February 3, 2023 • 30 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Peter Mutabazi was born on the border of Uganda and Rwanda. He escaped an abusive father by running away to the capital of Uganda, Kampala, where he lived on the streets for 4 years and never slept more than 2 hours... until one day he met a stranger that would change his life forever. For more of Peter's story visit.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, we
bring you a story that begins across the ocean in Africa,
but winds up being a true story of faith, generosity,
and citizenship based here in the United States. Here to
share his story is Peter Mutavasi. I'm from a small
(00:35):
village at the border of Uganda and Rwanda. My name
is Peter Mutavasi. Happy Edmana Mutavasi is my dad's name,
and Happy Edmana is the name that I was given
at the age of two. You know, for most moms,
you know, we name our kids before they are born.
(00:55):
As soon as we know we are pregnant or expecting,
you know, we look for names. But my time, in
my village, moms were not able to do so. In
my village, most kids would die before the age of two.
So most moms didn't name their kids, not because they
didn't love them, but they weren't sure they will make it,
and so they didn't give us a name until we're
(01:16):
a little bit older. So at two, I was giving
a name Habi a Mana, which means a gift given
to me by God. That's what my mom named me.
I come from a village, you know, where life was
miserable in every shape form. You could imagine grapping a
home where no one ever told me to be hopeful,
or grapping a home where really tomorrow wasn't guaranteed, you know,
(01:39):
And here the reasons why I think about as a mom,
if you cannot feed your child for a day, how
do you tell them they have a future? And that
was me. You know, at the age of four, I
knew I can go fetch water, you know, three to
four miles away just for us to have drinking water.
And so as a kid, that's all I did think
about that you have to walk four miles one way
(02:01):
and four miles back. Do you ever have time to
go to school? Absolutely? Now that my family needed more,
you know, they needed water, that they needed me to
go to school, but also they could not afford me
to go to school. Also, you know, I grow up
from a family that are farmers. In other words, you know,
we call ourselves subsistence farmers, which means we only grow
(02:22):
where we consume. You know, we didn't have enough meals.
I can remember we had a meal every other day
and me, you know, to ask a meal was beans
and potatoes. And if we're lucky we could have both,
but most time would have one of them so we
can spare one for the next day. So that's all
I knew as a kid, you know, of misery and hardship.
(02:45):
But it wasn't just me. It was every child in
that village that worked hard. We all went to fetch
water miles miles away. So I took it as a
normal that this is a normal, normal life in somewhere.
But then at the age of five, four again to
realize that we were different, that my dad was different
from any other dad. I knew that my dad was
(03:08):
just so mean, abusive to me, and abusive to my
mom and to my siblings as well. I never had
kind words from my dad like another kid. You know,
we worked so hard to please our dads. You go
fetch water for days and hours and go look for firewood,
and you would hope your dad would say, son, that
was a great job you did to me. Now, you know,
(03:32):
I think all I had from my dad I was garbage.
I would never mount to anything. I am useless. You know,
the dogs in my neighborhood were worthy or worth more
than I was. And those are the things I had
from my dad. Every day, and if it wasn't my
you know, coming towards me, it was going through my mom.
And as you know, five year old, I could not
(03:54):
protect my mom. Miseries all I knew, and I never
wanted to see tomorrow because to day was hard enough
that I really didn't want to repeat it the next day.
And that was my life, you know, from the age
of zero to ten eleven, as a kid in my village,
you know. So at the age of ten, I think
I was life had become so miserable. And I think
(04:16):
as you grow older, you understand abuse harsher and harder
in some way, you know, those words that I had
every day that I would never mount to anything, you know,
now they were striking me, you know, deep down the
core of myself, you know. But also I think I
hated my dad so much that I thought, look, to
give him a reason to kill me, that is that
(04:38):
is a gift, you know. And I think at an
age of ten, I said, look, I'd rather go die
in the hands of someone else than than my dad.
So you know, I didn't know where I was going.
But also I wasn't looking for future, but I think
I was looking in some way to die in the
hands of a stranger than my own dad. So I
had never been twenty miles away from my village, you know.
(04:58):
I run away to the bas station at three in
the morning, and I asked the lady, hey, of all
these buses here, which goes the farthest And the reason
why I was asking was I need to go as
far as I could. That I knew if he met me,
if he found me, that he would take my life.
So running as far as I could was all that
I needed. So the lady told me that one, you know,
(05:20):
I got on that bus. I can tell you it
could not. It wasn't traveling enough, you know. And I
had never been in a kind somewhere, so I was
scared to death. I was little. But at the same
time there was a joy to look back and see
that I was living my village, that I was living
that man who had, you know, caused harm and somewhere
(05:40):
that I detested and headed so much. I didn't know
where I was going, but there was a glimpse of
I don't have to hear him anymore, I don't have
to take his physical abuse anymore. I don't have to
listen to my mom crying from his abuse, like I
cannot hear this anymore. So there was a joy, you know,
in some way of living. I didn't know really where
(06:01):
I was going, and finally I made it to Kampala.
You know. The journey took up, you know, took about
fourteen fourteen, sixteen hours, and I ended up in Kampala,
the capital city of Uganda, which is about five hundred
kilometers away from my village. And I knew I was
fine enough, but also I knew here, I mean a
new city. I have no idea, I don't speak the language,
(06:23):
I've never been here, but I got one thing to
make to make it through the day you're coming from home.
It was survival day by day on the streets. It
was survival, hour by hour. I remember, I don't think
I ever slept at one point for for more than
two hours, just to make it, you know, I think
I slept less than two hours for four and a
(06:46):
half years. Hours on the streets because it wasn't safe.
I got to meet other street kids, and I knew,
you know, that I had found family, and I became
my family. So I you know, right away, I became
a street kid, and I learnt how survive. And yes,
the abuse on the streets was harsher and we had
to survive hour by hour. But there were strangers, you know,
(07:09):
they called me garbage, They called me, you know, names
that you call any useless animal. But at the same
time that I was hearing them from strangers that didn't
matter to me or but I didn't care about And
I learned to survive. And as three kids, we learned
how to work hard. You know. Working hard was to
help people so we can under right to be on
the streets. You know that the work ethic is one
(07:31):
thing I knew how to do, you know, but also
to be honest. It was easier to steal while you're helping.
