Give52 gives to School for Life

Almost immediately after selling their business back in 2015, Melbourne-based duo Anton and Jenny Gaudry knew they wanted to spend the next chapter of their lives giving back to others - exactly how, though, they just weren’t sure. 

“The idea for Give 52 really came about by chance,” Anton explains. 

 As keen philanthropists, Anton and Jenny had paid multiple visits to charities around the nation in 2019, in the hopes of finding a cause that they could dedicate themselves to - but they soon found there were just too many worthwhile organizations out there to pick just one!

Instead, they decided to embark on Give52 - a monumental giving journey that will see them visit 52 charities over the 52 weeks of 2020, gifting $10,000 to each charity they visit. 

School for Life Foundation was lucky enough to be named as one of the 52 causes that Anton and Jenny have so generously decided to support. 

Above: Anton and Jenny Gaudry, co-founders of Give52.

Above: Anton and Jenny Gaudry, co-founders of Give52.

After chatting online with School for Life’s CEO and Founding Director Annabelle, Anton and Jenny became wrapt with School for Life’s mission to provide a quality, holistic education to students in rural Uganda, and kindly decided to include School for Life in their Give52 journey. 

 “One of our great passions is education,” the couple says. 

 “We know that with a good education, a person can set their own pathway and independently achieve their goals in life.” 

 “We also feel that as we are part of a global community, School for Life deserved our support for its overseas work.”

 Anton and Jenny’s passion for helping others is evident whenever they meet with Annabelle and the School for Life team - a time they always relish. 

 “There is a wonderful solidarity and focus amongst all the people involved in School for Life,” they tell us. 

 “It is infectious to say the least .. and inspiring.” 

 The $10,000 grant that School for Life Foundation receives from Anton and Jenny’s Give52 program will prove invaluable to our communities in rural Uganda, with the funds going directly towards providing our students with a quality education and access to nutritious food, clean water and healthcare for them and their families. 

 The positive change that Give52’s gift can bring to the lives of our students and their families in rural Uganda cannot be understated, especially as our communities face additional challenges during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

“Our support is much needed, and we know that the impact of our grant will be many, many times over,” Anton and Jenny agree. 

 We are so grateful for the generosity of the Gaudry Foundation and the Give52 program - their donation has made a real impact on our School for Life communities. 

 We hope that someday soon, they can visit our communities in Uganda and see what an incredible difference they have made. 

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.