2021 – Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with schools closed, churches shut, public gatherings restricted, and families confined to their homes, Everine, a choir singer and children’s teacher at a local church, sought to create a sense of normalcy for her three younger siblings in their rented two-room home in Senior Quarters, Soroti City. This neighborhood, once a major Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp during the 2003 Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, had become a semi-permanent settlement. To bring joy and routine to her siblings, Everine began storytelling, reading daily devotionals aloud, and singing songs with them in the evenings. In a matter of days, children from neighboring rentals joined, bringing the group to six. Others from outside her compound gathered by the hedge, and Everine couldn’t resist allowing them into her backyard, growing the group to 23 within weeks. The children’s love for reading and talent for singing stood out, as did their knack for playing instruments—drumming on makeshift water jerrycans Everine provided.

2022 – With lockdowns lifted and life slowly returning to normal, Everine considered winding down the evening sessions. Yet, the children kept showing up after school, their enthusiasm undiminished. One evening, during a stroll, a parent stopped her and casually asked, “What will you do with the kids now?” The question carried a weight far beyond a simple inquiry. It wasn’t just about the sessions—it was about the connections the children had formed, the potential they were beginning to realize, and the possibilities now within their reach. In the days that followed, as the children continued to gather in her backyard, Everine resolved to keep the sessions going. By mid-2022, she officially registered TTF as a non-profit (No. 6037), transforming her informal gatherings into a structured program serving children from slum settlements through after-school, weekend, and holiday programs in music, skills, and literacy.

2023 – Everine got a huge boost when a friend donated 10 ukuleles, the first real musical instruments the children had ever used. That simple gift made all the difference. The kids were no longer just singing and keeping rhythm; now they were playing real instruments, and before long, they were performing at community events, showing off how far they’d come. The program quickly gained popularity in the area, and Everine was overwhelmed with the number of those eager to join. But with limited space, instruments, and help, she could only accommodate a few more growing the number to 31. Fortunately, some of the older kids had gained more advanced skills on the instruments, so Everine enlisted two of them to help teach the younger ones, easing her workload. Everine also formalized the informal reading sessions, gathering additional books and now conducts reading sessions on weekends. To support their learning further, she donated her own laptop, as she works to create a digital lab equipped with technology and digital learning resources.