Meet Derek: 10-Year-Old House Builder in Uganda

During our last trip to Ndagga village, we came upon a small house on the edge of the campus. The house was built by a boy, Derek, when he was ten years old. His father had passed away. As the oldest son of the family, he had become the man of the house. He built a mud house with a tin roof for his mother, his younger brother, and his baby sister. The house is a modern-day marvel. It is simple but complete. It is structurally sound. It has withstood the elements for the past two years.

‘Boys will be boys’ we often say, but boys here are often expected to carry the weight of the family. And for that matter, girls are expected to do the same. Sponsoring children like Derek, who have responsibilities and stresses unimaginable to us in the United States, allows them to simply be kids again. Instead of having to focus only on the survival of their families, sponsored children are given the chance to study and play at school as all the boys and girls of the world should.

Dennis Kim
FOL Board Member

More Pictures of Derek and the house he built: