Our link with the Batwa children of rural south-west Uganda

 

Mrs Atherstone’s visit May/ June 2024

In May/ June 2024, Mrs Atherstone was fortunate to be able to go to Uganda and visit the schools and children that we have been supporting for the last seven years. It was an immense privilege to go and a highlight of the trip was the live link with Stanton Harcourt from Ncundura Primay School on Monday 3rd June, when children at our school could see for themselves one of the link schools and ask questions. For a report of the visit written for the school community, please see below:

 

Our Latest Appeal

In 2024-25, we will be raising funds to install another playground – this time at Mukitojo Primary School. The playground at Kynurashengye has been of such great benefit to all the children at the school. There really are no other opportunities for children in this area to play on swings, slides and climbing frames. We have the first £405 already raised and are aiming for £1600.

The headteacher of Mukitojo welcomes us; Mrs Atherstone teaching at Mukitojo; the children gather to say goodbye.

 

Provision of tablets and class-selected items 2024

In 2023/24 we raised £825.00 to provide:

22 LCD tablets to support interventions in schools (£215), which Mrs Atherstone was able to deliver on her trip in May.

A range of items chosen by our classes – water filters, mattresses, a piglet and a school kit (£190), the water filters being delivered by Mrs Atherstone in May.

The first £405 towards our new fundraising campaign, for a playground at Mukitojo Primary School.

Provision of school shoes July 2023

In 2022-23, we raised the fantastic total of £706.50 for our ‘Happy Feet’ campaign to pay for shoes for our link Batwa children. Shoes are needed to prevent the children getting foot parasites (‘jiggers’) which are very painful and damage the feet. Also, the children walk a long way to and from school each day, often on rough paths, so need shoes to help protect their feet. A large proportion of the money was raised by Year 6 running their after-school event, ‘Operation Happy Feet’ where they washed cars, ran stalls and sold refreshments. The Batwa children were presented with their shoes alongside their new uniforms in July 2023. We hope the shoes will make a significant difference to these children’s lives.

Installation of playground equipment update November 2022

As a result of fundraising activities, generous support from FOSHS and match funding from a parent’s place of work, we raised £1,500 to purchase and install some playground equipment. There are no playgrounds in this area of Uganda. In November 2022, the three pieces of equipment were installed at Kynurashengye Primary School, to great excitement:

A short video of children trying out the swings:

 

Our past fundraising projects:

2018 Solar panels for Rwamahano school

2019 School lunches for children at two schools

2020 Home learning packs for KS2 children at two schools during Covid lockdown

2021-22 Playground equipment

2022-23 Provision of shoes

2023-24 Provision of LCD tablets and class-selected items plus the start of fundraising for a new playground, at Mukitojo Primary School.

 

Further Information

Our link with Uganda began in 2017. We support work with primary-aged children of the Batwa community in rural south west Uganda with the aim of reducing poverty, improving health and giving opportunities for education. The children attend a range of schools in the area. The organisation at work in Uganda is the Christian charity Word and Deed Uganda (registered charity in Uganda) and we channel our funding through the British charity, Christian Development Uganda (Charity No: 1011451).

If you have any questions about our link with Uganda, please get in touch with Mrs Atherstone.