Meet our new students!

Last week we welcomed 680 new students to our Primary and Secondary Schools in Uganda.

The first day of school is a big day for every child in the world but for children in Uganda, it is truly a life-changing day. For many students, this will be the first time they have received a brand new piece of clothing, the first time they have seen educational materials and the first time they will have three nutritious meals per day. Their futures change forever from the first moment they walk through the classroom doors.

We are so excited and proud to welcome our new students!

Meet some of our new students.

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Meet Hope from Primary 4 at Mbazzi Primary School.

Hope lives in Mbazzi village with her mother, father, four brothers and four sisters.

“ I love having so many siblings because there is always someone to play with! My parents are farmers who grow maize and bananas. I help them by washing clothes and utensils after school. In the classroom, I love English and learning about other countries - I want to travel to Australia one day! When I grow up, I would like to be a judge because I like talking to people and sorting out problems.”  

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Meet Joshua in Primary 4 at Mbazzi Primary School.

Joshua lives in Mbazzi village with his uncle who is a teacher at Mbazzi Secondary School.

“ I love my classes and my teachers are very kind. In the classroom, I enjoy reading books and writing stories. I also like to ride bikes and would love to have my own one day. During the holidays I go back home to Maliba to visit my parents on the farm. I help with the digging and anything else that needs to be done! When I grow up, I would like to be an engineer because I like building things.”

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Meet Mary in Secondary 1 at Mbazzi Secondary School.

Mary lives in Katuuso village with her Father, Mother, six sisters and four brothers.

“I am so excited to be starting my first year of high school. Each morning, the Katuuso students board a school bus and are driven thirty minutes to Bujuuko, where our new secondary school is. School is really interesting so far! My teachers are kind and always help me to understand in class. My favourite subject is computer studies because I like learning about new technology – we even have laptops to learn on in ICT! I also really love the grounds at Mbazzi. The school is peaceful and the views are beautiful! When I grow up, I would like to be a nurse because I like helping people.”

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Meet Christine in Secondary 1 at Mbazzi Secondary School

Christine lives  in Katuuso village with her Mother and Father and twelve siblings.

“This is my first year at Mbazzi Riverside Secondary School. I love it so far and am happy that lots of my Katuuuso friends are here too. The teachers always help me in class and make sure that I understand what they are teaching. I also like the food we are provided with, especially the porridge for breakfast! My favourite subject is Fine Art with Teacher Ruth. When I grow up, I would like to be a nurse because I want to help treat sick people.”

THANK YOU!

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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.