By Justine Namara
Twenty-five-year-old Allan Bwire is a true testament of the power of redemption. Bwire, a former street child, navigated the rough streets of Kampala after the death of his mother, and was ensnared in the grips of drug addiction until he heard from a man of God. In an exclusive interview with the Good News’ Lilian Ntege, Bwire recounts his journey from being a hopeless street child and drug addict, to a dreamer with a clearer vision of the future.
Starting to smoke
At the age of seven-years-old, while attending Kiwafu Primary School in Entebbe, Bwire and a friend began experimenting smoking by rolling papers and inhaling through them.
The innocent folly quickly escalated when they bought their first cigarette with a 100-shilling coin they found on the road.
Bwire admits: “From there, life took a drastic turn.”
His rebelliousness intensified with time, leading him to smoke cigarettes openly and even mingle with fishermen at Nakiwogo landing site in Entebbe.
His mother, being concerned about her son’s involvement in delinquency, sent him to Arua, their home village during holidays.
Bwire had to stay with his uncle who was soldier. She thought her brother would discipline him better. Unfortunately, another uncle introduced Bwire to more vices.
“My uncle started to take me out with his friends and I would also try out alcohol (Nguli), which I came to like a lot. He also chewed ‘mira’, but it was bitter for me when I tried it,” Bwire says.
Getting worse
Upon returning to Kampala after the holidays, his habits had aggravated. Bwire started dodging school and spending more time with the fishermen, who later introduced him to smoking marijuana.
At the age of eight, he was drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes and marijuana.
His mother’s discerning eyes noticed the dramatic changes in her son. His eyes were always red.
Worse still, she discovered a beer bottle under his bed. This caused a deeper rift between him and his mother.
His mother’s death
In 2010, when Bwire was in primary six, his mother died, leaving him orphaned.
This tragedy forced him to go back to Arua, where he stayed with his uncles and joined another school.
Bwire soon grew restless as he could not cope with the village life of digging and going to school barefooted.
He planned his exit and decided to search for his father. His mother had only told him his father came from Busia.
She never gave him any other information. He had never seen him, but he thought of looking for him.
The ambitious trek from Arua to Busia was fraught with challenges, but his resilience saw him through as he would seek refuge at police stations to get food and water.
When he reached Pakwach, he encountered a businessman dealing in scraps (old metals). The man put Bwire on a truck that transported the old metals , which took him to Jinja before eventually finding his way to Busia.
“The man had given the truck driver some money that I could use. He had also told him to help me board Busia taxi when we reach Jinja.
“After putting me in the taxi, the truck driver gave me 35,000 shillings,” Bwire says.
However, upon reaching Busia, he did not look for his father.
He was occupied by the activities in a video hall, which became his temporary home.
“I spent all [the] money on food and paying to watch films. Within a few days, the money was over and I struggled to get food,” Bwire adds.
For a month, he shuttled between Uganda and Kenya borders, scavenging for food.
Joining street life
Eventually, Bwire decided to return to Kampala to find his aunt who stayed at the police barracks in Entebbe.
Unfortunately, when he arrived, he found that she had been transferred to Lugazi.
With no where to go and no money on him, Bwire resorted to the streets of Kampala. It did not take him long to adapt to stealing, in addition to smoking.
“I used to snatch phones from people. I would then sell the stolen phone at 30,000 shillings, regardless of the type. I needed the money to buy alcohol, weed and cigarettes, and food,” Bwire reveals.
Street life was cruel to him. He says they had to take alcohol and smoke in order to brave the cold nights.
Bwire recalls a day his friend was killed by a mob after being caught stealing.
“I knew I had to leave, but I had no way,” he says, before adding that he wished someone would rescue him.
On another occasion, his gang was caught and beaten by Indians who accused one of them for stealing.
He lost hope for the future. According to Bwire, for every minute that passes while he was on the street, death was just a second away.
Finding rescue
One afternoon as Bwire helped one of his injured friends take a shower at the washing bay at Victory City Church, Kisenyi, he overheard a pastor talking about a home that helps addicts.
He immediately knew this was his chance, and quickly approached him to inquire. He was shocked to be taken on without any hesitation.
The pastor, who he only recalls as Adam, introduced him to Teen Challenge Uganda, an organisation that provides rehabilitation to addicts.
In April 2013, after being on the street for two years, his life took a new turn. At Teen Challenge, Bwire started his rehabilitation programme.
Getting off drugs was not an easy ride, but he endured. He says the withdrawal symptoms always made him sick, but he was determined to make it.
“Some of my counterparts escaped back to the streets, but I knew this was my only redemption,” he says.
It took him a year to fully recover. But since then, Bwire has been sober for 10 years.
After his rehabilitation, Bwire resumed school; thanks to a kind-hearted sponsor from America who took care of his fees.
Currently, Bwire is a second-year student at YMCA, pursuing Bachelor of Information Technology. Bwire says: “I realized that when God offers a second chance, one shouldn’t squander it.”
