Nankya Carolyn

Nankya Carolyn is 24 and lives and works at Nazareth Children’s Home in Nyendo, just outside of Masaka.  Nazareth is one of the many projects that URF has been supporting and/or partnering with and many volunteers visit to help out with the day to day operations. 

At 2 years of age, Carolyn was brought to the Nazareth Children’s Home by her mother who could no longer care for her.  She was raised by Josephine the care taker of the Orphanage.  At 4 years of age, Carolyn’s mother passed away, and Josephine became the one true, primary, parental figure in her life. 

Carolyn’s schooling began when she was 6 years of age when she attended Nyendo Public School, Primary Level 1, supported by Josephine.  Her secondary education was funded by Father Musanya Joseph at St. Joseph’s Secondary School.  After completing her high school education, Carolyn decided she wanted to be a teacher and joined Ndegeya Core Teacher’s College where she received a certificate after 2 years of study.  She jumped right into her profession and began teaching Primary Levels 3 and 4 at Lukaya Jr. Model School where she remained for one term.  Carolyn then met Matt from URF who agreed to more than double her monthly salary if she went to work for the Orphanage where she was raised, as Josephine needed help with the upbringing of the children.  Carolyn gladly accepted and has now been working with her “mother” at Nazareth, caring for over 20 children ranging in age from a few months to 19.

One of the main challenges that Carolyn faces on a day to day basis is that there are many children to look after, yet too few staff to look after them.  She says, “The volunteers from URF really help out a lot, but it would be helpful to have a few more people assisting on a daily basis.”  Currently, just Carolyn and Josephine run the daily operation, which happens to be a monumental task! 

“URF has helped me to earn more income in order to live out my dreams,” she says. Those dreams that Carolyn speaks of are owning her own home, taking care of her children (those at the orphanage), emulating her JjaJja (Josephine), and perhaps doing a little traveling . 

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