It’s no secret that I love sharing stories of hope and healing. My guest today has an incredible story that includes both of those things! I met Peter at a conference recently and we quickly became friends. He is a surviving street kid, foster dad to over 18 kids, single adoptive dad, an author, speaker, and advocate for children everywhere. Wow!
Peter Mutabazi grew up in an abusive home in Uganda and eventually ran away at the age of 10. God used a man in khakis to show Peter that he was loved and valued. Today, Peter’s passion is that every child and young person, especially the forgotten, neglected, or abused, deserves to be celebrated, seen, heard, and known.
TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY’S CONVERSATION:
1. Every child deserves to be seen, heard, and known.
For Peter and many children who have had similar experiences, they often have a false idea of who they are. They have endured abuse or neglect and incorrectly conclude that they aren’t valuable or loved. It isn’t until someone shows up consistently in their lives that their trust can be earned in order for them to hear that they are seen, cherished, valuable, and loved.
“On this day, I don’t have to be a thief. On this day, someone gets to know me by my name. On this day, I get to feel I am human.”
2. What stereotypes do you need to overcome in your mind?
As we heard in this episode, any child from any family could end up in foster care. And if you surveyed the families in the foster care community, you would find that they are made up of every combination imaginable. Like Peter shared, it’s important to remember that everyone in your home doesn’t have to look the same in order to be a family.
“When it comes to abuse, it doesn’t know race or color or status in life. We all really need to pay attention to every child.”
3. Anyone can have an impact.
You don’t have to have the “ideal home” in order to foster, adopt, or have an impact on the life of a child. If you have a passion or calling to be a part of the foster care community, don’t let your current circumstances stop you. You don’t have to be married or have the perfect house or extra finances to be able to make a difference!
“I knew they had gone through a lot of what I had gone through. I knew I would understand them so well.”
Meet Our Guest
Peter Mutabazi is an entrepreneur, international advocate for children, author, speaker, and founder of Now I Am Known, a corporation that provides resources to encourage and affirm children. Peter describes himself as a former street kid turned single foster dad. He grew up in Uganda with an abusive parent. He ran away from home at the age of 10. Over the last 20 years, Peter has fostered over 18 children and continues to advocate that every child be seen, heard, and loved.
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