CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte father is making national headlines thanks to his unique family and his own incredible story. Now, the man who's fostered more than 30 kids has written a book about how we can all help make a difference.
Anthony Mutabazi is a big brother in a house full of kids. He first entered foster care when he was just a year old. Then, the family that adopted him at 4 years old abandoned Anthony when he was 11.
"The family that had adopted him dropped him off at the hospital, never said goodbye, didn't give him any reason they didn't want him anymore," Peter Mutabazi said.
"My journey has certainly been a difficult one but I've persevered through and it's brought me good rewards," Anthony said.
His biggest reward? His family. Social workers brought Anthony to Peter's house for what was supposed to be just a weekend in 2018.
"He comes in, 20 minutes in my home as soon as the social worker left, I said you can call me Peter. He looks at me and said, 'Can I call you my dad?'" Peter explained. "I said you can't call me dad, you're leaving Monday. He said, 'I was told since I'm 11 I can choose my dad and I choose you.'"
Peter had already fostered 10 other kids. But at that moment, he knew Anthony was his son.
"He's my son," Peter said. "I love him so much, he's my son."
Anthony's adoption was finalized the next year. Peter said he looked back on his own childhood and realized there was no way he could let Anthony leave.
Born in Uganda, Peter ran away from an abusive home when he was 10.
"My life is more like a miracle," he said. "I was a garbage boy. I lived in the sewer. Do you know why the sewer? Because it smelled so bad no one would come there so it was safe for us."
He said a man he stole food from helped him get into school. He ultimately went to college and moved to the United States where he began traveling the world to fight for children's causes. He decided to settle down and become a foster dad.
"Someone changed my life, how can I not change someone else's life?" Peter said.
Since then, he's fostered 34 kids.
"It's not always that I'm doing something for them, they're doing something for me," Peter explained. "They teach me how to be patient, how to love and be there for others."
That often involves working to reunite the kids with their biological parents.
"It's the greatest gift you can give a child," Peter said. "When you are there as a resource, come alongside as a parent and say, 'I know it's hard but I'm going to do everything in my power so you can have your kids back.' Now they have someone to say he's in our corner."
Mutabazi's story has received national attention and he uses social media to promote awareness about fostering. He just wrote a book called "Hoping To Help Others."
"When something means so much to you, you're gonna find a way, and for me, I chose to find a way," Peter said.
Contact Michelle Boudin at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte journalists have been trained by Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) and have been using SJN tools since 2018. SJN is an independent, nonprofit organization that advocates an approach of solutions journalism, an evidence-based mode of reporting on the responses to social problems.
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