Sponsoring Success

Brilliant News

The Hard Work is Paying Off

Little Angels Primary School has gone from nothing to being top rated in the local community. Eight pupils sat for the Primary Leaving Exam (PLE) at the end of 2019. Every single child passed – 3 of them with a top Division One classification.

Our Ugandan friends have worked hard to ensure this success and we are proud of all we have done to back up their efforts.

A big part of this success is down to the sponsorship programme – and we are not finished yet.

Sponsored girl, Mariam Nakyobe, gained a Division 2 pass and can now go to secondary school

Why should you sponsor a Ugandan child?

Let’s Start the School year With A Bang

The simplest of reasons of course is to give a boy or girl with nothing the chance of a future. That is enough reason in itself. Happily there is much more to it than this. School attendance not only benefits the child (socially and physically as well as educationally), but also the school and the entire village community.

Education is often an unaffordable luxury for children living in poverty, and its lack removes any chance of employment and can leave them vulnerable to exploitation. Just as important are the health benefits brought by schooling. The school provides better nutrition (and nutritional advice) and gives the youngsters access to clean water, both to drink and for hygiene. They can have their health monitored and the access to sport and exercise is an added benefit.

We are giving these children hope (taken in the school hall financed by our charity)

We are also often able to help them with clothing and shoes. The importance of the latter cannot be over-emphasised as footwear brings protection from sickness caused by soil-based parasites. Those who are provided with a uniform are also given an enhanced feeling of self-worth. This in turn benefits the school which is thus seen as a centre that can be respected and so bring in paying parents to help its longterm viability.

Queuing for a better future

Those who complete their primary school education are (whenever we can arrange it) given the opportunity to progress through the secondary sector and beyond; either academically or by taking the vocational route. Research confirms that sponsored children spend more years in school than their unsponsored friends. Forever Friends of Uganda regularly stresses the need to level the educational playing field for girls and the same research shows that sponsored girl children spend a good 3 years longer in school than their unsupported sisters. We are working hard to grow this advantage even further.

The schools are poor because the parents are poor. Very often the Senyonga family admits children when there is no chance of receiving a penny towards their education. It is not unknown for a desperate mother to offer a live chicken, fruit or vegetables in lieu of payment. All very praiseworthy – but charity on its own will not pay the teachers’ salaries. The lower the salary, the smaller the chance of attracting high class teachers.

These children now have hope in their lives

Primary Leaving Exam results have improved recently and that is not unrelated to the fact that FFOU has been able pay a small additional amount to try to motivate existing staff and attract new recruits. Even so, we still cannot pay what they really deserve.

A thriving school also benefits the village community. When we first visited Bubebbere, 17 years ago there was nothing to keep the villagers there; no school, no employment, no future. The growth of the schools – there and at Bulumbu – have been given an enormous boost by the sponsorship programme. It has also in a limited way brought employment, as well as customers to the small village shops. They are still very poor places, but there is hope; especially as we are now, in a small way, able to bring support to ladies in the community.

Back in 2019. Children receive gifts from their sponsors

In brief when you sponsor a child, you:

• offer education, a chance of better health, a feeling of self-worth and the hope for a worthwhile future for your girl or boy;
• improve the chances for the future success of the schools;
• help to build a future for a very poor community.

There is always a long list of girls and boys in need. Do you know anybody else who would like to join the programme? I can promise you that there is not a Ugandan child sponsorship programme in existence that costs the sponsors less than ours.

If you have not done so already, please come on board.

Back in 2019. Children receive gifts from their sponsors

Give a Gift and Girls First Christmas Appeal

Many thanks for the generosity of everyone who donated to these appeals. You will have made a big difference.

The funds have been sent to our colleagues in Uganda and we shall give you more feedback in the next edition of the Blog. As taster, I can tell you that 5 more girls can be found space at the Little Angels Children’s Home as a result of supporters’ gifts. That now makes 20 girls being supported in the Home.

The first group of girls for the children’s home

Third classroom block at Bulumbu

The construction is now well under way and we are hopeful that it will all be completed by the time of our visit at the end of February. At the time of writing, the roofing structure is taking shape. Once more, our great thanks go especially to Steve and Pat Parfett. Without their generous support, we should be well short of this target.

Roofing the classroom block

Well done Pauline

We are proud of Pauline Nakatudde who was sponsored to train in Early Childhood Education at the Nangabo Vocational Institute. She passed with a Grade A and has been awarded a Premium Certificate to mark her achievement.

She is now a valued member of the staff at Bubebbere. Well done Pauline, and thank you for the work you are doing.

The photograph was taken during her student days at Nangabo.

Keith Mills

 

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