Educational Programs and Schools

If we are to lift families and children out of poverty, we must find a way to educate them. To educate a child provides them with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to move from abject poverty and become a viable, functioning citizen in society.

Education is truly a gift that keeps on giving; not only to the child being educated, but to the child’s family and community. It is a life time gift.

To build a school in a remote village region is also a life time gift, not only for the children attending today, but for the children of generations to come.

UCF is highly committed to building schools and proving educational opportunities for children and adolescents living in remote under developed areas of Uganda. Many are children that have been denied this right including orphaned and disabled youngsters.
The government of Uganda provides some funds for primary schools. However, it provides no funding for secondary schools. As a result, all secondary schools are private.
Since 1995, United Children’s Fund has been instrumental in building four secondary schools and one primary school. In addition, UCF assisted other already developed schools with supplemental funds to complete construction projects as well as provide operational funds.

Please take a moment and learn about a few of these vital schools.

Tweyambe Primary School for the Challenged, Kiwangala, Village

Kyle, a Tweyambe volunteer writes:

Singing and jumping with unbridled joy
These disabled children were taught this ploy
To keep them agile, active and wise
Clapping and dancing, their spirits would rise.
With no money, no books, no Pokeman
They help each other, they’re beyond just generous
Despite their advancement being so tenuous.
Their schoolhouse was built with their teacher’s bare hands
To add one more building, that is their plan
A dormitory to house those unable to walk
This is their dream, at which they don’t balk
I’d given the headmaster some leftover supplies
A bottle of glue was like a winning prize
His eyes lit up bright, he thanked me so deeply
Who’d have thought such gratitude could come so cheaply?

In Uganda less than half of all children attend elementary school and only 10% attend secondary school due to lack of school fees. For orphaned and children with challenges the number attending school is even smaller because they are not valued and orphaned children are often forced to remain at home and work as child labor.

Children with disabilities often are not accepted by their families. Many times they are hidden or locked in rooms and in extreme cases destroyed. Attending primary school is discouraged because their presence disturbs the other children.
In 1994, UCF helped establish Tweyambe primary day and residential school devoted to educating these most distressed children.

Today, Tweyambe has 124 day and resident students. United Children‘s Fund assists the school by funding teacher’s salaries, school supplies, a lunch daily for each student, as well as providing uniforms and clothing for students. UCF has built several classrooms, installed a water tank, playground equipment, netball and soccer fields. For those children unable to travel they are provided dormitory housing at the school.

The school receives no support from the government either national or local, and depends solely on tuition and grants from others.

Some of the students are able to further their education by attending local secondary schools, for others that are unable to attend, they are taught simple skills such as shoe repair, wood carving, sewing and other crafts that will make them self-sufficient with hope for a productive life.

Of all the children, UCF believes these children are the most vulnerable and will suffer the most if they do not receive an education and vocational training.

Without some outside help they have little hope.

We have attached two short videos telling more of the Tweyambe story. One video tells more about the school, the second video tells about Tweyambe’s outreach programs to serve the disabled children of the area who cannot attend school. View Tweyambe School Video, View Tweyambe Outreach Video.

St. Denis Secondary School, Makondo Village

St. Denis is the only high school in its region. The nearest school is over ten miles away. Like all secondary schools in Uganda it is private.

To maintain the school’s charter it must adhere to the government standards regarding classrooms and other teaching resources, such as a library and science lab. In addition, the school must have a separate student testing room suitable to the government.

In 1999 UCF began funding schools by constructing classroom blocks, science labs, libraries, student and teacher housing, water tanks, as well as providing daily lunches to students and staff. As with all UCF projects it is important they are sustainable. Currently, St. Denis has roughly three hundred students and is becoming self sustaining.

Thanks to your generosity St Denis has become a huge success and a shinning light of hope for the children of the village.

St. James Secondary School, Jjaga Village

St. James secondary School is a four year high school that is perched on a mesa in the village of Jjaga.

During the summer of 2009, UCF was able to build the first block of the school. That allowed the school to open in February 2010 with S1 and S2 students, a total of 72 students and seven teachers. With a group of volunteers, and the generous support of our donors, the second block was completed October, 2010. With the completion of the second block, St. James is now able to accept additional students for the start of the school year, February, 2011.

Jjaga is an extremely poor remote village, during the rainy season, because of the rugged terrain, and the poor road conditions, it becomes almost impossible to get to the village. As a result, it becomes virtually isolated for several months. Construction can only be done from May through September.

With your financial support, UCF plans to commence construction on the science, library block in May, 2011. The government of Uganda requires a science, library and testing area to meet government standards. UCF’s goal is to have these requirements completed by the end of September, 2011.

St. James will have the capacity for three hundred students. Currently, UCF is funding the daily operation of the school as well as proving lunch for students and staff.

The school has a strong community support, and is well established by the local residents, but they need our help to succeed. We have attached a short video with additional information about St. James. Click here to view St. James Video.

Your support today will make this happen.

Nativity Secondary School, Kibengo Village

During a recent working visit to Uganda, UCF’s staff visited the site designated for a secondary school in the remote village of Kibengo in northeast Uganda. The school location is situation in a forest with dense undergrowth area which is being cleared by local villagers. UCF staff met with village leaders to plan for the school. Seven members of the community were chosen to form an interim board of governors.

As with all schools built and assisted by UCF, local leadership and strong community commitment is necessary. Nativity school has both. In addition, it has been the goal of UCF to help those in remote areas who receive no outside support. It is unlikely this school will exist without the assistance of UCF.

The site is isolated with the nearest secondary school many miles away so it will provide educational opportunities for many girls and boys who have virtually no chance of receiving a secondary education today. For girls this often means being forced into early marriage, many times multiple marriages with older men, where they remain in poverty the rest of their life. For boys it generally means a low level of existence, child labor and abuse.

The site plan is being finalized and blue prints developed. The first block of the school will include classrooms for the first two levels of classes, a secretary’s office, headmaster’s office, printing room, staff room and two small storage rooms.

The school is at a critical stage of funding and we need your help. Please take a moment and give your gift to make this dream come true for the children of the village.