You know, if people need chip labor, they weren't paying you,
so all you could do is help. In the process
of helping, you would steal what you need so the
end of the day would have enough to eat. And
that's how we survived. You know, back in the Uganda,
we didn't beg for money. You know, most people don't
(07:53):
make a dollar day. You don't beg for money, but
you work so you can under right, but also work
so hard so you felt you're useful to the strangers
who needed your help in somewhere, but also for us
as strict kids, it provided a venue and a place
to find food and to feel safe, you know, for
us commotion and where there were people, we felt we
(08:15):
can be safe within that environment. And so marketplaces became
our home. We lived on the streets where they threw
all the garbage, so that meant they were there were
straight animals. There were dogs, you know, there were vultures
that were all looking for food just like us, you know,
and people were mean sometimes. So we would do some
work and they would refuse to give us food or
(08:37):
they would rather throw away to the garbage, and that's
where we had to go get it. In order for
them to get rid of us from where they were.
They will throw away the food in the garbage for
us to go find it so we can we can go.
But that meant to to struggle it with the dogs.
That meant to to fight it with the vultures, you know.
And I don't know how I survived, you know, eating
(08:57):
you know, the most horrible food. But how will make
it through the day. You know, that's truly aggressive God,
to be honest, but he was away to survive. He
was away to make it through the day, and that
became my new life. And you're listening to Peter Mutabatsi
tell the story of his howering childhood in the worst
(09:18):
possible circumstances a person could grow up, because mother and
mothers in his village wouldn't even name kids until they
had reached a certain decent age because most died before
they were too unimaginable. An abusive father on top of it,
and he escapes to the streets of Kampala where he
finds community with fellow refugees from the villages to the
(09:43):
streets and community and family with those kids. When we
come back, more of Peter Mutabatsi's story here on our
American Story. And we're back with our American stories and
(10:11):
the story of Peter Mutabasi. His book Now I Am
Known is available on Amazon at local bookstores wherever you
get your books. Peter was born in Uganda in poverty
and ran away to Kampala, Uganda's capital, to escape an
abusive father, where he lived on the streets. Back to Peter,
(10:37):
you know this is trange, but if someone was kind
to us, we were We didn't go towards that because
we knew anyone who's kind, especially for me, anyone who
was kind would also come with abuse. So we weren't trusting.
We didn't trust people. So one day I am sitting
with my friends. You know, we see someone wearing glasses
and smart and clean. I'm speaking English, so we always
(10:59):
knew that was a target. So for me, I saw him,
I was like, I got my target. He's gonna buy food.
I'm gonna help him, and then I'm gonna steal some
and I'm gonna go, you know. So I followed him.
He bought food, and as soon as he bought what
he was buying, I think it there were bananas and
sweet potatoes, and so I went to him and I said,
I'm going to carry these things to your car. But
(11:19):
before I could do that, he said, hey, what's your name?
And that rattled me. I had lived on the streets
for four and a half years. No one at any
point during that time ever asked me what my name was.
No once, and so I stopped, and you know, I
told him my name is Peter, and I you know,
(11:41):
of course, I tried to help him, and before I
could take it, he had something to eat, and he
gave me something to eat and I was surprised, you know,
and so he left at him buying to eat. You know,
most people were kind, as I said, they were I
mean at the same time, so I was waiting for
him to be mean. But he left. Well, the next
week I saw him him again. So the second time
(12:01):
I saw him, you know, he gave me something to
eat and he called me by name, which was really
kind of cool, you know. So he left the third time,
I was like, wait a minute, I know what day
he comes, I know what kay he drives, I know
what he buys, and I know where he goes. So
I was assured every Monday that he was coming to
the city. So that's how I got to know him.
(12:23):
Though he was kind, though he helped me, I kept
a distance. Remember, anyone who was kind always came with abuse.
So for me, I was waiting for abuse, like I
didn't trust him. Though he was kind, I didn't trust
him because I was waiting for the bad part to come.
I was waiting for, you know, for the abuse to come.
But it never came. So for one year and a half,
(12:46):
he gave me something to eat and sometimes we'll bring
more for other kids. And so one day he said, hey, Peter,
if he had an opportunity go to school, who would
you go to school? You know? And I was like, wait,
me a garbage boy, I usus boy, a kid who
would never mount to anything, me go to school, you know.
And I did not believe him. But men every time
(13:09):
he came and said, hey, I would like to take
to school if you like to, and men, finally I
said absolutely. And the reason why I said yes it
wasn't because I wanted to be somebody. You know, my
family we didn't have so many educated people that I
wanted to be. Like, No, for me, for the first
time in my entire life, someone saw me as a
(13:30):
human being. Well, he gave me close to where and
he told me I was going to a boarding school.
But before he could take me, he said, hey, there
are two things are going to happen when you're going
to be part of the local church. Then the other
one is there'll be meals for you. They'll be lying
to breakfast. And didn't I think I didn't hear anything else,
but I had the meal, That's all I heard. So
(13:50):
as we went, you know, I really looked at him
and I said, you know, for kids, why me like
why are you doing this for me? And he looked
at me and I said, you know, boy, I just
want to be faithful, that's all. I really want to
be faithful. But I didn't understand what it meant, you know.
So finally would make it to school and it was lunchtime.
They gave me something to eat and he said they
(14:12):
would be dinner. So for me, I waited for the
next meal. I really didn't think about school. I didn't
think about anything, and I slept there for one night
and then because before I left, I told the other
street kids like, hey, if you don't see me in
the next twenty four hours, when you see this man,
harm him, please harm him. That means either he killed
(14:32):
me or something happened, So payback time. So I slept,
and the following night I had to come back to
the city because I wanted to tell them that I
was okay, because I knew they would harm him if
I didn't come back. So I came back and said, hey,
I'm okay. He put him in school and I really
like it. There has food, so I'm going back for food.
