Jambo! My Uganda 🇺🇬 update

Jambo!
Thanks once again for your continuing interest and to your support for one or more of my ongoing ‘projects’ in Uganda, donating to the education of the children we sponsor, helping to keep Good Luck Junior School going or two helping others in need. Here is my latest news in three parts –
1-Good Luck Junior School.
2-Innocent and his animal projects.
3-Our sponsored student Paul.

Part 1 – Good Luck Junior School progress. Yes, actual progress which I’m pleased to report. Gradually fee paying has improved though we have some way to go. Head teacher Ibrahim is trying desperately not to send children home if they arrive at school without their fees, as he knows the problems these families have just to survive and he believes like us that an education is vital to helping lift them out of the poverty they’re likely to suffer in the future without it. Other Ugandan schools I’ve worked in refuse entry if a child owes fees. Ibrahim knows the families in his community and that the parents would pay if they could. There are now more than 150 children attending the school regularly.

In March the District Education Officers visited the school and Innocent says although they were complimentary towards the progress made they are insisting that the school has an office before they will verify its licence!

Fortunately because we have been helping with paying the teachers and the cook, Ibra has managed to start the building work. He has also decided that one of the two small rooms will become a library, which is a great idea though the school has very few books and most of those look to be pupils/teachers workbooks used for guidance.
I’m hoping we can help complete the building, for instance purchase the iron roof sheets which will cost 780,000 Ugandan Shillings, approx £170 and eventually provide more books.

Recently the schools in Uganda had their break for a month marking the end of the first term. The children should have received their report cards but they are only given them if they have paid their full fees. Sounds a bit mean I know but this is usual for schools in Uganda. The reason is that the school has to purchase the official report cards to be able to issue the children’s reports so that is another expense the school cannot afford unless they receive the fees to cover the cost!
At the end of term the school held its Parents Meeting where the head discusses the schools’ business. Innocent reports as follows –
‘There was a good attendance including a member of the PTA who thanked the staff for their good work and the parents for turning up. (Often they are too busy in the fields or collecting water or firewood!)
‘He also called upon the parents to take their responsibilities for the better performance of their children.
‘It has been passed in this meeting that come next term every child must report on the first day with 15kg of maize and 5kgs of beans to help with meals for the full term, this was after the teachers noticing that it’s being hard for the children to learn on an empty stomach, parents have been slow on this but it’s been passed that on the first of the term they should have it at the gate.
‘Ibra also asked the parents to at least report with 50% of the school fees on their first day of the term and asked the parents to also clear their school requirements for the year, one ream of paper, two toilet paper, work file, pens, 2 brooms etc.
‘He told the parents that only eight children out of 151 had cleared to zero balance, and for those whose children are in the nursery section to prepare their children as some come to school very shabby!’
I thought you might like this detail to help you get at idea of how different things are in Uganda! Can you imagine your children having to take 🧻 to school with them!

Member of PTA – Note all the ‘visual aids’ made by the teachers, no whiteboards there!

When the meeting finishes the parents are given a meal of rice and beans. Innocent said some came straight from the fields and were hungry! The video shows the development there has been at the school since we started helping them. Two classroom blocks, latrines and now an office and library. THANK YOU 😊

Innocent has sent me the lists of each of the class fee payments. If you’re interested and would like me to forward them to you please let me know. Here is a letter from the head teacher.