Now I Am Known Foundation

HELPING PEOPLE HELP PEOPLE

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Keeping you up-to-date on our family's journey and bringing you real, relatable resources for foster care advocates like me:

PETER'S STORY

Peter Mutabazi is the founder of Now I Am Known, an organization that supplies resources to support vulnerable children. Originally from Uganda, Peter ran away from an abusive home at age ten and lived as a street kid for nearly five years. Today Peter is a single dad to countless foster children and his adopted son, Anthony. For the past twenty years Peter has worked as a child advocate within the U.S. and globally to promote wellness and child development. He believes every child deserves to be seen, heard, and known. Peter has appeared on international media outlets and is a passionate speaker who resides in North Carolina.

You are Seen. You are Heard. You are Known.

@fosterdadflipper

Mutabazi, party of 7! 7️⃣👏🏾 We couldn’t let the logistics of not having a big enough car stop us… These boys are HOME! Welcome to the family to these two brothers 🥰🥹 As my heart expands even wider to bring them into our lives, I’m reminded why I dedicate my life to advocate for the world’s most vulnerable children—it’s for kids like these with no other families to take them in 👥 I think it’s especially important to keep siblings together during this crucial time of childhood, when they’re already in a new home! Even though we already brought them home, we STILL need a car big enough to hold us all…‼️ We are almost to our fundraising goal! 🏁 Once we reach it, we’ll purchase a vehicle that will make our family a permanent open-door for this many children 🙌🏾 Right now, we have friends generously helping us with transportation. Would YOU be the advocate that helps make our family a 6-kid foster family long-term?! Our 19yr old son is also still part of our family that we love so much! Find the gofundme link in the bio! #fosterparent #fostering #fosterkid #parenting #fundraising #awareness #fostercare

Guess what night it is!?! It’s African food night! 😋 I love to share my culture with my children and give them a chance to experience something they might never have tried before! So that they can be exposed to the world beyond what they have imagined. I do take the children food shopping with me, so that they can choose the food that is familiar to them. Their favourites that remind them of happy memories or people they love. Like apple pie Grandma used to bake! 🥧 But I also love sharing food from my culture with them. Getting everyone involved in the cooking, so that they learn to experience how to make delicious food with fresh ingredients. It’s great when you see their eyes light up the first time they try fried Plantain! African food night must be their favourite night! 🍲 What African food is your favourite?

To all the moms who don’t get to be with their children this weekend—happy Mother’s Day to you ❤️ Celebrating holidays within a foster family (especially Mother’s Day) can bring on mixed emotions for everyone! ❤️If you’re estranged from your mom, ❤️If you’re a mom who no longer has contact with her kids, ❤️If you lost your mom or you are a mom who lost a child, Whatever the reason (even if you’re not sure why!)—if Mother’s Day brings up both joyful AND sad emotions for you… remember that ALL your feelings are valid! Give yourself the freedom to feel and process openly with someone you trust—and celebrate (or mourn) how you need to 🫶🏾 As someone who was apart from his own mom for a very long time… I’m very aware that not every memory or experience on this day is a fond one 💔 Happy Mother’s Day to you, I’m celebrating with you from afar! 🎊 . . #happymothersday #mom #mothersday #mothers

Happy 17th BIRTHDAY Anthony! 🎊🎂🥳. Who could’ve known when this boy came into my home for a 48-hour respite are stay, he had just found his forever family? Well, Anthony knew apparently! Happy birthday to the boy who has kept me on my toes from day 1️⃣ the first thing he asked me when I brought him inside our home was, “Can I call you Dad?” and as stunned as I was— Anthony, I’ll forever be grateful I said NO at first but later said YES! 😝 Of course, Anthony never left, and he and I will be family forever 🙏🏾 six years has flown by so fast, I can hardly believe it! Im so honored to be Anthony’s dad and celebrate all his future birthdays together 💙 Send Anthony some love in the comments today! It’s a beautiful thing to see him already stepping up to do what he can for other foster children with the NIAK merch he designed— he amazes me 🥲

Once I understood this statement, it helped me learn how to be in the child’s position and find ways to support them! . . #fosterawarenessmonth #fosterawareness

I get to bed in one piece but I wake up like I was in the boxing ring with Mike Tyson the whole night! 🙄 Anyone relate or is it just my old age? 😜

Allow me to introduce the REAL boss in the Mutabazi household 😎 I mean, look at that sweet face... who wouldn't want to do exactly what she says? 😍 When people say, "A picture is worth a thousand words"—they were talking about THIS picture! Let’s just say this picture says it all... and I'm alright with that 😉 This girl has my heart! #girldad #daughters #fosterdad #parenting #fosterdaughter #whorunstheworld #girlsruntheworld #fosterparent #girlpower

