Empowering Minds and Talents

The students at School for Life are now enjoying their well-deserved Christmas break. 

Before they finished the year, students at the two primary schools, Katuuso and Mbazzi, held their annual Talent Shows!

Around 1000 students took part across the two schools. They were excited to welcome their parents to the events plus some special guests: Mpigi district's Minister of Education, government counsellors, the Buganda Kingdom representative and the area Chairperson. 

The talent shows are a highlight on the school calendar, allowing students to showcase their growth over the year and celebrate another milestone on their journey towards a brighter future.

Dazzling Performances

There was a buzz of excitement as the first students proudly took to the stage to start the Talent Shows.

At Katuuso Primary School, performances were held in an amphitheatre-style setting, while Mbazzi hosted their event inside the main hall.

The audiences were treated to a variety of music, dance and drama acts, with each student taking part in an activity or two. 

Wearing brightly-coloured outfits, students displayed their natural rhythm and high energy across contemporary, creative and traditional dances including Kiganda, Ntogoro, Larakalaka and Ankole.

For the drama performances, students created plays about societal events based on the theme of their talent show. Katuuso’s theme was “Empowering Minds and Talents” and at Mbazzi it was “Mummy and Daddy.”

Students also mimed locally created songs and recited poems. 

Their enthusiasm was infectious! The performances spread joy throughout the crowd and were met with cheers and applause. At Mbazzi, the energy was impossible to contain and, by the end of the show, the audience was out of their seats and dancing with the students.

Proud Moments

Across both schools, certificates were presented for the best performances.  

The show at Mbazzi Primary School was purely for entertainment, but Katuuso made it a little more interesting by turning it into a competition. Students teamed up in their house colours (Yellow, Red, Blue and Green) and competed for the sought-after prize.

It was a closely run race, but team Yellow took the victory!

Katuuso’s Head Teacher, Joseph, presented the winners with their prize - a goat!

It was a wonderful day for all the students and teachers who celebrated their hard work this year and impressed the crowd with their performances. 

For the parents, the sense of pride was overwhelming. Witnessing their child's achievements - their confidence, growth and joy - was a very special moment. 

Another Milestone

The talent shows marked the completion of another year for the School for Life students.

This achievement is not to be underestimated and was only made possible through the generosity of School for Life’s community. 

Thank you to everyone who supported us during 2024. You are transforming the lives of thousands of children through education.

The students will return in February 2025 and we can’t wait to see what next year holds for them.

For now, from everyone at School for Life, we wish you a Merry Christmas or Sekukkulu Ennugi!

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.