Recently, there have been a rash of child sacrifice victims throughout Uganda. What on earth could cause someone to bring a childs blood or body part, especially their own, for sacrifice? The answer is simple. Money.Witchdoctors are not new to Uganda, or Africa as a whole for that matter. What is new is the barbaric crimes against the innocent of Uganda, the children. There is a rising belief that witchcraft can bring wealth quickly. Uganda is on the rise in development and prosperity in the larger cities, like Kampala. However, there are still many villages and millions of people living in absolute poverty.
Many people steal other children and bring their hearts inside of tins to a shrine or tree in which spirits are said to live and speak to them directly. Some come as often as three times a week. The witchdoctors themselves deny any of the actual killing, but yet one admits that he killed his own son.
The witchdoctors are paid an initial consultation fee of about 500,000 ugandan schilling, which is about 250.00 USD. Many are part of a larger network and are forced to give up most of the initial fee to keep themselves safe and free of harm from the elders in the satanic group.
We have the privilege of working with many of the Karamojong orphans in Uganda. Before they end up at Smile Africa ministries they are typically running the streets. These kids are feared and despised among the population. They live for today on mere survival instincts. In an effort to control them, the government rounds them up in the back of trucks and then drops them off at remand homes throughout Uganda.
Their ages range from 2 yrs - 18 yrs. Many carry siblings on their backs while they beg on the streets for anything to survive on. Some are forced there by guardians, while others escape abusive homes. One teenager was heard saying that his parents were going to sacrifice him the next morning, so he ran.
I can't even imagine living in such circumstances. There are many dangers of living on the streets as a child, and now those dangers are intensified by the very real risk of human sacrifice. These are throw away kids. The thought is that noone will miss them. Many have already gone missing without a trace. I can only imagine their fate.
This is exactly why we need help to build our safe house for the street children. I believe that God will bring the funding needed to protect his most valuable gifts, the children.
