The children with Lira Babies Home staff celebrate Christmas 2021
Caring for children from the beginning
Since our beginning, we have cared for abandoned newborns and children whose mothers or parents have died. Lira Babies Home offers love, and care for the most vulnerable and abandoned children so they can grow and thrive.
We're currently supporting...
Today, Lira Babies Home cares for 34 babies within our home, with ages ranging from 1-3.
In addition, we're also providing support and family strengthening to 24 reunified families.
Note: Our goal is to help these children currently in our care within Lira Babies Home to be in safe and loving families through kinship care, family reunification, and community-based care.
A Diocesan Effort
Lira Babies Home was a diocesan effort through Sr. Candida, who was heading a new health center under the Lira Catholic Diocese.
The events she witnessed pulled her heart towards this mission after many births at the health center ended in tragedy, as many newborns were losing their mothers to childbirth.
At the same time, she also saw how many babies suffered or lost their lives due to poverty, malnutrition, abandonment, and other factors.
Many newborns were losing their mothers to childbirth. At the same time, she also saw how many babies suffered or lost their lives due to poverty, malnutrition, abandonment, and other factors.
Our Story
One night when Sr. Candida was leaving her job at the health center, she found a mother that had passed away on the roadside with her crying infant in her arms. With the help of the nurses at the health center, Sr. Candida was able to get the infants' health to a stable place while providing all essential needs, love, and care.
After news spread about Sr. Candida's work with babies, suddenly, other orphaned babies were being brought to the health center. The number of orphaned babies brought to her care increased, but so did the number of lives she was saving, which compelled her to share the issue with the ordinary of the Lira Catholic Diocese. The ordinary, Bp. Ceaser Asili welcomed the idea of starting up a dedicated home that would provide love and care to orphaned or abandoned babies, and thus Lira Babies Home was born.
The Problem
Sr. Candida and The Comboni Missionary Sisters founded Lira Babies Home in 1969 to reduce the death rate of babies between one day old and three years old who were newly orphaned, abandoned, or in poor health.
The Solution
Our home is still under the administration of the Lira Catholic Diocese, with Sr. Leocadia as administrator. Over the past 53 years, thousands of babies have passed through Lira Babies Home that received a second chance at a full and healthy life. In addition, we've been able to reunite many babies with their families and extended families through kinship and family-based care.
The Ordinary of Lira Diocese Rt. Rev Bp. Sanctus Lino Wanok during the handover of leadership from Sr Demmy Frances to Sr. Leocadia.
Vision
To help children and babies for future self-reliance by helping them be in loving families and have access to their rights while being a model for best practice in child protection for orphans, abandoned, and vulnerable children.
Mission
To ensure holistic care for the abandoned and neglected babies through family-based care and kinship care for future self-reliance. We also want to prevent family separation by sustaining and empowering families economically and giving skills to better care for their children.
The Solution
To safeguard the lives of children and ensure they grow up in a safe and loving environment receiving holistic care, especially the orphans, vulnerable, and abandoned babies. While doing the following:
- Reuniting children with biological parents when possible
- Placing children with next of kin
- Recruiting and preparing foster parents
Lira Babies Home is making an impact in our community and beyond
Studies show that children thrive in families. Our dream is to be able to impact and transform the lives of more children by serving them from their homes and families rather than having them live at the home.
Leadership Team
Sr. Leocadia Turyahebwa
Administrator
Sr. Roselyn Biira
Social Worker
Dr. Quinto Okello
BOG
The Religious Sisters currently within the leadership of Lira Babies Home