I am Daniel Kisseka Ntale, son of David and Getrude Lwanga of Rubaga a suburb of Kampala. I went to Rubaga Boys Primary school and Lubiri Senior School.
I was born into a family of 7 children - 5 girls and 2 boys. I am the oldest boy. My mum told me from the time I was a baby I used to not be able to sleep with her because whenever my father came back home drunk he had a reason to hit her.
From the time I was old enough to understand, my mum has lived in fear - she grew up in a home where she learnt that the man is always right. I saw my mother suffering until my father grew old and changed. Life during my childhood was a nightmare. I remember all kinds of abuses, many too painful to talk about, but for instance my dad coming home late at night he would make me go and either buy cigarettes or pick up his cigarettes from the bar where he had been drinking. This was during the war and there was a curfew, people were killed if they went out after 6pm, my father sent me because the soldiers wouldn’t shoot children. In the mornings because of the curfew we couldn’t go to school until after 10am and every day we passed dead bodies on the side of roads, it was a terrible and frightening time.
Rubaga was a war torn area. Apart from me, my mother and father, my other family members had left our home, so I was the one that suffered the anger of my dad. I was always afraid of being beaten so often I slept outside the house and then when he came back I wasn’t there, but it was awful as I could hear my Mum being beaten up. Life was like that every day.
When I was age 13 I went to the nearby church, Rubaga Miracle Centre, and met Pastor Robert Kayanja, he took care of me until I was able to look after myself. Pastor Robert did everything for me, providing me with clothes and food and paying for my school fees. The best thing I got was salvation; I have walked with the Lord ever since, learning to be strong, have faith, and forgive and to have a heart for others.
I came to understand that there is no bigger investment in life than the lives of people.
I thank God for the talent of football. The bible says your gift will make you sit with princes. I have been an outstanding player, right from when I started at the village primary school and later at senior school when I played for the biggest team in the country. I played for the national team and professional team in 3 different countries in Asia and Europe.
Through all my childhood problems football has been my consolation - it’s where I got, and continue to get, my happiness, I made friends and money.
One day I thought I was old enough to take on the challenge to leave Uganda. I took my bag and with a friend Dominic Kabuye and we travelled to Thailand. We didn’t know anybody, but in two days we had got into a football club and found a house. This is one of the things that has made me strong. Whenever I had holidays I wanted to work with kids in my village, I would come back with footballs and train them. They became my friends and I came to meet the orphans and those with many different problems, and some with the same problems that I had as a child. I couldn’t help much but I tried to do what I could. I was playing outside my country and I was earning very good money. I had an apartment in Kampala where some of the children who were really badly off started to stay, gradually this became an orphanage for these poor children.
I never thought it going to get this far but “God’s way is not our way”.
Two years ago I gave up professional football and run my own business so that I could help more children. I met the mother of two boys that I was helping, she was a widow and her name was Betty. She was renting a big house which she couldn’t afford to rent on her own, we decided to move the boys which were staying at my house to that house and I started paying the rent, feeding the boys, and doing all that was required to look after them properly.
One thing I know is that God has never let me down, there is no single day we have spent without food, and we have been happy and grateful in all situations. God has given us Denise who has done so much. It is through prayer and the faith in God that we are meeting new people to help with the ministry.
From the first group that lived in the home, three of the boys have joined professional clubs in Ghana and Cameroon; six are in university in Uganda. Today we are renting a 4 bedroom house and have a second intake of 30 children age from 5 to 13.
One thing I have realised is whenever you are ready to be used by God he will equip you with all you need. I am glad I forgave my Father and I am learning to be nice to all of God’s creation. You can make someone happy with a smile, a sweet, a ball, anything you have - never wait for anybody; you can make a difference in Life.
Daniel and his wife, Brenda
Daniel is married with four girls age one to seven years. They named the baby Denise in honour of Denise Gwatkin the founder of Daniel’s Dream.
Daniel and his wife, Brenda