(14:52):
So I went back and in the process of waiting
for a meal, I think I realized that in order
to do this, I needed to go to class. So
then I started going to class. And then I realized
that I was smart. Not only it was I just
good at finding food, but I knew also that I
was smart in school as well. And after a while,
(15:13):
you know, I was there for six months, he said,
you know, you can be part of our family. And
that really began to change my life, you know, because
the teachers, the social workers that they were, you know,
that they were coming alongside, began to see the best
in me. They so potential that I didn't see myself.
I think for me, that truly began to change my
world on how I looked at things, you know. And
(15:36):
then the one thing he did, once he brought me
to his family, they would use words of affirmation that
I had never had before. They would say things like, Peter,
you matter, I'm like wall what me I mattered? You know.
There's one day he was going to the city and
he was taking me with me. I always knew sitting
in front was for the important people, you know, that
(15:56):
I wasn't worthy of sitting in front with him. I
always sat in the back. But this time he said, Peter,
can you sit in front. And I said, no, I
don't deserve to sit in France. I need to sit
in the back. And he looked at me and said, Peter, no,
you belong to this family. You sit in France. Man.
I can remember those words this day, kind of remove
the scales of sham, the scales of what I had
(16:18):
been told all my life that I was nobody, that
I would never mount to anything, because they saw more
in me than I saw in myself. Finally I finished
high school and then I went to university in Uganda,
and then I got a scarship to go study in England,
you know. So after England, and then I went back
to Uganda and I was working for the International Committee
(16:40):
of Red Cross and my job was to work as
a radio operator to make sure that food on planes
and trucks was moving from Kenya to Sudan. And so
one day I wanted to visit that the you know,
the refugee camp. So I went there and while I
was there, I saw this eighteen year old boy shut
this why it was the only white kid ever, So
(17:02):
I was like, man, what are you doing here? He said,
my name is Luke, and I'm here to help the refugees,
and I got to know him and I said, hey,
you know, I did an American, so if you come
to Kampala, please come and have clean water and we'll
make sure you're care And so he came and stayed
with us for about two months, and then he went
back to United States. And when he got back in
(17:23):
the US, he said, you know, he said, Peter, there's
a school I go to. I think I would like
to really help you get a scholarship to come and
study here. And I was like, man, I'm not sure
I can't afford. He's like, no, leave it out to me.
I will do the best I can. And here I wise,
you know, from one strange ends like you got more
potential in life. And so he got me a scholarship
to come and study un United States. And so I
(17:45):
went to school for four years and then I was
hired at the end, you know, to be an advocate
for children with Compassion International. So I get to travel
with key not speakers and you know, reverends and all
people to show them the work of Compassion all over
the world. And so already did I traveled, you know,
to my twenty countries I traveled in But now I
(18:07):
had an opportunity to travel to one hundred and one countries,
which was absolutely mind bro you know, from a strict
kid in Kampala who didn't think about tomorrow. There I
was jumping from one country to the other, which was
really fascinating. But all I wanted was to truly be
a voice for the unseen, the unheard, the ones that
(18:28):
we all know that I wanted them to know their
story through telling my own story, that people would help them.
And so that became my job for ten years. And
what a story you've been listening to from Peter Mudabatsi.
He lived on the streets for four and a half years.
When a man asked him what his name was. It
(18:49):
was the first time it had happened to him. And
of course, that active kindness he assumed would always be
followed by an active abuse, in fact that kept on
persisting until it didn't. And when this man offered up
the kindness of free school, heater asked why me, and
he answered, boy, I want to be faithful. When we
(19:12):
come back, more of this remarkable story of faith of
love of a stranger here on our American stories. And
(19:38):
we're back with our American stories and the final portion
of Peter Mudabasi's story. After being adopted himself, Eater eventually
ended up working for the International humanitarian Organization and Passion International,
and advocated for children living in the very same poverty
he experienced growing up. His work took him around on
(20:00):
the world, but it's home base is the United States.
Let's return to Peter. Well, so when I came to you,
an I says, I think I struggled. I would visit
people and then, you know, most most families where I
come from, you know, our homes as big as the
American garage and there's seven to twelve people that live
(20:22):
in that garage, you know. So when I would walk
into these homes, they were huge, but they were empty.
They were only like two people living. And I'm like,
but why there must be kids in the neighborhood that
are truly looking for a place to be. So I
think from that conviction, I wanted to somehow leave what
someone did for me, that he saw the need of
(20:43):
kids on the streets of Kampala, but he didn't walk away,
but he wanted to do something, and it happened to
help one, and that one happened to be me. That
I wanted to do the same, you know, looked afar
a too much is given, masses required, Like I felt
I had been given so much that I wanted to
give back as well, you know. So I you know,
I think it was a promise in my head, like God,
(21:04):
if you ever give an extra bedroom, I'm gonna help
a child, you know. So that's when it came. So
I bought a house, quit my job where I was
working with Compassion to National and then I moved to
Oklahoma because it was cheaper to live in Oklahoma but
also a good place to learn to be a foster parent.
And so I walked in the Foscar system and I said, Hey,
(21:27):
I would like to mentor children. Is there any way
you could help, you know, help me or anyway I
could I could be of help. And the reason why
I thought of mentoring was I had traveled with people
adapting in India, in Ethiopia, in China and in Uganda.
I had never seen a black person like me doing so.
I had never seen a mail doing so. So in
(21:49):
my head, I think I believe the lie. I thought,
I don't qualified because I'm single, and I don't qualified
because I'm black. So when I walked in. It was
more like, okay, here's the list. You can let me
be a mentor. And the social worker looked at me
and said, have you ever thought of being a foster that.
I was like, wait a minute, I don't qualify. I'm single.
She's like, so man, I was like, you mean I
(22:13):
can foster? That day, I mean literally that day I
signed up to be a forcter dad. Because now I
had been helping kids in other countries. I would go
see and help, but come back. But this time I
wanted it to be part of my everyday life. And
so four months later, you know, I had my first placement.
