Meet some of our students.... and watch them grow!

Ronald Muyanja

Meet Ronald, a bright 10 year old who is aiming for the sky.  One of the first students at School for Life, Ronald wants to one day become a pilot.  His love for reading and his talent for mathematics are moving him towards realising his dream.  Despite losing his father in a car accident Ronald is aiming high thanks to the love of his mother and grandmother who work hard to support the family. 

“My grandmother wants us to attend school everyday so that we can become very important people in the community. And I love going to school, I love the food and playing football with my friends.”

Rose Nakaye

Rose, a sweet 10 year old has been so changed by her teachers that she wants to become one when she grows up.  Rose’s father passed away and her mother was forced to abandon her children a few years ago.  It was at this lowest point that School for Life came in to support Rose – providing not only education, but hope.

“I thank School for life for employing good teachers that have been there for us since the time we were abandoned.  I had lost hope in life but now I am happy and I want to be a teacher when I finish school.  I love school because I have many friends and we eat good foo, compared to home where sometimes we go without.” 

Prossy Nakayiwa

This is Prossy, a little girl with a big future in her sights.  At only 7 years old she wants to grow up to be a policewoman to help families affected by domestic violence.  As one of 10 children, Prossy had to drop out of school as her single mother could not afford the fees.  Things turned around for the family when Prossy joined School for Life that also employs her mum as a cook. 

“We used to have one meal a day but now we are at school we are learning, playing with friends and have three delicious meals a day.”

Simon Kityamuweesi

This is Simon, a smiling, car-loving 10 year old who dreams of finishing school and one day becoming a mechanic.  Simon lives with his grandmother as his mother disappeared when he was six and his father needs to work in Kampala.  Simon is happiest when he is at school with his mates.

“I am happy at school because I have many friends that I play with.  I eat good food like meat and rice, and we play nice games and sing songs too.  When I finish school, I really want to be a mechanic so I can repair cars and other things.”

Success Stories
Goretti

Sweet and shy Goretti lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins in a small house in the local village. When Goretti was younger, she moved in with her aunt and uncle because her parents could no longer look after her. She was one of our first students at Katuuso Primary, starting in 2011 when she was just 4 years old. Now, Goretti is in Senior One at Mbazzi High School, and is relishing the honour of being a high school student in her community - something that is taken for granted in Australia, but in Uganda, represents freedom and opportunity. Goretti also loves attending School for Life because she hopes to one day become a pilot in Uganda - a dream which she knows can only be reached with the help of a good education.

Violah

Violah has been at School for Life since since she was six years old. Sadly, Violah has experienced hardship no child should ever deal with. Her Dad passed away three years ago, leaving her Mum without the financial means to support her family - so she left Violah and her siblings with their elderly grandmother. Every day, Violah has to wake up at 5am to fetch water, cook meals and make sure that her younger sisters are properly looked after. Then she walks half an hour to get to school. Despite this adversity, Violah has flourished at school and has made many friends. She loves that School for Life is "helping me to build a future". After finishing school, Violah hopes to become a teacher to help other children.

Umar

Umar is one of our best performing students at Mbazzi Riverside High School - but life has not always been easy for Umar. His father abandoned the family in 2015, leaving his mother to struggle to support her five children on her own. School for Life has provided Umar with opportunities that may never else have eventuated for him. Umar begun his journey with School for Life at Katuuso Primary School, where his academic ability was quickly revealed. Now, he is a thriving member of our Senior 1 class and a formidable wing on the football team. With a love for mathematics, Umar is set on studying electronic engineering after finishing his senior studies - a goal which he is the first to admit is now within reach thanks to the skills and resources provided to him by School for Life.

Rose Nambooze

Rose is a 32‐year‐old single mother of one. She started working with SFL in 2013, after taking part in our tailoring training program. Prior to working with us, she was unemployed and living in her father's home helping to care for her father, who had cataracts, and his farm.
Thanks to her full time employment, Rose was able to save enough money to pay for an eye operation and restore her father's sight, allowing him to return to work as a mechanic. Now, Rose has moved into her own home and no longer relies on her father financially. 

Joseph

Joseph is one of our Special Needs teachers at Katuuso. After surviving a severe case of malaria at age four, he was left permanently deaf. He was raised by his single mother and attended a nursery school for the handicapped and later transferred to a school for the Deaf in Kampala. He eventually mastered sign language and pursued a university degree in education. Joseph decided to become a teacher so that he could give the gift of education to others who are hearing impaired.

Teddy Namatovu

Teddy is a participant in the Kumi Tailoring Program and four of her five children attend Katuuso Primary School. She and her husband farm two acres of land, which supplies fluctuating revenue. Participation in the Kumi Tailoring Project has secured income to reliably pay for school fees, nutritious meals and renovations to the family home. Teddy has gained a great deal of self-esteem from her ability to support her family and she takes pride in independently financing the education of all five children. Teddy has also been working on her numeracy and administration skills. She was appointed Treasurer of the tailoring group and will be responsible for keeping records of their savings.

Flaviah Nassaazi

Flaviah Nassaazi started working at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School in 2011. Prior to cooking at the school, she and her husband were subsistence farmers. They worked tirelessly for small yields and minimal income to support their family. Flaviah's cooking job not only enables her to pay school fees for her children, but she has also invested in a local barbershop business. She is now passing her cooking skills onto her eldest son Frank, who has also joined the school's cooking staff. Flaviah and her husband attend the adult literacy classes offered weekly at the school. Her English and reading have improved immensely, as well as her confidence.

Rachel

In 2010, Rachel began as a cleaner at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School. She was working to save money to study to be a teacher at University. Thanks to Barrie and Simone Goldsmith, her dream of studying came true and she is now fully qualified.