For most people, a quiet Sunday morning passes without incident. But for the Africa Children’s Heart Foundation in Masaka, one recent Sunday became the beginning of a new chapter in a young boy’s life.
The foundation’s staff were alerted when children returning briefly to the compound found a little boy sitting alone outside the gate. He was dirty, terrified, and crying—far too young to be wandering on his own. The children, many of whom understood what it means to be abandoned, rushed to get help. Caretakers cleaned and comforted him before contacting the organisation’s director, Bashir Musaazi.
To Musaazi, the situation felt familiar. “It’s what I’ve done for 15 years,” he said. “We took him in immediately.”
He would soon learn that the child’s name was Frank Kayigwa, only four years old.
As authorities and the foundation began tracing Frank’s family, his painful past slowly came to light. His father, a sand loader in Lwera, had died in a tragic accident when a pile of sand collapsed on him. Struggling to survive on minimal income, Frank’s mother disappeared soon after, leaving the boy without anyone to care for him.
Musaazi was deeply moved. “We still don’t know how he found his way to us,” he said. “But hearing about his background broke my heart. He had no one.”
Before placing Frank fully under the foundation’s care, Musaazi followed the legal procedures required for vulnerable children. Working with the Ministry of Gender in Masaka, he filed reports and secured the proper documentation. Officials from the Office of Gender and Community-Based Services acknowledged the case and, after no relatives came forward, authorised the foundation to provide Frank with full protection under the Child Protection Act and the Children Amendment Act.
With official approval, Frank became the newest member of the home.
While rescuing children has become a part of Musaazi’s everyday life, his motivation runs far deeper. His late mother, Nakachwa Elizabeth Beverly, had devoted herself to helping disadvantaged children before she passed away. Although she never fully accomplished her vision, her compassion now fuels her son’s work.
Caring for Frank took Musaazi back to his own painful childhood. After his mother died, he was taken to Rwanda to work as a houseboy. He endured discrimination, abandonment, and homelessness before his uncle Seruyange intervened.
“When I looked at Frank, I remembered who I once was,” Musaazi said. “I couldn’t let him go through what I went through.”
Despite limited funding, Musaazi has transformed the lives of many children. Thirty-five currently live at the foundation. This year alone, five pupils completed Primary School under his care, and two others finished Senior Four.
For him, every rescued child is a tribute to his mother’s dream.
“I believe she is happy,” he said. “This is the life she wanted for children like Frank. And as long as we can, we shall continue helping those who need us most.”