You know, I had my first child, and that began
(22:36):
the whole journey. And I knew how it felt to
be neglected. I knew how it failed to have your
own parents be your worst enemies. I knew what it
meant to be called garbage every day. And also I
knew what it meant to live in a place where
you did not feel it was your home. I lived
that every day that I thought I can impact at
(22:58):
least one child. And so it's been a a great
journey that I've had twenty two kids now and right
now I have six in my home and it's it's
been hard, but it's been a joy for sure. You know.
I've adopted one, my son Anthony, and I'm in the
process of adapting my three other ones, you know. And
I counted a blessing for sure. You know that a
(23:18):
one street kid in your guard that I had no food,
I had no hope, that I can give hope. So
I had fostered about ten eleven kids, and you know,
they had all gone back to their family. So I
think I wasn't you know, I was demolized kind of.
You see, kids come and we want them to go
to their parents, absolutely, but when you do it over
(23:40):
and over, it kind of leaves you empty and not angry,
but just in pieces. So my number ten and eleven
had gone home on on Monday, and I told my
social work, I said, look, I really I really need
a break. I need three month break, Like I cannot
do this, And she said, okay, this is Monday. On Friday,
I get a phone call, hey, sir, I was like, sister,
(24:02):
it's not three months yet. And she's like, hey, there's
a kid at the hospital that really needs help. Could
you keep him just for the weekend, and I said
absolutely I would do so, but please do not tell
me why in the fall scare, because I didn't want
to be attached. So finally he came at three in
the morning, you know, the social I had to live
really quickly. I mean, he was in my house twenty
(24:22):
minutes and I told him, Hey, my name is Peter Mutabazi,
but you can call me in Peter because my African
name is it's kind of hard. And he looked in
my eyes and he says, hey, but can I call
me my dad? I'm like, hell, no, no, you can't
call me that, you know. But in my head I
think I was more like every kid I've had had
to call me dad and they have all gone, So
(24:44):
you cannot be in my house for twenty minutes and
call me dad. And also I know you're living on Monday,
so I don't want to be associated. I don't want
to be called dad right now, you know. And then
he looked back at me and said, you know, I
was told since now I'm eleven, I can choose with
my father should be, and I choose you. Man. I
was like, this kid doesn't listen, does he? So I said, now,
(25:06):
so Finally they came to pick him up on Monday.
So this time, after I signed the paperwork, I asked
the social work. I said, okay, so can you tell
me the story. You know, why is in the fourth care?
Because I knew I have no responsibilities right now since
he left to go. And then the social worker said, hey,
you know he was in the fourth care when he
was one and a half, and then he was placed
(25:28):
with a family and this family adapted him at four,
and then this same family that lapped him before, they
just dropped him at the hospital. They never said goodbye,
They never gave him a reason why they didn't want anymore.
They never said one thing. They just left and went
to the county and signed off their parential rights. I mean,
he should have seen me just crying, because I think
(25:52):
it took me to when I was eleven, you know,
ten running away as a kid from my own family,
to see this kid that he had been given and
hope for nine years and for some reason they just
dropped him at the hospital and they did not want
him and him all and I think I felt I
was doing the same, like I've always wanted to be
a dad, and he's a kid who just somehow I
(26:14):
knew I'll be his dad, and he told me by
his dad my name Dad. Like, I just can't let
him go. And so I told the social work and
I said, hey, you give me his paperwork. I think
he already knew I'll be his dad, so you know,
let me, let me, let me take him. And so
from there I knew he would be my son. And
two years later he got to be adapted and shares.
(26:36):
We shared the same last name, and it's cool. You know,
most people ask me, man, he's lucky to have you.
I'm like, no, I'm the lucky one. He chose me
to be his dad, and forever I'll be grateful for sure,
you know, just like that, from a weekend rest fite
to a family forever. So recently became an American citizen.
(27:01):
To think about, it took me seventeen years to be
an American citizen, you know. Twenty nineteen I found it,
became a US citizen. It was it was it was
really awesome, you know that I could find across that line.
I never thought I could, you know. And it's tributing
a joy, you know, I think even being a force
a parent has really helped me in some way to
(27:21):
feel like this is my country, these are my people,
this is my community. That I feel indebted to this
country to do the best I can and to help
others as well, but also to come alongside those that
need us the most and contribute to the society. Like
I feel They've given me a place to breathe, a
place to be free, a place to do things that
(27:42):
I would never do, but also a place that I
need to be responsible for that as well to give back,
to be responsible citizen and contribute to what I can
and for me fortering and advocating for kids, you know,
in Charlotte, North Carolina and anywhere you know, estate is
my next goal. Like my dream is truly to advocate
(28:05):
for kids, you know my dream. I would like to
have a bigger house so I can have twenty more
teenagers that I will provide a home for them, you know,
my dream, and so I can have a place where
they can feel they are safe and loved. You know.
I live in Marcaba County. There's eight hundred kids in
the four scare system. There's only sixty families that our
(28:27):
foster parents think about eight hundred kids, sixty foster parents.
That's that's crazy, you know that I feel it's my
community to truly say I will step in and do
what I can to help, you know, for those eight
hundred that are looking for a place to be, I
cannot take them all. But if I can help one,
I've done my part. Or if I can encourage someone
(28:48):
else to think through and help one of them, that
I've done my part. Or if I can help someone
and inspire them to help another family so they're able
to do that or come alongside that I've done my part.
That we can all take part, you know, or even
advocating for them through our legislature and say we want
(29:08):
to help the kids so they can have a bit
of future. This is our community to do what we
can to do we all to help those in need.
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by Robbie Davis and his special thanks to Peter Mutabatsi
and his remarkable book. Now I Am Known is available
(29:31):
at local bookstores or Amazon or wherever you get your books.
