School for Life launches $2.75 million Girls' Fund

On the 14 October 2020 we launched School for Life’s Girls’ Fund and celebrated the United Nations International Day of the Girl.

Our Girls’ Fund cements our commitment to improving the lives of girls in Uganda and ensuring that they can not only access a quality education but have an equal opportunity to thrive and contribute fully to their economies, communities and countries. Click here to watch the live event recording.

Hosted by School for Life's Ambassador, Georgie Gardner, we were joined by special guest the Hon Julie Bishop who in her role as Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (2013 - 2018) played a critical role in the global effort to empower women and girls. We were thrilled to be joined live from Uganda by an inspiring young lady, Diana and Janepher, our Director of Welfare and Community. Click here to watch Diana's story and learn why our Girls' Fund is so vital to Ugandan girls reaching their full potential.

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School for Life’s Girls’ Fund will support our innovative programs that provide the support and infrastructure for the additional interventions required to remove the cultural and gendered barriers to the education and participation of girls, thereby helping to create sustainable change and address the root causes of poverty and inequality in local Ugandan communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unsettling reminder of the disproportionate impact of disasters and crises on women and girls. Experience shows that during times of crisis and uncertainty girls are more likely to suffer from premature school drop-out, early and forced marriage, trauma, an increased labour burden, increased rates of STIs including HIV, and unwanted pregnancy. These times are also linked to increased violence against women and girls, underpinning the urgency to ensure that girls do not fall through the cracks.

The United Nations estimates that 11 million girls in developing countries will never return to school as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Together, we can ensure girls get the education they deserve, and the freedom to choose their own futures. Click here to find out how you can get involved to give girls like Diana a quality education. 

If you have any questions about the Girls' Fund please do get in touch at hello@schoolforlife.org.au or (02) 8377 8417.

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us on the night and to the School for Life team for making the event a huge success. Special thanks to the team at Brightworks for their brilliant videography and support on the night.

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.