Planting the seeds for future generations: Gala Ball raises $1.9M!

On Saturday 6th May 2023, over 500 guests gathered at The Star in Sydney for our annual Black Tie Gala Ball. 

Ahead of them was a night filled with fun, heartwarming stories and life-changing generosity. 

Australian Idol star Tarisai Vushe joined us again to open the night. Her powerful and uplifting performance of Lion King’s ‘The Circle of Life’ captivated the audience and set the tone for the evening.

The goal: To raise $1 million to support the education of 2,500 vulnerable children in Uganda. 

The result: We raised a record-breaking $1.9 million!

We’re still overwhelmed by the amazing generosity shown by everyone involved. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. 

These funds will help us counter the devastating impact of lost learning during the pandemic and support our growth through our new Government School Partnership. 

We promised a night to remember. And it surpassed all our expectations! 

Here are some of our favourite moments. 

The power of education 

We were thrilled that the well-loved comedic powerhouse, Hamish Blake returned as our MC for the evening. His endearing charm and humour won over the audience from the moment he took the stage. 

His opening words reminded us why we were all here. Everyone in the room (and watching from home) was united in the belief that education changes lives.


“As a father I know how important it is to give children the best start in life and part of that is ensuring they have access to quality education. MC’ing School for Life’s Gala Ball again this year is an opportunity for me to give back to children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to school.”
— Hamish Blake, comedian and TV Host

This year’s theme, “Planting the seeds for future generations”, was inspired by the quote “Wise are those who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit”. 

It recognised that when you educate a child, you plant the seeds of opportunity, potential and ultimately, freedom. 

We may not see the full impact of our support in our lifetime. But the seeds we plant now hold the power to change the course of a child’s life, their family’s life and the lives of their entire community.

The theme was brought to life by stunning decorations designed by The Bespoke Boys, and our specially created Dream Tree (more on this later!).

Inspiring stories

The first of many touching stories came from Matt Fifield, Managing Partner at Pacific Road Capital, who we were grateful to have as our presenting partner. 

He shared his family’s experiences during their trip to visit School for Life in Uganda. The dramatic differences they saw between the government schools and School for Life reinforced his passion to support our mission.

We were also delighted that Janepher, our Head of Programs in Uganda, was able to join us in person. As she openly shared her heartfelt and, at times, heartbreaking story, the first tears of the night started to fall. 

She sadly lost both her parents at a young age and became responsible for her siblings. But her father’s belief in the power of education planted a seed that helped her overcome her struggles.

A beautiful soul with an incredible passion for her work, we were reminded just how lucky we are to have her at School for Life. 

It was then time for School for Life’s CEO and co-founder, Annabelle Chauncy OAM, to take the stage. 

In her powerful and emotional speech, she reflected on her recent trip to Uganda - her first visit in three years and the first time leaving her daughter. She revealed the absolute joy she felt at seeing the students happy and thriving.

One student in particular made a lasting impact. Lyn told Annabelle that her dream is to open a school just like School for Life so more children will have the same opportunities she’s been lucky enough to receive. 

We were left inspired by the vast impact we can make by helping thousands of children achieve their dreams. 

Planting the seeds 

As the night moved on to the live pledge, the energy in the room became infectious!

Hamish took charge, raising $370K in 10 minutes!

Next up was the hotly anticipated live auction. We welcomed back James Chauncy as our Auctioneer and bidding started on the first prize - a stay at the luxury Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania. 

Other items up for grabs included a Sydney Harbour cruise aboard a superyacht, a romantic island escape at Elysian Retreat in the Whitsundays and a corporate advertising package donated by JCDecaux, Southern Cross Austereo, ARN, oOh!media, QMS, Channel 7 and Foxtel Media. And 100s more once-in-a-lifetime prizes were on offer in our online silent auction. 

Guests also had the chance to donate to our Dream Tree. By donating $50 they could add a leaf to the tree and help grant a dream for a School for Life student. 

And lastly, the car raffle! Matt Pickles stepped up to draw the winner who took home a brand-new MG ZS Excite, valued at $23,990.

Celebrating a memorable night

No Gala Ball would be complete without dancing. And there was plenty of it once Furnace and the Fundamentals took the stage. 

As the dance floor filled up, we celebrated a truly special night where we raised a jaw-dropping $1.9 million!

“Children’s education and health is hugely important and we’re big fans of the work School For Life do. The atmosphere and support at the Ball are always great - people are there to contribute to a great cause and have an awesome time.”
— Furnace and the Fundamentals

The night was only made possible with the support of our sponsors. Thank you in particular to our platinum partner Pacific Road Capital, our diamond partner Pickles Auctions, our gold partners the Boleyn Foundation, Couloir Capital, United Resource Management, Nookie and Bloomfield Financial, as well as our VIP partner Alseasons Hospitality for their vital support. 

A huge thank you also to our cocktail partner, Manly Spirits Co, printing partner, Jeffries Printing, our content production partners Brightworks and Ascend Studios.

We’re also deeply grateful for our incredible volunteers - those on the Event Committee and everyone who joined us on the night. Without your dedication and energy, the Ball would not have been the success that it was.

And lastly, our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful guests. Thank you for being part of the School for Life community and for donating so generously to support our mission. 

You have planted the seeds that will change the lives of thousands of Ugandan children for generations to come. 

We can’t wait to make more memories with you at next year’s Gala Ball! Sign up below to be the first to receive the ‘save the date’ invite. 

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.