And what a story to tell about love, about love
of a stranger and what a heart this man has
and on his heart was working to take care of
and advocate for kids. So many kids without fathers, so
many kids without love. Here's an answer. If our show
(29:53):
does one thing to inspire you to imitate a guy
like Peter, just one of you listening, this show is
worth all the years weep in on air the story
of Peter Muttabatsi. Here on our American story
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, we
bring you a story that begins across the ocean in Africa,
but winds up being a true story of faith, generosity,
and citizenship based here in the United States. Here to
share his story is Peter Mutavasi. I'm from a small
(00:35):
village at the border of Uganda and Rwanda. My name
is Peter Mutavasi. Happy Edmana Mutavasi is my dad's name,
and Happy Edmana is the name that I was given
at the age of two. You know, for most moms,
you know, we name our kids before they are born.
(00:55):
As soon as we know we are pregnant or expecting,
you know, we look for names. But my time, in
my village, moms were not able to do so. In
my village, most kids would die before the age of two.
So most moms didn't name their kids, not because they
didn't love them, but they weren't sure they will make it,
and so they didn't give us a name until we're
(01:16):
a little bit older. So at two, I was giving
a name Habi a Mana, which means a gift given
to me by God. That's what my mom named me.
I come from a village, you know, where life was
miserable in every shape form. You could imagine grapping a
home where no one ever told me to be hopeful,
or grapping a home where really tomorrow wasn't guaranteed, you know,
(01:39):
And here the reasons why I think about as a mom,
if you cannot feed your child for a day, how
do you tell them they have a future? And that
was me. You know, at the age of four, I
knew I can go fetch water, you know, three to
four miles away just for us to have drinking water.
And so as a kid, that's all I did think
about that you have to walk four miles one way
(02:01):
and four miles back. Do you ever have time to
go to school? Absolutely? Now that my family needed more,
you know, they needed water, that they needed me to
go to school, but also they could not afford me
to go to school. Also, you know, I grow up
from a family that are farmers. In other words, you know,
we call ourselves subsistence farmers, which means we only grow
(02:22):
where we consume. You know, we didn't have enough meals.
I can remember we had a meal every other day
and me, you know, to ask a meal was beans
and potatoes. And if we're lucky we could have both,
but most time would have one of them so we
can spare one for the next day. So that's all
I knew as a kid, you know, of misery and hardship.
(02:45):
But it wasn't just me. It was every child in
that village that worked hard. We all went to fetch
water miles miles away. So I took it as a
normal that this is a normal, normal life in somewhere.
But then at the age of five, four again to
realize that we were different, that my dad was different
from any other dad. I knew that my dad was
(03:08):
just so mean, abusive to me, and abusive to my
mom and to my siblings as well. I never had
kind words from my dad like another kid. You know,
we worked so hard to please our dads. You go
fetch water for days and hours and go look for firewood,
and you would hope your dad would say, son, that
was a great job you did to me. Now, you know,
(03:32):
I think all I had from my dad I was garbage.
I would never mount to anything. I am useless. You know,
the dogs in my neighborhood were worthy or worth more
than I was. And those are the things I had
from my dad. Every day, and if it wasn't my
you know, coming towards me, it was going through my mom.
And as you know, five year old, I could not
(03:54):
protect my mom. Miseries all I knew, and I never
wanted to see tomorrow because to day was hard enough
that I really didn't want to repeat it the next day.
And that was my life, you know, from the age
of zero to ten eleven, as a kid in my village,
you know. So at the age of ten, I think
I was life had become so miserable. And I think
(04:16):
as you grow older, you understand abuse harsher and harder
in some way, you know, those words that I had
every day that I would never mount to anything, you know,
now they were striking me, you know, deep down the
core of myself, you know. But also I think I
hated my dad so much that I thought, look, to
give him a reason to kill me, that is that
(04:38):
is a gift, you know. And I think at an
age of ten, I said, look, I'd rather go die
in the hands of someone else than than my dad.
So you know, I didn't know where I was going.
But also I wasn't looking for future, but I think
I was looking in some way to die in the
hands of a stranger than my own dad. So I
had never been twenty miles away from my village, you know.
(04:58):
I run away to the bas station at three in
the morning, and I asked the lady, hey, of all
these buses here, which goes the farthest And the reason
why I was asking was I need to go as
far as I could. That I knew if he met me,
if he found me, that he would take my life.
So running as far as I could was all that
I needed. So the lady told me that one, you know,
(05:20):
I got on that bus. I can tell you it
could not. It wasn't traveling enough, you know. And I
had never been in a kind somewhere, so I was
scared to death. I was little. But at the same
time there was a joy to look back and see
that I was living my village, that I was living
that man who had, you know, caused harm and somewhere
(05:40):
that I detested and headed so much. I didn't know
where I was going, but there was a glimpse of
I don't have to hear him anymore, I don't have
to take his physical abuse anymore. I don't have to
listen to my mom crying from his abuse, like I
cannot hear this anymore. So there was a joy, you know,
in some way of living. I didn't know really where
(06:01):
I was going, and finally I made it to Kampala.
You know. The journey took up, you know, took about
fourteen fourteen, sixteen hours, and I ended up in Kampala,
the capital city of Uganda, which is about five hundred
kilometers away from my village. And I knew I was
fine enough, but also I knew here, I mean a
new city. I have no idea, I don't speak the language,
(06:23):
I've never been here, but I got one thing to
make to make it through the day you're coming from home.
It was survival day by day on the streets. It
was survival, hour by hour. I remember, I don't think
I ever slept at one point for for more than
two hours, just to make it, you know, I think
I slept less than two hours for four and a
(06:46):
half years. Hours on the streets because it wasn't safe.
I got to meet other street kids, and I knew,
you know, that I had found family, and I became
my family. So I you know, right away, I became
a street kid, and I learnt how survive. And yes,
the abuse on the streets was harsher and we had
to survive hour by hour. But there were strangers, you know,
(07:09):
they called me garbage, They called me, you know, names
that you call any useless animal. But at the same
time that I was hearing them from strangers that didn't
matter to me or but I didn't care about And
I learned to survive. And as three kids, we learned
how to work hard. You know. Working hard was to
help people so we can under right to be on
the streets. You know that the work ethic is one
(07:31):
thing I knew how to do, you know, but also
to be honest. It was easier to steal while you're helping.
