History of TKSC
Patrick Tushabomwe,
Executive Director &
Founder of
The Kabale Shepherd Center
In 1996, I lost my mother, two years after our father had abandoned us. Upon my mother’s death, we lived with an unable grandmother, and had to make ends meet ourselves to survive. So I ended up on the streets of Kabale. I would wander around, looking for petty jobs and something to eat. I emptied peoples dustbins, carried items for people from the market to their cars or loaded and off-loaded goods.
Life on the street as a child was very hard; I had become hopeless and my life was at risk. One day, I visited my cousin Ben Sempa, and he welcomed me into his home, changing my life forever. He helped me join Rutooma Primary School and complete primary seven. However, I couldn’t join high school for three years due to lack of funds.
During those three years, I encountered Jesus. I gave my life to Him and joined evangelism work through Kigezi Baptist Church missions. It was through the mission connections that I received a sponsor, Larry Nelson, and I started high school. He took me through the first
term of senior three. From there, I made connections with Matthew Kehn (a current TKSC Board Member) and Sue Peterman, who sponsored me until I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration from Uganda Christian University, Bishop Barham campus.
While a student, every time I saw street boys I remembered my life on the same streets. I started reaching out to them. In a short time, some friends and I started gathering them for outreaches where we provided hygiene items like soap, Vaseline, toothpaste, toothbrushes, clothes, and food.
In 2007 Matthew Kehn, who was my boss at the time, helped me develop a name of the Ministry: The Shepherd Center. I registered The Shepherd Center as a CBO (community-based organization) in 2009 to make the outreaches formal. Later we registered as an NGO (Non-Government Organization) as The Kabale Shepherd Center, and are now an approved Children’s Home.
In the early days, I started mobilizing funds to have the program become a children’s home, something I was convinced would bring a lasting impact. In 2011 the home was started by faith that Jesus would provide for His children after a friend provided rent for six months. In 2015 we moved to our own property in Kijuguta. Since then, more than 100 children have gone through our program (some for many years, and others as temporary and transient referrals), with most of these having very successful stories.
TKSC does not stop at providing for the needs of street children who have come to live at the home. We also work hand-in-hand with the families and community. In the community, The Shepherd Center is raising awareness that these street children exist and want a future that does not end on the street.
In line with the original work, TKSC continues to go back to the streets and organize outreaches where children are counseled, encouraged with the Gospel, and given basic necessary items like clothes and food. At times boys from these outreaches are enrolled in the program if we have space and they qualify. It is my prayer to expand so more children on the streets are reached, loved, and provided for as Christ has called us to look after these little ones.