The first time I heard words of affirmation spoken over me, I was already a teenager. But even then, hearing kindness and love from the lips of a stranger made a huge impact on my life—that man's words are the reason I'm still living today. When I tried to steal food from him, instead of accusing me, he simply turned... and to my shock, he asked my NAME. Something so simple and profound has had ripple effects in my own life. So imagine how a simple word of affirmation can help teens and kids without families to turn to overcome trauma and find healing 💙 Every plushie in this picture represents a foster child we got to speak love over with the simple gift of a stuffed animal! I want this message to take over the world! Here's our message, it's pretty simple really... You. Are. LOVED! If you need a plushie we sell in a pair one comes to you and the other goes to kids foster and hospitals! Check in the bio for the link! #youareloved #wordsofaffirmation #affirmations #truth #fosterdad #parenting #fosterparent

Single and ready to mingle! I’m available during the baby’s nap times and after they go to bed. 🛏️ The problem is, after a long and tiring day, you might have to join me for loading the dishwasher or picking up toys. 🧸 If we actually get round to watching something together, I’ll probably fall asleep after 5 minutes. 😴 Sound good? 😂 Putting jokes aside for all single parents; juggling between the hard journey of parenting and dating can be daunting. For me, I have chosen to put my kids first and am also content at this stage of my life. But nothing in life is permanent. So you never know, I might end up getting married one day! How do other single parents manage to date? Any tips? 😅

Meet Simba—the dog that changed everything for me! Picture me, 20-years after my own experience as a foster kid... I had personally healed in deep, wonderful ways—but bringing children who were victims of trauma into my home triggered a wave of new "old" memories for me. 👎 So, cue me searching out new ways to connect with these fragile, yet fiercely strong children! I never had a pet before, but I knew that having a cuddly pup in the home would likely help make it a welcoming environment for new kids. I actually fought off dogs for many years, because they wanted the same scraps I did! But I knew then what I know now—dogs break down barriers in ways that words simply cannot! Turns out, my hunch was right, and seeing Anthony and so many other children find connection and choose to be vulnerable BECAUSE of Simba... it's changed my view on dogs forever 💙 Now, I see Simba as a unique and fast-tracked way to connect with kids in my home. And on the days it's just me, this dog is my constant companion. I honestly don't know how I ever survived without a furry friend like this one! 🐶🐾

Anthony was my 12th placement. I wasn’t ready to take him in. They asked if I would take him just for a weekend. So I said, “why not?” Then they told me he didn’t have anywhere else to go! I knew, being a teenager, it would be really hard for him to find a home and get adopted. I knew I had to be there for him, I had to be his Dad! This gave me a greater calling! I could be there for someone who needed a Dad and needed a home like me when I was hopeless kid in Uganda I adopted Anthony in November 2019 and I remember the day like it was yesterday! I’m so grateful to be his Dad! The journey wasn't easy - but I’d do it all over again. If you are thinking of fostering or adopting a child, I would encourage you to find out more about it. The process can be long and might test you at times, but I promise you it will be worth it!

As a parent some battles can feel like a war! Bedtime is one of those! 🛌 We have a calming routine with bath time, story time and our night time prayer but every night is the same. 🛁 📖 🙏🏾 Every night they suddenly need a wee, drink, snack, and answers to all the questions in the world like, "why are hands called hands,” and "did the colour orange or the fruit orange get named first?" Right when it's time to sleep! 🍊 Why they become so philosophical at bedtimes is a mystery! 🧐 Papa needs sleep kids, we’ll google to find out all the answers tomorrow! 💻 …But I’m always ready for the battle, always ready to get in the ring again and will keep fighting the bedtime battle until I’m knocked out! 😴 What do your kids do to stall bedtime?

Working from home… 🏠 Is something many of us had to do during the pandemic. We were all juggling our work, looking after our families, homes, neighbours, home schooling and - doing the best we could! 💪🏾 So while working from home with a little one around can feel like I’m running day care - as I have to make snacks, play, change her diaper, and make calls when she is entertained or sleeping - I do love it! Parenting comes with challenges - but the greater the challenge the greater the reward. 🤗💖 And these little ones bring so much joy to my life. Looking after children has really changed my life. I often feel like it’s helped me even more than it helps them. What’s your biggest parenting challenge?

Imagine growing up and suddenly being taken from your home. Imagine growing up knowing you have brothers and sisters but not being allowed or able to see them. Separating siblings causes more trauma, on top of the trauma of being taken away from their home and everything they know. We all search for a sense of belonging as a basic human need. Keeping siblings together helps them retain a sense of who they are and who they belong with. Of course it’s hard to find homes where they can take sibling groups, and hard to place them all in the same town. 🏡 This is why, when I get a call asking if I have space for a brother or sister of the kids I already have, I will of course do all I can to take them. What memories do you have of time spent with siblings as a child?

