Ibanda orphan programme
Key Facts:
Project Name: Ibanda orphan care and education
Programme: Serve
Partner organisation: Ibanda Orphan Care Programme, Church of Uganda – Ibanda Diocese
Location: Uganda – Ibanda, near Mbarara
Key contact: Olive Lugwana, Kosam Bainomugisha
Support provided: Sponsorship provided for orphan children to attend local primary and secondary schools and be provided with basic clothing, hygiene products and food.
Project since: January 2006
Summary:
Local church members in Ibanda, in southern Uganda, established the Orphan Care programme to help provide educational opportunities for the growing number of orphaned children in the town. Partnering with local schools, they assist both primary and secondary school children covering school fees and providing clothing, books & stationery, basic food and hygiene products, as well as boarding accommodation for some secondary students.
JMT has been supporting 50 primary school children at Ibanda Integrated Primary and now 10 secondary school pupils over 2 academic years at Nyakakatura Secondary School. This provides them with the opportunity to study and learn, and hopefully break the cycle of poverty.
Detail and background:
The Ibanda Orphan Care programme was founded by local church members in the town of Ibanda, in southern Uganda, in response to the growing problem of orphaned children. Local children were orphaned primarily through early deaths of parents and families due to diseases and illness, as well as some from the north where war has devastated the area. Like so many parts of Africa, the impact of illnesses like AIDS and malaria has been such that the traditional model of orphaned children being cared for by extended families has come under huge strain; so many children are relying on less adults, and children are often raising their own siblings.
Newly built classroom at Nyakakatura Secondary Nick with Julius and Godfrey - two of JMT's supported boys
Whilst many of the orphaned children in Ibanda are cared for and housed by relatives, they frequently can not provide much for them in terms of clothes, nutrition and certainly schooling. Even though primary schooling is free, many cannot afford the costs of uniforms, books, materials and pens to enable the children to attend school. Secondary schooling – the real stepping stone out of the cycle of poverty, and an opportunity to get a good job – is far beyond most families, especially for orphaned children in their care, as Government schools can charge the equivalent of many hundreds of pounds for secondary schooling.
Led by Olive Lugwana, Rev George Nkoba and local headmaster Kosam Bainomugisha, together with a number of local schools and church members, the Ibanda Orphan Care programme was established to assist some of these orphans and enable them to go to school. For several years, three local primary schools – Ibanda Integrated, Nyakakatura Primary and Bukamba - worked together with local donations to support some orphans to attend the primary schools, providing basic materials, clothes and food. With some assistance from donors in UK and Sweden, they were able to develop and expand the project.
Meanwhile, the local church of Uganda, had recognised that not just the orphans but many local children were unable to get access to secondary school due to the high costs, and set about trying to establish a new school – Nyakakatura Secondary School, which would be basic but affordable for local children. One of the early donors to the orphan work was a parent at Dean Close School in Cheltenham, and he encouraged the school to develop a partnership and link with the new Secondary school, which was no more than a single two-room building, with no windows, flooring (it was just mud) or any equipment at all really.
The initial Dean Close visit in February 2005 was formed by a team of sixth formers and teachers, who’d done a lot of fundraising in advance, and who visited to do several days of practical help. They used the funds to help buy a water tank, concrete for the floors, windows, doors, tables and chairs, and some solar panels for a light or two; they had an amazing impact on the school and its ability to provide an education. That relationship continues on, and each year there is fundraising done and a team from Dean Close goes out to visit.
Also on the initial trip was Nick Marsh, as a helper/staff, and from that initial meeting and subsequent visits, JMT got involved in the orphan care work – supporting the ever-growing need of orphan education. In addition to supporting the primary school effort, for which it costs approximately £15 to cover the materials, books, basic clothing and food/school lunch for the year per child, JMT pioneered the effort to open up secondary school to some of the orphan children. The fees charged by Nyakakatura are just a fraction of the Government schools, and cover very basic costs of teachers, exams and boarding facilities at the school – in very basic dorms. However, combined with Dean Close’s efforts to develop the infrastructure and facilities each year, the children are getting an increasingly good education. For around £140 per year, each chosen secondary school child is covered for their fees, boarding costs with food and accommodation, uniforms, books and materials required.
In 2006, Olive selected five of the most academically promising orphans who were finished at primary school, and JMT funded them through their first year at Nyakakatura; Julius, Rhoida, Fiona, Redmond and Godfrey were selected, and have done wonderfully well in their first year, seizing the chance with both hands! Indeed, Redmond is top of his year in his exams, and all have performed strongly. When Nick revisited in the summer of 2006, he was greeted by each one in a very humbling and moving way, as they thanked JMT for its provision of their education. JMT has received lots of feedback on the five, including their school reports as well as individual letters.
Olive Lugwana with our 5 supported secondary students Nick, Olive and Kosam with 50 primary children!
In 2007, JMT has continued to support 50 students at the primary school (at £15 each, that is a funding of ~£750), and to support the five students above in their second year (at ~£140 each for the year, that is £700), as well as taking on the sponsorship of a further five new first-year secondary students (also £700).
Our aim is to keep working to develop the support and see many of these children through the five years of their education, and so take on new students each year. There is still lots of opportunity for growth here, as at the three primary schools there are in excess of 300 orphans, of which only those who can receive support will continue on to secondary schools.
Latest updates:
The five second-year students are all still doing well, and the new first-year students have been selected and through their first term. A full update is on its way from Olive Lugwana very soon.
JMT supporter and fundraiser, Sarah Holmes and her friend Jamie, recently visited Ibanda whilst on a Ugandan holiday. They met and stayed with Olive and Kosam and were incredibly impressed by the work that was being done and the efforts of the schools there; they had the chance to visit classes at Ibanda Integrated and at Nyakakatura, and to spend time with some of the students. They report back that things are going well and the support from JMT is being fully utilised and well implemented.
Jamie and Sarah taught the kids at Ibanda Integrated, where a new resource centre has been established
Up next is another Dean Close visit, led by Laura Burton, in July which will get further updates from Olive and the team and all the students.
Links and info:
No websites in Ibanda, but if you’d like to see and hear more of the feedback we receive – school reports and written letters, then please do get in touch.
Ways to get involved:
Financial support:
As detailed above, the financial structure of the JMT support is as follows, and there are lots of opportunities for further support and sponsorship of children, and it is incredible how far your money can go in helping these children:
a) Sponsoring orphans to primary school (Ibanda Integrated): £15 per year – provides basic clothing (eg underwear), uniform, school lunch, materials/pens and books.
b) Sponsoring orphans to secondary school (Nyakakatura Secondary, Ibanda): £140 per year or £12 per month – provides for school fees, boarding costs, uniforms, books and materials.
Prayer:
Please do pray for those who lead and oversee the work – especially Olive and Kosam – for wisdom and good governance in ensuring money is spent wisely and fairly. Please pray that the sponsored children would take advantage of their opportunity and work hard, appreciating the care of the those in their community and church who support them.
Visiting:
It may be possible to arrange a visit to the project in Ibanda for JMT supporters if you would like, particularly if you can offer helpful skills in teaching and other areas. Please do get in touch with us.
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