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Trip to Uganda inspires HSC Major Artwork

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From 2018, before the pandemic hit and disrupted our “normal” way of life - going to school going to work, international travel, seeing loved ones and even going to the shops down the road - School for Life was running our signature Travel4Good Parent & Child fundraising trips over to Uganda to enable donors to visit our schools and see the impact their support was having.

Sparked by the visit of Georgie Gardner and her daughter Bronte back in 2017 to our schools in rural Uganda, the Travel4Good program was designed to give children from Australia a taste of what life is like for children living in developing countries and to instil a sense of compassion, gratitude, and appreciation for the opportunities and education a life in Australia offered to them.

It was during the September 2019 Travel4Good trip that Jess, our Supporter in the Spotlight for this month, joined us alongside her mother and two younger sisters. It was a trip of a lifetime and the experience left such an impression that it inspired Jess’ Visual Art HSC Major Work two years later.

We spoke with Jess recently about her HSC Major Artwork, what education means to her and what she hopes her future will bring.

SFL - Tell us a little bit about yourself, Jess! What do you get up to in your day to day, what are your hobbies?

Jess - I am currently a Year 12 Student at Frensham School in Mittagong, NSW. I live on a farm with my parents and two younger sisters who also both attend Frensham. I am currently in the midst of my HSC examinations which begun at the start of November. I will be sitting 6 exams in total and have already submitted my Visual Arts and Design and Technology major works. My family have been living in the country for the last eight years but before that we lived in Sydney where I was at junior school. I love travelling and exploring new places, keeping fit and playing sports as well as drawing and being creative. 

Jess (right) pictured with her youngest sister at School for Life’s Sports Day during their visit in September 2019

SFL - How did you find out about School for Life?

Jess - School for Life has always been a big part of Frensham School as the Founding Director and CEO of School for Life, Annabelle Chauncy, is a Frensham old girl. She has been able to inspire us Frensham girls over the years we have been at the school, through her presentations at our Global Forum camp, expanding our knowledge about her foundation and how much it has contributed to children's education in Uganda. 

SFL - What inspired you to support School for Life?

Jess - In 2019, I was fortunate enough to make a once in a lifetime trip to School for Life. I spent a week at the foundation’s schools and the experience truly changed my life. It has been the catalyst for my decision to want to study a Bachelor of Education in Early Learning and the inspiration for my Visual Arts HSC major work. The foundation's vision is a world where every child has access to quality education and they are fundamentally changing the statistics in Uganda. Not only with education, but providing vocational training, community programs, access to clean water and health clinics.

Annabelle Chauncy, the CEO of School for Life, is incredibly inspiring and has become a major role model for me. She has taught me that education changes everything and provides opportunities, empowerment and economic growth. School for Life started with a mission to educate children, with the belief that educating a child could break the cycle of poverty in just one generation. I had the privilege to buddy up with a high school student when I was there and was able to get to know her, her dreams and aspirations and to also visit her home and village and meet her community. In the short time we had together, she taught me much about the world we live in and the impact each and every one of us can have on others as we go through life. 

SFL - Can you tell us a bit about your HSC artwork?

Jess - My HSC Visual Arts Major Work consists of four charcoal drawings and a chalkboard panel. Sadly due to the COVID-19 restrictions, I, as well as many other Year 12 students, was unable to complete my Major Work in time for the submission date. My artwork reveals four children from Uganda, two of them attending School for Life schools, and two children attending a government school. I tried to create emotion through the eyes and facial expressions of each child, revealing their current state. The two children from School for Life are smiling and happy whilst juxtaposed to the two government school children who are almost emotionless. It was evident when visiting both schools while I was in Uganda that those students who attend SFL are incredibly lucky, with access to brilliant teachers, big, clean classrooms, nutritious meals, uniforms, medicine and now boarding houses. The panel in the middle of my artwork is a chalkboard to represent education. The chalkboard holds both quotes and statistics that relate to my artworks theme of the importance of education. 

SFL - What do you hope to accomplish after your HSC?

Jess - Once I have completed my HSC, I hope to attend the University of Sydney and go to college. My first course preference is to study a Bachelor of Education in early childhood at the University of Sydney. I have been passionate about pursuing a career in this industry for a long time and would be honoured to be a part of children's early education. My other passions include art and design and I am also exploring Bachelor degrees in both Fine Arts and Graphic Design at the University of Sydney. After completing a Bachelor of Early Childhood education, I would love to visit Uganda again and offer my skills to the School for Life foundation by volunteering once again at the foundation schools.

SFL - What does education mean to you?

Jess - To me education means learning. We start learning things as soon as we are born and it continues throughout our entire lives. The most important part at the start of this life journey is the learning we receive at school. Every child, no matter their circumstance, should have the opportunity to learn. It is not just the subjects we study in the classroom, at school we also learn to socialise, communicate, work in teams and play sport. A school education gives you the opportunity to have success as you progress through life and opens all sorts of doors. For the children at SFL, education creates the pathway out of poverty and allows them hopefully to have a successful and meaningful life. 

Thanks so much, Jess! Wishing you and all students currently sitting their HSC exams the best of luck.

As international travel kicks off again (finally!) we are looking into the possibility of starting our Travel4Good trips back up. If this sounds like something you and your family would be interested in, please fill in our Expression of Interest form below.

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.