You know, if people need chip labor, they weren't paying you,
so all you could do is help. In the process
of helping, you would steal what you need so the
end of the day would have enough to eat. And
that's how we survived. You know, back in the Uganda,
we didn't beg for money. You know, most people don't
(07:53):
make a dollar day. You don't beg for money, but
you work so you can under right, but also work
so hard so you felt you're useful to the strangers
who needed your help in somewhere, but also for us
as strict kids, it provided a venue and a place
to find food and to feel safe, you know, for
us commotion and where there were people, we felt we
(08:15):
can be safe within that environment. And so marketplaces became
our home. We lived on the streets where they threw
all the garbage, so that meant they were there were
straight animals. There were dogs, you know, there were vultures
that were all looking for food just like us, you know,
and people were mean sometimes. So we would do some
work and they would refuse to give us food or
(08:37):
they would rather throw away to the garbage, and that's
where we had to go get it. In order for
them to get rid of us from where they were.
They will throw away the food in the garbage for
us to go find it so we can we can go.
But that meant to to struggle it with the dogs.
That meant to to fight it with the vultures, you know.
And I don't know how I survived, you know, eating
(08:57):
you know, the most horrible food. But how will make
it through the day. You know, that's truly aggressive God,
to be honest, but he was away to survive. He
was away to make it through the day, and that
became my new life. And you're listening to Peter Mutabatsi
tell the story of his howering childhood in the worst
(09:18):
possible circumstances a person could grow up, because mother and
mothers in his village wouldn't even name kids until they
had reached a certain decent age because most died before
they were too unimaginable. An abusive father on top of it,
and he escapes to the streets of Kampala where he
finds community with fellow refugees from the villages to the
(09:43):
streets and community and family with those kids. When we
come back, more of Peter Mutabatsi's story here on our
American Story. And we're back with our American stories and
(10:11):
the story of Peter Mutabasi. His book Now I Am
Known is available on Amazon at local bookstores wherever you
get your books. Peter was born in Uganda in poverty
and ran away to Kampala, Uganda's capital, to escape an
abusive father, where he lived on the streets. Back to Peter,
(10:37):
you know this is trange, but if someone was kind
to us, we were We didn't go towards that because
we knew anyone who's kind, especially for me, anyone who
was kind would also come with abuse. So we weren't trusting.
We didn't trust people. So one day I am sitting
with my friends. You know, we see someone wearing glasses
and smart and clean. I'm speaking English, so we always
(10:59):
knew that was a target. So for me, I saw him,
I was like, I got my target. He's gonna buy food.
I'm gonna help him, and then I'm gonna steal some
and I'm gonna go, you know. So I followed him.
He bought food, and as soon as he bought what
he was buying, I think it there were bananas and
sweet potatoes, and so I went to him and I said,
I'm going to carry these things to your car. But
(11:19):
before I could do that, he said, hey, what's your name?
And that rattled me. I had lived on the streets
for four and a half years. No one at any
point during that time ever asked me what my name was.
No once, and so I stopped, and you know, I
told him my name is Peter, and I you know,
(11:41):
of course, I tried to help him, and before I
could take it, he had something to eat, and he
gave me something to eat and I was surprised, you know,
and so he left at him buying to eat. You know,
most people were kind, as I said, they were I
mean at the same time, so I was waiting for
him to be mean. But he left. Well, the next
week I saw him him again. So the second time
(12:01):
I saw him, you know, he gave me something to
eat and he called me by name, which was really
kind of cool, you know. So he left the third time,
I was like, wait a minute, I know what day
he comes, I know what kay he drives, I know
what he buys, and I know where he goes. So
I was assured every Monday that he was coming to
the city. So that's how I got to know him.
(12:23):
Though he was kind, though he helped me, I kept
a distance. Remember, anyone who was kind always came with abuse.
So for me, I was waiting for abuse, like I
didn't trust him. Though he was kind, I didn't trust
him because I was waiting for the bad part to come.
I was waiting for, you know, for the abuse to come.
But it never came. So for one year and a half,
(12:46):
he gave me something to eat and sometimes we'll bring
more for other kids. And so one day he said, hey, Peter,
if he had an opportunity go to school, who would
you go to school? You know? And I was like, wait,
me a garbage boy, I usus boy, a kid who
would never mount to anything, me go to school, you know.
And I did not believe him. But men every time
(13:09):
he came and said, hey, I would like to take
to school if you like to, and men, finally I
said absolutely. And the reason why I said yes it
wasn't because I wanted to be somebody. You know, my
family we didn't have so many educated people that I
wanted to be. Like, No, for me, for the first
time in my entire life, someone saw me as a
(13:30):
human being. Well, he gave me close to where and
he told me I was going to a boarding school.
But before he could take me, he said, hey, there
are two things are going to happen when you're going
to be part of the local church. Then the other
one is there'll be meals for you. They'll be lying
to breakfast. And didn't I think I didn't hear anything else,
but I had the meal, That's all I heard. So
(13:50):
as we went, you know, I really looked at him
and I said, you know, for kids, why me like
why are you doing this for me? And he looked
at me and I said, you know, boy, I just
want to be faithful, that's all. I really want to
be faithful. But I didn't understand what it meant, you know.
So finally would make it to school and it was lunchtime.
They gave me something to eat and he said they
(14:12):
would be dinner. So for me, I waited for the
next meal. I really didn't think about school. I didn't
think about anything, and I slept there for one night
and then because before I left, I told the other
street kids like, hey, if you don't see me in
the next twenty four hours, when you see this man,
harm him, please harm him. That means either he killed
(14:32):
me or something happened, So payback time. So I slept,
and the following night I had to come back to
the city because I wanted to tell them that I
was okay, because I knew they would harm him if
I didn't come back. So I came back and said, hey,
I'm okay. He put him in school and I really
like it. There has food, so I'm going back for food.
