From life on the streets to achieving dreams of learning: Meet Ngorok

11/6/2024

2 mins read time

11-year-old Ngorok is a proud Child Rights Club member in Karamoja. Her family have moved around a lot, spending time living and begging on the streets in Kampala. Life in Kampala was hard, Ngorok remembers times when they couldn’t afford food or clothes and it wasn’t safe. Ngorok and her siblings were beaten by thieves who stole their money, they were knocked over by motorbikes in the road and faced regular threats of sexual assault.

MOVING BACK TO KARAMOJA

When she was eight, Ngorok was picked up by the authorities and reintegrated back to her Karamoja village to live with her elderly grandmother. Ngorok took over the running of her grandmother’s firewood business, collecting and selling wood in her village.

Despite being safe with her grandmother, Ngorok didn’t think that she would ever have the opportunity of going to school. She had always dreamt of learning and getting an education but had ‘no hope that I would ever be able to’ as she was the sole breadwinner for her family.

JOINING THE CHILD RIGHTS CLUB

When a Child Rights Club started in her village Ngorok joined straight away. She loves attending meetings and helping other children in her community. After joining the Child Rights Club Ngorok was encouraged to register at a local school and start her education. Club members spoke to her family about the importance of education and persuaded her older sister (who had also returned to Karamoja) to take over the running of the firewood business so that Ngorok could focus on learning.

FLOURISHING AT SCHOOL

Ngorok loves school and is flourishing. She is a proud member of her Child Rights Club and campaigns to encourage other children to go to school like she does.

Ngorok told us ‘I advise all of my peers not to ever go live on the streets because it is not a good life there. Now I am in school and respected in my community as a CRC member.’