March 2026

Jackson’s parents, today in their 60s, care for 13 children whose parents are either absent or in need of support and safety, just as Jackson’s grandparents did before them. We don't need to look far to discover where Jackson got his heart to help!

At 18 months of age, in 2024, Banuma fell into a fire damaging his leg. Without medical attention, Banuma’s calf attached to his upper leg, leaving him unable to walk. This tragedy only added to problems faced by his already struggling family. His mother had left the home and his father did not feel able to care for his son. Due to a desprate decision, Banuma was later found abandoned in a bush, where he was malnourished and weak.

But hope and love lived in the same village! Belia and Samuel, Jackson’s parents, stepped in to help and they nursed this abandoned toddler back to health. When he had gained sufficient weight, Ubuntu Clinique was able to perform surgery. After the successful surgery, Banuma found a home with Belia and Samuel.

Banuma's father visited occasionally and recently the family reunited. In Fall 2025, Banuma's father joined other men walking to Kenya to find work and now sends money home, enabling their young boy to live half-time with his mother and half-time with Jackson’s parents. Once abandoned, Banuma is now a happy and healthy 3-year-old who knows he is cared for and belongs.

Jackson Nahayo (Ubuntu founder) relayed this story to Janet Schmidt, chair of the Canadian Ubuntu Board.