(14:52):
So I went back and in the process of waiting
for a meal, I think I realized that in order
to do this, I needed to go to class. So
then I started going to class. And then I realized
that I was smart. Not only it was I just
good at finding food, but I knew also that I
was smart in school as well. And after a while,
(15:13):
you know, I was there for six months, he said,
you know, you can be part of our family. And
that really began to change my life, you know, because
the teachers, the social workers that they were, you know,
that they were coming alongside, began to see the best
in me. They so potential that I didn't see myself.
I think for me, that truly began to change my
world on how I looked at things, you know. And
(15:36):
then the one thing he did, once he brought me
to his family, they would use words of affirmation that
I had never had before. They would say things like, Peter,
you matter, I'm like wall what me I mattered? You know.
There's one day he was going to the city and
he was taking me with me. I always knew sitting
in front was for the important people, you know, that
(15:56):
I wasn't worthy of sitting in front with him. I
always sat in the back. But this time he said, Peter,
can you sit in front. And I said, no, I
don't deserve to sit in France. I need to sit
in the back. And he looked at me and said, Peter, no,
you belong to this family. You sit in France. Man.
I can remember those words this day, kind of remove
the scales of sham, the scales of what I had
(16:18):
been told all my life that I was nobody, that
I would never mount to anything, because they saw more
in me than I saw in myself. Finally I finished
high school and then I went to university in Uganda,
and then I got a scarship to go study in England,
you know. So after England, and then I went back
to Uganda and I was working for the International Committee
(16:40):
of Red Cross and my job was to work as
a radio operator to make sure that food on planes
and trucks was moving from Kenya to Sudan. And so
one day I wanted to visit that the you know,
the refugee camp. So I went there and while I
was there, I saw this eighteen year old boy shut
this why it was the only white kid ever, So
(17:02):
I was like, man, what are you doing here? He said,
my name is Luke, and I'm here to help the refugees,
and I got to know him and I said, hey,
you know, I did an American, so if you come
to Kampala, please come and have clean water and we'll
make sure you're care And so he came and stayed
with us for about two months, and then he went
back to United States. And when he got back in
(17:23):
the US, he said, you know, he said, Peter, there's
a school I go to. I think I would like
to really help you get a scholarship to come and
study here. And I was like, man, I'm not sure
I can't afford. He's like, no, leave it out to me.
I will do the best I can. And here I wise,
you know, from one strange ends like you got more
potential in life. And so he got me a scholarship
to come and study un United States. And so I
(17:45):
went to school for four years and then I was
hired at the end, you know, to be an advocate
for children with Compassion International. So I get to travel
with key not speakers and you know, reverends and all
people to show them the work of Compassion all over
the world. And so already did I traveled, you know,
to my twenty countries I traveled in But now I
(18:07):
had an opportunity to travel to one hundred and one countries,
which was absolutely mind bro you know, from a strict
kid in Kampala who didn't think about tomorrow. There I
was jumping from one country to the other, which was
really fascinating. But all I wanted was to truly be
a voice for the unseen, the unheard, the ones that
(18:28):
we all know that I wanted them to know their
story through telling my own story, that people would help them.
And so that became my job for ten years. And
what a story you've been listening to from Peter Mudabatsi.
He lived on the streets for four and a half years.
When a man asked him what his name was. It
(18:49):
was the first time it had happened to him. And
of course, that active kindness he assumed would always be
followed by an active abuse, in fact that kept on
persisting until it didn't. And when this man offered up
the kindness of free school, heater asked why me, and
he answered, boy, I want to be faithful. When we
(19:12):
come back, more of this remarkable story of faith of
love of a stranger here on our American stories. And
(19:38):
we're back with our American stories and the final portion
of Peter Mudabasi's story. After being adopted himself, Eater eventually
ended up working for the International humanitarian Organization and Passion International,
and advocated for children living in the very same poverty
he experienced growing up. His work took him around on
(20:00):
the world, but it's home base is the United States.
Let's return to Peter. Well, so when I came to you,
an I says, I think I struggled. I would visit
people and then, you know, most most families where I
come from, you know, our homes as big as the
American garage and there's seven to twelve people that live
(20:22):
in that garage, you know. So when I would walk
into these homes, they were huge, but they were empty.
They were only like two people living. And I'm like,
but why there must be kids in the neighborhood that
are truly looking for a place to be. So I
think from that conviction, I wanted to somehow leave what
someone did for me, that he saw the need of
(20:43):
kids on the streets of Kampala, but he didn't walk away,
but he wanted to do something, and it happened to
help one, and that one happened to be me. That
I wanted to do the same, you know, looked afar
a too much is given, masses required, Like I felt
I had been given so much that I wanted to
give back as well, you know. So I you know,
I think it was a promise in my head, like God,
(21:04):
if you ever give an extra bedroom, I'm gonna help
a child, you know. So that's when it came. So
I bought a house, quit my job where I was
working with Compassion to National and then I moved to
Oklahoma because it was cheaper to live in Oklahoma but
also a good place to learn to be a foster parent.
And so I walked in the Foscar system and I said, Hey,
(21:27):
I would like to mentor children. Is there any way
you could help, you know, help me or anyway I
could I could be of help. And the reason why
I thought of mentoring was I had traveled with people
adapting in India, in Ethiopia, in China and in Uganda.
I had never seen a black person like me doing so.
I had never seen a mail doing so. So in
(21:49):
my head, I think I believe the lie. I thought,
I don't qualified because I'm single, and I don't qualified
because I'm black. So when I walked in. It was
more like, okay, here's the list. You can let me
be a mentor. And the social worker looked at me
and said, have you ever thought of being a foster that.
I was like, wait a minute, I don't qualify. I'm single.
She's like, so man, I was like, you mean I
(22:13):
can foster? That day, I mean literally that day I
signed up to be a forcter dad. Because now I
had been helping kids in other countries. I would go
see and help, but come back. But this time I
wanted it to be part of my everyday life. And
so four months later, you know, I had my first placement.
