at school for life, we believe the best ideas solve the root causes of problems…
That’s why our vision is to educate poverty out of existence.
To do this we make schools where others can’t, teaching children the skills they need to live happy prosperous lives, build communities and eradicate poverty for good.
A shared mission
Each child we support has their own story of triumph, overcoming barriers unimaginable to most of us. Where a child is born should never determine the opportunities they have in life. With your support, we’re changing that. Thank you for standing with us, for believing in the power of education, and for helping us grow into a movement that’s reaching farther than ever before.
how we are different
We believe children don’t just need schools - they need places where they can dream big, learn from great teachers, and grow into the builders of thriving communities.
We believe in projects led by locals, creating a ripple of impact that touches every corner of the community.
We believe in taking on the big challenges, knowing that with strong leadership and a close-knit community, real change is possible.
We believe organisations should stand by their word, where you can speak to the founder and see, firsthand, the impact you’re helping to create.
How We Got Started
Two young, passionate Australian entrepreneurs, Annabelle Chauncy OAM and David Everett OAM founded School for Life in 2008. Annabelle and Dave met whilst working as volunteers in Kenya, where they became convinced that education is the only real way to mobilise a community and create a positive and sustainable future.
Determined to build a school in rural Uganda, Annabelle and Dave returned to Australia and raised over $500,000 in partnership with Rotary. In 2011 Katuuso Primary and Vocational School opened and welcomed its first students.
What started with fewer than 80 students is now a global mission, reaching over 4,000 young minds each day who are learning, growing, and dreaming of becoming “Prosperity Makers” in their communities.
SCHOOL FOR LIFE MILESTONES:
Total student population reaches 3,000 across 3 owned and operated operated School for Life schools and 3 partner Government schools.
2500 menstrual hygiene management kits were distributed with education workshops.
The High School students began poultry and mushroom farms.
Ground was broken on the construction of boarding facilities at Katuuso Primary School.
Celebrated our first ever Senior 6 graduation ceremony.
Completed the construction of an all-weather, multi-purpose hall at Mbazzi Secondary School where students can eat meals, hold assemblies and performances, and study.
100% of our KPVS Primary 7 students that sat for their Primary Leaving Exams passed, with 26% attaining Band 1 and 69% attaining Band 2.
Katuuso Primary and Vocational School ranked 16 out of the top 20 schools in the region.
Katuuso Primary and Vocational School celebrated 10 years of educating students.
On February 28th, we opened our boarding facility for 300 Senior girls at Mbazzi Riverside High School. This facility includes four dormitories, 25 showers with running water, 20 latrines, a TV, washing area and beds and mattresses for all 300 girls.
The appointment of a new Country Director Charlotte Oloya and Director of Education Julius Barungi in Uganda.
Commenced construction of a boarding facility for 300 High School boys.
Total student population reaches 1,700. Launch of government partnership program.
Skills program with SAWA world continues.
Established a brand new computer lab at Katuuso Primary School to assist our teachers and students with IT skills.
45 students across our two primary schools qualified to participate in national football and netball competitions.
15 students qualified for the national athletics competition, with one student placing third in the 800m race.
1,555 students and staff received Dental Health Services.
1,025 pupils across our three schools and our teaching staff increasing to 58.
100% of our KPVS Primary 7 students that sat for their Primary Leaving Exams passed, with 81% attaining Band 2.
Commenced construction of a boarding facility for 300 Senior girls.
Hygiene kits, food packs and COVID-19 education provided to all School for Life students and their families to keep them safe, well and nourished during the height of the pandemic.
28 permanent hand washing stations were set up in our surrounding communities, armed with soap and hand sanitisers, along with hand washing education workshops taking place around the communities.
Specialised Community and Welfare Team established to provide additional support programs to our students and their families.
26,000 reusable face masks were made by the KUMI team and distributed within our communities and in partnership with Alive Medical Services to the residents of the Namuwongo slum areas.
After 2 years of lockdown, we were so glad to have 98% of students returned to school, and we educated 1,363 students across three schools and continued development of 126 staff members.
100% of Primary 7 students passed their Primary Leaving Examination, and the first group of Senior 4 students sat for their National Examinations.
2,500 menstrual hygiene kits were produced and distributed to students and the community and the three school clinics handled 9,000 cases keeping our students healthy and learning.
568 students were equipped with practical business skills through the SAWA World programs and 56% continued practicing those skills outside of school.
49 students from Katuuso and Mbazzi Primary qualified for various National Sports Competitions (athletics, football, netball).
Commenced construction for a multi-purpose hall that can be used for dining and other events.
1000 students are enrolled across 3 schools.
114 Ugandans are employed across 3 schools as management, cooks, cleaners, teachers, security, construction and support staff.
