feeding 4-5 babies at a time. My highest was 2 lol.

I can't thank each of you enough for the continued love and encouragement as I continue this faith journey. I told God when I graduated college that if I could find a job that would pay me to travel the world and hold babies and show them Gods love that would be the best job ever. Well He heard my prayers and answered! Even though I am not getting paid a salary these precious moments and seeing the children are a great reward😁

As I close I just wanted to remind you that God hears every prayer that you pray even the silent ones and wants to give you the desires of your heart. So don't stop praying and don't get weary in well doing. Stay the course and you will indeed reap a harvest of blessing if you faint not. I am a living witness!

Until next time! Peace and ❤️

Jasmine Jackson 

Isaiah 6:8

P.S. Dropped my phone and cracked the internal screen but one of the volunteers let me use her laptop and I was able to get the pictures of the babies!! So the Baby pictures are now posted on my FB!!