Since 1994
Thirty years of raising children as family, in Kampala and beyond.
What began with a handful of orphaned children in a single home has grown into a network of village communities across Uganda — but the model has never changed: real homes, real mothers, real siblings.
How it started
Born from a promise made after crisis
In the aftermath of civil conflict and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, thousands of Ugandan children were left without parents. Watoto began as a response to that specific crisis: not shelters, but homes — built around the belief that children heal fastest inside family structure.
Three decades later, the same conviction shapes every village we run.
Our journey
Milestones
First family home opens
A single house in Kampala takes in eight children left orphaned by conflict and disease.
Bbira Village founded
Our first full village community opens, pairing homes with an on-site primary school.
Vocational training launched
A trades institute begins preparing older youth for employment beyond the village.
Suubi Village opens
A third village community brings total capacity to over 3,000 children in care at any time.
30th anniversary
More than 15,000 children raised through our homes since the very first house opened.
Our model
The village structure
The home
Seven to eight children live with one committed house-mother in a purpose-built family house — not a dormitory.
The village
Roughly 100 homes share a school, clinic, and community spaces, forming a full town of families.
Beyond 18
Young people leaving care are supported into vocational training, university, or first jobs, with ongoing mentorship.
The people behind the mission
Meet our care team
From house-mothers to social workers to village directors, meet the staff your gift supports.
See our teamMeet the families your gift supports
Every donation is a direct line to a specific home, a specific mother, a specific child's school fees.
Support a family