Some of homless children at Pastor John Mundari Church in Gudelle residential area in Juba - Credit | Michael Daniel/Eye Radio - 3rd Sept 2022

A local Pastor in Gudelle residential area in Juba has called on the government and well-wishers to help sick and homeless children in his church.

Pastor John Mundari, the Director of Love and Peace Center for homeless children said the facility lacks food and medicine as well as education materials.

He stated that the center was established early this year in the Joppa area of Juba.

Home for over 50 homeless children, the center is hosting children between the ages of 10 -14.

“Our target was 50 but now it is 50 plus, we managed to gather all these children in six months to join the center. My proposal is to teach them the word of god,” said Pastor Mundari.

“We are faced with some challenges during the feeding time. As you know these children were on street and we don’t have program for the whole day,

“They only take tea as their breakfast, then they go to the street to beg and come back at launch time. We don’t have education and health facilities for them. We also lack mosquitoes net,

There is no latrine here, they are using our neighbor latrine. Another problem is we don’t have power in the place.”

Some homeless children at the center who spoke to Eye Radio on Saturday say alcoholic parents and domestic violence are among the reasons why they went on the streets.

“My older brothers used to beat me when they were drunk and kicked me out of the house as well as my uncle’s wife accusing me of eating too much. She kicked me out of the house and I ran to the street,” said Oliver Baraka.

“I would like to thank the priest for providing us with shelter, food, cloth and safety. I would like to say thank you to him,” Baraka added.

“I was in school in the third grade. I left education after the differences that occurred between my mother and my father, which resulted in my mother’s divorce, and I no longer found someone who cared for me, because my father married another woman,” Saber said.

“She [step mother] used to beat me at night if came back home late, so I ran away and took to the street,” he added.

“Although my parents are present, they are addicted to alcohol and they don’t want to enroll me in the school,” said Matthew.

“I couldn’t find anyone to get me into school because I’m an orphan, that’s why I am here,” said Togun.

“My mom passed away and my dad doesn’t care about me but beats me when he gets drunk,” said Paulino.