Tayebwa Danson Levitan was born in Kalyamenvu Village, kyazanga Town, Lwengo District. His father died when his mother was pregnant with him, leaving her alone as an expecting mother. At one week old, he and his mother moved to live with his grandmother, where they stayed for two years until his mother was given the opportunity of employment as a maid for a small wage and living accommodations.

Danson continued to live with his grandmother and hoped to be reunited with his mother. Eventually, his mother remarried, but Danson was not accepted by her new husband. This meant that Danson would not be able to live with her, and so he stayed with his grandmother, who was caring for a total of 15 children from different parents, struggling to provide them with basic needs.  

“We got to learn many tricks of getting food, where we went to the market to pick matooke and dropped food by the sellers. Our grandmother had nothing only to wake us up early in the morning to do our daily routine of food picking.”

Resorting to child labor, at the age of four, Danson would carry firewood to sell to his neighbors to add to the income that his grandmother earned selling mats. Instead of enjoying the life of a child and studying in school, Danson was forced to work to survive. 

“I can’t forget this in my life, seeing the boys and girls I grew up with, coming back home with homework but me my homework was where and how I will get firewood and who to sell to.” 

In 2004, at the age of seven, Danson’s grandmother cried tears of joy from the arrival of good news of a pastor who was a coordinator of T.J Miracle Foundation Kyengera. A connection came through their village chairperson, who had witnessed them selling firewood on the streets. Danson’s family was selected to be given a second chance.  

His grandmother sent him with hopeful words to live at the Kajoma Child Prosperity Center, where he was welcomed and started nursery school at the age of seven. From there, he would continue to pursue an education. He joined Promise Christian Junior Academy - Nsagu in 2009 and attained a Primary Leaving Examination (PLE). Thereafter, he joined Rubaga Mixed Secondary School Nateete, where he attained a Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) 2017. In 2018 – 2019, he joined Matugga Mixed Secondary School, where he attained a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).

“My best moment in life is when I was told to wake up, dress up, and go to class.”  

Along the way, Danson experienced happy moments and discovered his talents of dancing, composing songs, arts and crafts, and making comedy as well as motivational dialogues. He learned to use a computer and was given the opportunity by Mum Josephine to be their project receptionist and learned many new skills, including coping with stress and trauma.

Eventually, Jeff Levitan of All For One would come into his life, which Danson identifies as one of his “most precious moments.” Jeff would go on to adopt Danson and two of his brothers, Shadrack and Patrick, giving them his own name and providing them with the love of a father. 

“I have learnt that sharing is not all about having more of what to share but, it comes from heart and sacrifice.”