Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.
— B. F. Skinner
In 2010 we spent $25,570 on school tuition and accompanying requirements for that schooling. There is no free education in Uganda, but there is progress in this direction since I started working there in 2006. It was one of the first things I began to pray over.
Since that time, the Ugandan government opened a government sponsored secondary school in each major city. Many secondary schools are over 2,000 pupils in size. There are occasional scattered government primary schools usually holding upwards of 100 kids in a class. Our children attend these schools. These Government schools are “free” ….but considering the add-on charges for everything, they are just slightly cheaper in cost than private schools.
The schools we select in the city of our projects is unique to what is available, as we look for a way to educate our kids well and stay solvent ! Our general education fund is our biggest need. It is a crime in Uganda for an organization to feed kids or house kids and not educate them. Our NGO renewal is based upon proving our educating prowess. Any regular contribution to the education fund is the most appreciated of all. It is a great pick for fund-raising events. Uganda is known in East Africa for having excellent schools and there are very many children there from surrounding countries.
The Ugandan Secondary School system is a British based system with 4 years of High school followed by two years of A levels where the candidate selects a major. (equivalent to USA community colleges without the range choices!) When students are in Secondary 4 they take an exam known as the UNEB exam that takes a month to complete. It’s cost is equivalent to a whole term’s tuition, and is sent to Great Britten for grading. Based upon the scores of this exam, division one or two ABU students have the opportunity to go to A levels. These students need sponsors of $40 a month.
Their names, stories, field of study, and pictures are available for the sponsor. Any correspondence goes through our education department to save you from being swamped with their personal requests.
If they qualify for university education by passing their examination with entrance grades to their field, (usually a three year program) we try to get them two more sponsors at that same amount of $40/mo. to cover their costs unless the sponsor is willing to cover the total amount.
We have various students in technical or specialty schools (vocational schools). These students also need sponsors as they are not covered from our general education fund. As the majority of our project children graduate from Primary schools in the years ahead, the education costs will continue to increase each year.
Students Needing Education Sponsorship
- Medicine: Richard -2nd year critical need, Roland, Annet,
- Nursing: Emmanuel, Patrick, Joy
- Business Admin: Steve
- Engineering: Mark (a gift to S. Sudan when finished)
- Math: Bashir
- Social Work: Ronald
- Arts: Joel, Innocent
- Music: Umar, Alfred
- Information Technology: Lawrence,
- Technical/Vocational programs: Lawrence (driving school), Digi (plumbing)
- Accounting: Charles
- Teacher’s College: Paul, and Pius in Physics
ABU GRADUATES 2010:
- Film/media: Jude
- Occupational Therapy: Adonis
- Catering: Francis
- Medical: MD James
Practical Education Needs:
- calculators - $8 or $12 for scientific
- reams of papers - $5 each (this is a school requirement)
- writing books - $5 for set of 10 (needed by each student each term)
- pens/pencils - $2
- uniforms - $14
- black school shoes - $14