Peter Mutabazi’s journey is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of kindness. Growing up in poverty and enduring abuse in Uganda, Peter’s early life was marked by hardship. Today, Peter Mutabazi is a passionate advocate for vulnerable children and the founder of Now I Am Known, dedicating his life to serving those in foster care. His story, as shared with Fr. Larry Rice, reveals a remarkable path from despair to becoming a beacon of hope for countless children.
Peter Mutabazi vividly recalls the stark realities of his childhood. “I was born into a family of five. We were so poor that we could never have a meal. I had a meal every other day,” he recounts. Beyond poverty, Peter faced abuse at home. “At the age of 4, I began to realize that, not only were we poor, but I had a really abusive dad.” The daily suffering became unbearable. “’Today’ was so bad that I knew I didn’t want to see the next day.” At just ten years old, driven by desperation, Peter made a life-altering decision. “At the age of 10, I could not take the abuse anymore. I ran away. If I was going to die, I better die in the hands of a stranger rather than my own father who should protect me.” This courageous escape led him to the streets of Uganda, where he lived until he was sixteen.
Life as a street child was brutal. Peter Mutabazi describes the constant dehumanization: “As street kids, we were abused, left and right. People treated us more like stray animals. The only words I heard from people were that I was garbage or I was nobody. No one had ever asked my name for the five years I lived on the streets.” Survival meant resorting to desperate measures. “Living on the streets, I would steal,” Peter admits, explaining they would help people in exchange for meager sustenance.
A turning point arrived in the form of a compassionate farmer. “One day, I think I wanted a banana or something, but before I could take it this particular farmer said, ‘Hey, what’s your name?’” This simple question, the first acknowledgement of his personhood in years, was profoundly impactful. The farmer offered food and friendship. “We became friends and he fed me for a year and a half.” This kindness extended beyond basic needs. The farmer’s family presented Peter with an unimaginable opportunity. “Finally, this family asked if I would go to school if I had the money to go to school.” For Peter Mutabazi, a street child, education was a distant dream. “As a street kid in Kampala, that was like asking me if I wanted to go to the moon. That’s how far-fetched the idea of school was. I thought I didn’t deserve that.” Despite his disbelief, Peter accepted. “But I said yes and that changed my life forever.”
The farmer’s belief in Peter Mutabazi unlocked his potential. Words of affirmation from this stranger were instrumental in Peter realizing he was worthy of a better life. With the farmer’s support, Peter pursued education, eventually studying in London. His journey eventually led him to the United States, where he observed a different kind of need. “When I came to the United States, I saw people with nice homes, but there were kids in the neighborhood that had nowhere to go. I could not understand that.” This observation resonated deeply with his own past. “It was hard for me to think that I can have that much, but not know the needs of others. I struggled with the Bible verse, ‘To whom much is given, much is required.’ I had been given so much. I wanted to be like that family in Uganda who took me in.”
Inspired by his own experience of being seen and valued, Peter Mutabazi decided to become a foster parent. “They didn’t see where I came from. They didn’t see how horrible I was, but they saw the potential in me. So I decided to become a foster dad. I understood these kids because I was one of them. I knew they wanted a dad. I didn’t have one. So I knew what I longed for.” Peter has since fostered sixteen children and adopted two, offering them a safe haven and a loving family.
Driven by his commitment to vulnerable children, Peter Mutabazi founded Now I Am Known. This nonprofit organization provides words of affirmation and support to children in foster care, notably through plushie dolls. “I wanted to provide a respite from the trauma that these kids have experienced just as someone did for me,” Peter explains. He believes deeply in the power of positive words to help children overcome adversity. For every plushie purchased, another is donated to a child in foster care, extending Peter Mutabazi’s message of hope and affirmation to children across the foster care system. Peter Mutabazi’s life story is a powerful reminder that kindness and belief in another person’s potential can truly change the world.
