My name is Nakimuli Joy. And on November 7th, 2025, I finished my Senior 4 exams. When I walked out of that exam room, I just stood there for a moment staring at the school gate, feeling both free and scared.
Because part of me still couldn’t believe I made it this far.
Becoming the Girl Who Belonged
I was born in September 2009, near Mpigi. I grew up with my mum; she was my whole world. But she also struggled with a mental disorder, and that made life hard to understand.
Some mornings she’d sing worship songs so loud the neighbors could hear; other days, she wouldn’t say a word. I’d sit quietly in the corner, waiting for the storm to pass.
When I was 8, the village council came. They said I needed help. And that’s how I ended up with the Kireka Kinship Family with Pastor Pauline and Pastor John. At first, it was just for a short while. But then one evening, under the mango tree, Pastor Pauline said, “Joy, this can be your home now.”
And just like that, my story shifted from being “the girl from the broken house” to a girl who belonged.
When I look back, I see God in every detail. If He’s carried me through that, then He’s not done writing my story yet.
Becoming Joy
I love fashion and color. I sew school uniforms for younger kids, and I dream of starting JoyCreations, a line that tells stories through fabric. And I also want to study nursing, so I can help people like my mum, with understanding, not judgment.
Sometimes she visits now, and when we share chapati and laugh, I feel hope healing both of us a little more.
And yes, I still play football. I was team captain this year. We won!
That feeling, of everyone shouting my name, made me realize something. I’m not just surviving anymore. I’m becoming.
So here I am: Joy.
The girl who sings off-key, sometimes burns rice, but dreams fearlessly.
I don’t have everything figured out, but I know who I’m growing into: a daughter of God, a creator, a healer, and a living story of grace.
Thank You
When children like Joy face circumstances no child should have to carry alone, your compassion makes sure they are not left without care, without family, or without hope. At Kinship United, our deepest desire is always to see families restored and reunited whenever it is safe and possible. And when that path isn’t an option, you step in to make sure a child is still known, still loved, and still given a place to belong.
Because of you, no child is forgotten in the in-between. They are welcomed into a family that will walk with them, care for them, and help them grow into the person God created them to be - just like Joy. Thank you for being the reason children like her are never alone.
Written with Joy, a Kinship Kid in Uganda
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