Arnold Muwonge is an international minister and founder of the Kampala Children’s Centre and Destiny Africa Children’s Choir. Inspired by Christian values, Arnold Muwonge works to provide hope to the some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities living in Uganda today. Through his compassion and desire to create fulfilling change, Arnold has dedicated his life to helping those in greatest need.
Born within Uganda’s most turbulent period, Arnold grew aware of suffering and injustice from an early age. Facing economic pressure, political division and social tension, Uganda was a country filled with great conflict. Many in Uganda lived in great poverty, political control and civil unrest, but it would be under the leadership of Joseph Koni that Uganda would face its darkest hour.
Despite great poverty, the outbreak of AIDS and brutal dictatorship, Uganda would begin to see a new tragedy. Within the early 1980’s, Ugandan villages began to be raided and accounts began to emerge of child abductions. Families were murdered, and children were enrolled into Joseph Kony’s army to become soldiers. With great violence and force, Joseph Kony brought Uganda to its knees. Millions were displaced, towns were destroyed and countless slaughtered. Those who did survive, often didn’t live to endure AIDS. Soon it became commonplace for children to have no family or home, left with the only option to live in a slum. Left to fend for themselves, these children not only lost their homes but became susceptible to abuse, child labour and trafficking.
With such horrifying accounts, Arnold was compelled to establish change. Arnold began raising awareness both within Uganda and internationally, however his defining moment came in 2004, when he visited the slums of Uganda and there adopted his first child.
From one act of kindness, grew a dream. Through saving one child from the streets, Arnold began to develop a vision whereby Ugandan children could find a place of safety, family and love. It wasn’t long till his vision took momentum and soon became a catalyst, just one year later in 2005, Kampala Children’s Centre was born.
Today, Arnold has established a sanctuary that cares for over 400 children. It holds links to governmental departments, three international offices and its message is spread globally. Kampala Children’s Centre provides education, health care and housing to some of the most vulnerable children living across Uganda. Today, our children are now young adults, educated to university level and re-established back into the community. Once vulnerable and abused children are now wholehearted, loved and empowered adults.
What started as one act has grown exponentially and what was once a country of great injustice is now a place of restoration. Through his work, Arnold has navigated a landscape devasted by war and in its soil, he has planted blossoming seeds of hope.