100% of our KPVS Primary 7 students passed their Primary Leaving Exams and moved onto High School.
New kitchen and eco stoves are built at Katuuso Primary School.
Built 8 teacher houses, bringing the total to 72 houses across two campuses.
Built 2 x 250,000 litre water tanks for access to clean water, bringing our water catchment capacity to over 2 million litres.
2 acres of land acquired to further expand School for Life facilities.
Installed solar electricity and eco stoves at Mbazzi Primary and Secondary schools.
Set up a new computer lab with 42 desktop computers at Mbazzi Secondary School.
Eddie Woo (founder of wootube and Australia’s Local Hero 2018 National Award Winner) visits our schools to provide professional development to our teachers.
Kasey Chambers (multi award winning Australian country music artist) visits our schools to teach music to our students, staff and communities.
Mbazzi High School opened with its first class of 80 students starting in Senior 1.
Mbazzi Primary School opened and the Primary students were transferred over to their new school.
We constructed a 500,000L water tank for the High School.
16 teacher houses are built at Mbazzi Primary School to enable us to attract and retain the best teachers.
Partnership is created with FoodLadder, an Australian organisation, to build a greenhouse and introduce an active learning agriculture and entrepreneurship curriculum.
100% of Katuuso’s Primary 7 cohort pass their National Primary 7 exams.
Bio-gas latrine system is built at Mbazzi High School which uses waste from students and staff to power energy saving stoves and science labs.
Science labs are completed and equipped - including biology, chemistry and physics labs.
An outdoor amphitheatre is built for students to have outdoor assemblies.
Completion of Mbazzi High School and official opening ceremony hosted with visitors from Australia.
Mbazzi Primary School construction began.
Our first cohort of Primary 7 students from KPVS completed Primary School with 100% passing, 15% in Band 1 and 75% in Band 2.
We purchased our first school bus to enable us to transport students between campuses.
25 teacher houses were built at Mbazzi High School ready for staff to move in.
We drilled a borehole at Mbazzi Primary School to give the entire community access to clean drinking water for free. We also constructed 2 250,000L water tanks for water catchment.
An apiary was opened on Mbazzi High School, and honey is produced for consumption and sale.
We built a professional size soccer pitch at Mbazzi High School.
The first 2 classrooms at Mbazzi High School open with 80 Pre-School and Pre-Primary students (our KPVS students are only in Year 6 and aren't ready for secondary education so we don't want to leave any facilities empty!) 320 students are enrolled at KPVS, bringing enrolment to 400 students across 2 campuses, and more than 85 local staff employed as builders, teachers, cooks, cleaners, security and maintenance.
Block 2 of Mbazzi High School is completed in August 2016 and ground broken on the third and final block of construction.
Access roads are constructed from the main road to allow easy access to our Mbazzi school site.
An early learning centre, tailoring centre and assembly hall is built at KPVS. 280 students attend KPVS in Pre-School to Primary 5. Two 100,000 litre underground water tanks are built. Animal husbandry project expands with construction of a bio-digester, piggery, goat farm and subsistence crops to feed staff and students. 65 adults enrolled in adult education programs.
A partnership with Cotton On Foundation is forged to fund the construction of another Primary as well as a High School in Bujuuko. Construction of the first classrooms at Mbazzi High School begins.
17 more teacher houses are built. 220 students attend KPVS in Pre-Primary to Primary 4 and 12 teachers. 30 acres of land in neighbouring town Bujuuko is acquired as the site for another primary as well as a high school. SewAid comes to Uganda to teach 15 women tailoring skills. 10 local women are employed as tailors.
Construction of KPVS complete with another 4 classrooms, an outdoor shade shelter, library, staffroom and playground. 180 students attend KPVS in Pre-Primary to Primary 3 and 10 teachers. A further 2.5 acres of land is acquired on which 5 teacher houses are built. Solar panels are installed for electricity.
Construction of second stage complete with 2 more classrooms, 2 health rooms and a storage area. Enrolment increases to 120 students from Pre-Primary to Primary 2 and 6 teachers. Agricultural projects begin, growing coffee, chillies and subsistence crops to feed the students and staff.
Katuuso Primary and Vocational School (KPVS) opens in Uganda with 2 classrooms, an outdoor shade shelter and 10 toilets, 80 students in Pre-Primary and Primary 1 and 4 teachers.
10 acres of land is purchased in Katuuso village, Uganda and construction of the first two classrooms begins. A borehole is implemented to give the entire community clean drinking water for free.
Building relationships with the local community, Ministry of Education and Government in Uganda to identify the neediest areas in Uganda.
School for Life is registered in Australia and Uganda; business plans developed; Board of Directors formed in both countries and fundraising begins.
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.