Celebrating women!

This International Women's Day, we are celebrating some of the remarkable women working at School for Life.

In Uganda, as in most countries around the world, women are not seen as equals amongst men. Most of the women in our school community work seven days a week - mainly in agriculture – growing enough food to feed their family each day. They also bear many children – with on average every female in Uganda having six children by the time they are 25.

Women are essential to upholding School for Life's teaching quality, to providing healthcare, women’s empowerment programs, vocational training and nutrition. They make fine leaders and role models for our students, nurture and motivate all students, and are a daily inspiration to us all.

For International Women's Day, we are celebrating three women who are essential to School for Life.

Janepher - Head of Studies. 

Janepher has been involved with School for Life from its first day. 
At 16, Janepher was orphaned and moved from her village to Uganda’s capital Kampala to live with her grandmother. Here, she attended a school with untrained teachers - there was no running water, doors or even windows in her classroom. She wasn't fed all day and had no money to buy food. Determined to change her future, Janepher began working after school and on weekends so she could afford to put herself through a quality high school. Later she trained as a teacher at a Montessori Teacher Training Centre, and also covered the expense of sending all her siblings to private schools. Janepher is an inspiration to us all, and an integral part of School for Life. This International Women's Day, we celebrate remarkable, generous and hardworking women like Janepher.

Mama Flavia is our school’s cook

Mama Flavia is our school's cook and has been working with us since 2011. She creates three nutritious meals a day for hundreds of children and our staff. For our Christmas party's Secret Santa, our driver Rashid bought her cement so she could upgrade her house from a simple mud hut to a more permanent dwelling. She is building herself a new house next to School for Life so she and her family can be close to the school. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winnie is the Head Tailor in KUMI, our women’s empowerment program.

KUMI employs and trains women to be tailors, so they are able to receive a reliable income stream and raise enough money to support themselves and their families. Winnie is an outstanding role model and nurtures, motivates and encourages the women coming through our empowerment program. She is hard working, talented and patient - three very admirable qualities!

 

This #InternationalWomensDay we celebrate remarkable women like Winnie, Mama Flavia and Janepher.