The Principal’s Office?
Since my first visit to Uganda 14 years ago, I have enjoyed spending time visiting schools and even doing a little guest teaching. This time I visited about 20 schools and was in about 100 classrooms I think!
It was great to visit the students you all helped send to school this year! Each time we stopped at a school, our students were told to report to the principal's office. You can imagine they might have thought they were in trouble for something! Monika was relieved when she saw it was us!
But it was great to see their smiles when they realized we were stopping by to say hello. Then, of course, their social status really went up with the other kids because they had visitors.
Godfrey, Olivia, and Martha are all doing well in school, thanks to all of you!
The children you have helped get an education this year are doing very well. They are looking healthy and have grown much taller since February! This was so wonderful to see, and they are all so grateful to all of you for making their education this year possible.
As a teacher myself (now retired), it's interesting to connect with the teachers in Uganda. Going into most schools in rural Uganda is like stepping back in time (and not in a good way). Most of the government schools have had little upkeep for the past 40 years. Teachers have few supplies with which to teach.
Most school buildings and classrooms have crumbling walls. The windows are gone, so when it rains, it blows in on the students. Kids are crowded together, and often, there aren't enough seats.
Few walls at Victory Primary School and no desks for 1st and 2nd grade at Butende School.
Yet, with all these challenges, kids in Uganda want nothing more than to be in school getting an education. They see it as a way out of poverty. For girls especially, the longer they can stay in school the better their chances are to avoid forced early marriage and teen pregnancy.
In the younger grades, there are upward of 100 kids in a 1st and 2nd-grade classroom. As the grades get higher the classes are smaller because so many families can't afford to send their kids to school. It often becomes a choice between food and an education.
Next month, students will begin their end-of-year exams. They must pass the national exam for their grade level before they can advance. I'll be able to pass along our students' results in January.
Thank you for all you do to help these children in such challenging conditions get an education!
With Gratitude,
Mary
P.S. Last week, I extended an invitation to become a Legacy Leader with a monthly donation. If you missed it, here's the link with the info https://www.ourclp.org/donate-legacy-leader.