You know, I had my first child, and that began
(22:36):
the whole journey. And I knew how it felt to
be neglected. I knew how it failed to have your
own parents be your worst enemies. I knew what it
meant to be called garbage every day. And also I
knew what it meant to live in a place where
you did not feel it was your home. I lived
that every day that I thought I can impact at
(22:58):
least one child. And so it's been a a great
journey that I've had twenty two kids now and right
now I have six in my home and it's it's
been hard, but it's been a joy for sure. You know.
I've adopted one, my son Anthony, and I'm in the
process of adapting my three other ones, you know. And
I counted a blessing for sure. You know that a
(23:18):
one street kid in your guard that I had no food,
I had no hope, that I can give hope. So
I had fostered about ten eleven kids, and you know,
they had all gone back to their family. So I
think I wasn't you know, I was demolized kind of.
You see, kids come and we want them to go
to their parents, absolutely, but when you do it over
(23:40):
and over, it kind of leaves you empty and not angry,
but just in pieces. So my number ten and eleven
had gone home on on Monday, and I told my
social work, I said, look, I really I really need
a break. I need three month break, Like I cannot
do this, And she said, okay, this is Monday. On Friday,
I get a phone call, hey, sir, I was like, sister,
(24:02):
it's not three months yet. And she's like, hey, there's
a kid at the hospital that really needs help. Could
you keep him just for the weekend, and I said
absolutely I would do so, but please do not tell
me why in the fall scare, because I didn't want
to be attached. So finally he came at three in
the morning, you know, the social I had to live
really quickly. I mean, he was in my house twenty
(24:22):
minutes and I told him, Hey, my name is Peter Mutabazi,
but you can call me in Peter because my African
name is it's kind of hard. And he looked in
my eyes and he says, hey, but can I call
me my dad? I'm like, hell, no, no, you can't
call me that, you know. But in my head I
think I was more like every kid I've had had
to call me dad and they have all gone, So
(24:44):
you cannot be in my house for twenty minutes and
call me dad. And also I know you're living on Monday,
so I don't want to be associated. I don't want
to be called dad right now, you know. And then
he looked back at me and said, you know, I
was told since now I'm eleven, I can choose with
my father should be, and I choose you. Man. I
was like, this kid doesn't listen, does he? So I said, now,
(25:06):
so Finally they came to pick him up on Monday.
So this time, after I signed the paperwork, I asked
the social work. I said, okay, so can you tell
me the story. You know, why is in the fourth care?
Because I knew I have no responsibilities right now since
he left to go. And then the social worker said, hey,
you know he was in the fourth care when he
was one and a half, and then he was placed
(25:28):
with a family and this family adapted him at four,
and then this same family that lapped him before, they
just dropped him at the hospital. They never said goodbye,
They never gave him a reason why they didn't want anymore.
They never said one thing. They just left and went
to the county and signed off their parential rights. I mean,
he should have seen me just crying, because I think
(25:52):
it took me to when I was eleven, you know,
ten running away as a kid from my own family,
to see this kid that he had been given and
hope for nine years and for some reason they just
dropped him at the hospital and they did not want
him and him all and I think I felt I
was doing the same, like I've always wanted to be
a dad, and he's a kid who just somehow I
(26:14):
knew I'll be his dad, and he told me by
his dad my name Dad. Like, I just can't let
him go. And so I told the social work and
I said, hey, you give me his paperwork. I think
he already knew I'll be his dad, so you know,
let me, let me, let me take him. And so
from there I knew he would be my son. And
two years later he got to be adapted and shares.
(26:36):
We shared the same last name, and it's cool. You know,
most people ask me, man, he's lucky to have you.
I'm like, no, I'm the lucky one. He chose me
to be his dad, and forever I'll be grateful for sure,
you know, just like that, from a weekend rest fite
to a family forever. So recently became an American citizen.
(27:01):
To think about, it took me seventeen years to be
an American citizen, you know. Twenty nineteen I found it,
became a US citizen. It was it was it was
really awesome, you know that I could find across that line.
I never thought I could, you know. And it's tributing
a joy, you know, I think even being a force
a parent has really helped me in some way to
(27:21):
feel like this is my country, these are my people,
this is my community. That I feel indebted to this
country to do the best I can and to help
others as well, but also to come alongside those that
need us the most and contribute to the society. Like
I feel They've given me a place to breathe, a
place to be free, a place to do things that
(27:42):
I would never do, but also a place that I
need to be responsible for that as well to give back,
to be responsible citizen and contribute to what I can
and for me fortering and advocating for kids, you know,
in Charlotte, North Carolina and anywhere you know, estate is
my next goal. Like my dream is truly to advocate
(28:05):
for kids, you know my dream. I would like to
have a bigger house so I can have twenty more
teenagers that I will provide a home for them, you know,
my dream, and so I can have a place where
they can feel they are safe and loved. You know.
I live in Marcaba County. There's eight hundred kids in
the four scare system. There's only sixty families that our
(28:27):
foster parents think about eight hundred kids, sixty foster parents.
That's that's crazy, you know that I feel it's my
community to truly say I will step in and do
what I can to help, you know, for those eight
hundred that are looking for a place to be, I
cannot take them all. But if I can help one,
I've done my part. Or if I can encourage someone
(28:48):
else to think through and help one of them, that
I've done my part. Or if I can help someone
and inspire them to help another family so they're able
to do that or come alongside that I've done my part.
That we can all take part, you know, or even
advocating for them through our legislature and say we want
(29:08):
to help the kids so they can have a bit
of future. This is our community to do what we
can to do we all to help those in need.
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by Robbie Davis and his special thanks to Peter Mutabatsi
and his remarkable book. Now I Am Known is available
(29:31):
at local bookstores or Amazon or wherever you get your books.
And what a story to tell about love, about love
of a stranger and what a heart this man has
and on his heart was working to take care of
and advocate for kids. So many kids without fathers, so
many kids without love. Here's an answer. If our show
(29:53):
does one thing to inspire you to imitate a guy
like Peter, just one of you listening, this show is
worth all the years weep in on air the story
of Peter Muttabatsi. Here on our American story
Host
Lee Habeeb
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