Stars Day Care and Learning Center
Welcome to the Stars Day Care and Learning Center located at Mutungo hill, near Luzira, in Kampala. The Stars Center also serves as the Ministry Center, for Stars Ministry Uganda (SMU).
The Stars Day Care and Learning Center is the place where children with disabilities (who we call Stars) come, are cared for, accepted and loved. At the Stars’ Center, the Stars get training for basic skills in reading, writing, drawing, counting and self-care. The Stars take ‘walks’ and rides in the community, to interact with the world around them. Occasionally, they also get physiotherapy. At the Stars Center, the Stars interact with loving caretakers who teach them songs, poems, God’s Word and play with them while their parents and siblings are away for work and school respectively.
The Stars’ Center started out of the realization that there were children with disabilities who stayed at home without care, while siblings went off to school, and parents went off to look for work to support their families. SMU does not, however, take over the responsibility of parents. We believe that God has placed the Stars in their families for a purpose.
Ministry at the Stars’ Center is impacting both the Stars and their families in various ways. The Stars spend an average of 6 hours daily, for five days in a week, at the Stars’ Center. As a result, the Star’s self-esteem has increased; they are able to speak confidently, interact with people more freely, and some have presented poems, songs, and scriptures in church.
Also, the Star’s parents have been able to go to work without fear of leaving their children in danger, knowing that their children will be safe at the Stars’ Center. This has allowed the parents to work long enough to improve their families’ livelihoods.
Currently, 26 Stars meet at the Stars’ Center every week. They are separated into three categories based on age and cognitive ability. The Stars that can learn to read and write learn separately from those with limited cognitive ability. The Stars with limited cognitive ability come to the Center for daycare and support while their parents go to work. The older Stars learn separately from the younger Stars.
The work at the Stars’ Center is driven by a dedicated team of volunteers who teach, feed, play with and care for the Stars.
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