Is it Easter Sunday or an identical frantic morning trying to get everyone out the door dressed, fed, and happy..? 🐣 In this kid-centric life I’m leading, getting out of the house means bringing the pantry, the whole bathroom cabinet, and an entire drawer of clothes with us—or we will not survive the day, it feels like🤣👏🏾 Today of all days, though, we’re dressed up a little extra special, and all the extra things we “need” fade into the background. Easter means HOPE, and today we get to focus on the JOY of new life 🙏🏾

In our home… 🏡 We have a photo gallery to help us remember our close family kids and all of the children that have come and gone. 📸 Sometimes it’s hard for the kids to see others go but this is our way of remembering them and the fun we had together. We keep them in our memories, our stories and our hearts. ——- Who do you have in your photo gallery?

Moments like this truly make the hard days better! Growing up I was always too afraid to get too close to my father. I was always trying to work out how far away I needed to be to stay safe. I love being able to provide a safe, happy and loving home for all my kids. I feel proud that they are getting to enjoy their child in a way which is so different to the childhood I experienced. It’s amazing! 🤗 _____ What do you like to give your children that you always wished you had as a child?

I’d always fostered boys and never expected to have a girl. Now, I’m so grateful that I get to have girls and boys in our home, and I get to be her Dad. Since the day she arrived, she has been boss of the house! She’s taught me so much about listening and being tender. —— What have your kids taught you?

As you know I am a SINGLE Dad! I would love a date, if anyone out there is looking for a partner! 😘 There’s just ONE problem… Well TWO actually… You’ll have to get past my bodyguards first! 😜 ——— Leave a ❤️ in the comments and I’ll get them to check through the applications! 😅

On every journey we must remember to take time to stop and appreciate what we have. To fuel ourselves - our minds and our hearts - to see and feel. So often we rush through life, numbing our trauma and being afraid to feel. But we have to stop and open our eyes to be truly grateful for what we do have. The good people in our lives around us. Being grateful helps us live with purpose and meaning. What are you grateful for in your life?

Our dogs, Rafiki and Simba are two other members of the family you will often see in our videos but you don’t get to hear as much about. As you can see they have their Swahili names also from the Lion King. Rafiki actually means “companion,” or “friend,” and Simba is of course “lion.” - Well he does look a bit like a lion! I am a massive fan of Disney and have been lucky enough to take some of my foster children to Disneyland too. Who are your favourite Disney characters?

Parenting! There’s never a dull moment. I wouldn’t change it for anything but the Screaming… Yelling… the Please get me out of here… moments. Make up so much of each day. We get the tears and tantrums which so many of you deal with all by yourselves. Whether you’re a lone parent or doing it all while your partner is elsewhere. You are working hard every moment. The smiles and the hugs eventually make it all worthwhile! 😅 I see you. I hear you. I understand. ——- What have been your (good or not so good) moments that you wish you could tell someone about today?

Want to stay humble? Become a parent! 😅 As I’m getting my toddler out of her out of her car seat this morning, I look down in the floor of the car—where we keep her shoes, obviously—and I realize we don’t have two that match 😳 I definitely didn’t have time to go back home for a matching pair, so I scooped her up and we walked into daycare with mismatched shoes. 👟👞 This is the “walk of shame” as a parent for me… that moment when you have so many responsibilities that your imperfections start to show up loud and clear. I needed this reminder today—that loving my kiddos doesn’t always have to be perfect. 💙 Near misses don’t make parents failures-they make a dad or a mom who’s trying to show up every single day! When have you had an embarrassing moment like this? #parents #dads #momlife

"They spend all their time on their iPads!” Are words every parent or grandparent has spoken. In modern society young people turn to their tablets or phones to look up information before they ask someone around them. It’s so important that children learn from us. Learn basic life skills like how to cook and clean, and how to check the oil and tyre pressure! These things may seem small but they soon add up and they help me too, as I know they’ll be able to look after themselves and stay safe when they continue their journeys’ without me. We can’t always be with them but we can teach them to take care of themselves. What life skills have you taught your children?

You know your message has come full-circle when you see kids in your home wearing shirts that SPEAK their true value! 🙌🏾 You are LOVED. You are SEEN. You are HEARD. You BELONG. When I was a teen, it wasn’t the warm meals and the roof over my head that meant the most to me… it was the words of TRUTH spoken over me that changed my life! Now seeing my kids wear shirts and my dogs in bandanas that speak TRUTH over them — it’s amazing what a message of hope can do for vulnerable children! It’s my goal for every foster child to hear and know and BELIEVE the truth about themselves 🧡

FOUNDATION OBJECTIVES

Support the Mutabazi Family
Donations to this campaign will help Peter foster more children by purchasing a minivan and hiring a babysitter.
Support Aging-Out Teens
Help purchase beds and mattresses for teens aging out of foster care.
Recruit and Support New Foster Families
This fund will help purchase a bed and mattress for new foster families when they receive their first placement.

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