Friends of Bulenga...how it all started
In 2004 I spent a year teaching at Bulenga Modern Primary School, a small primary school in rural Uganda. During this time I fell in love with Uganda; the people, the places but most especially the wonderful children of Bulenga. Their enthusiasm and huge smiles were contagious and kept me going through a challenging and life changing year.
Sadly so many children in Uganda are not able to go to school. Almost a fifth of children are not enrolled in Primary School and of the children that are enrolled, 66% are not able to complete their education (Save the Children). The reasons for this are largely due to poverty and illness. Many families struggle just to feed themselves, children often have to work to support their family, others have lost one or both parents through illness. Understandably in these situations, school fees are not the priority however, families are well aware that an education is the only way to a brighter future.
In 2006, after returning home to Scotland, I decided to set up a sponsorship programme to help more children in Bulenga to go to school. Initially this was a small project and in 2007 we were able to support 25 children. That summer I returned to Bulenga to a very warm welcome. It was wonderful to see for myself the impact that sponsorship was having on the lives of these children and their families. And so, the programme continued...
Sadly so many children in Uganda are not able to go to school. Almost a fifth of children are not enrolled in Primary School and of the children that are enrolled, 66% are not able to complete their education (Save the Children). The reasons for this are largely due to poverty and illness. Many families struggle just to feed themselves, children often have to work to support their family, others have lost one or both parents through illness. Understandably in these situations, school fees are not the priority however, families are well aware that an education is the only way to a brighter future.
In 2006, after returning home to Scotland, I decided to set up a sponsorship programme to help more children in Bulenga to go to school. Initially this was a small project and in 2007 we were able to support 25 children. That summer I returned to Bulenga to a very warm welcome. It was wonderful to see for myself the impact that sponsorship was having on the lives of these children and their families. And so, the programme continued...
...where we are now
Thanks to the support of many kind sponsors, Friends of Bulenga has continued to grow over the past 10 years. in 2017 we have been able to support 80 children to attend school in addition to giving them school lunches everyday and providing school uniforms for those most in need. In recent years we have also started up a project for parents to allow them to take part in training and access funds to set up small enterprises with the hope that they can provide for their families and support their children's secondary education in the future.
Many of the children selected by the school for sponsorship are orphans cared for by relatives in the village; others have only one parent or come from families who struggle just to feed themselves, let alone pay school fees. In exceptional circumstances we have been able to provide extra support to extremely vulnerable children. For example, we have supported a little girl who was abused and abandoned by her family throughout her primary school education. She was cared for in the school boarding house during term time and is cared for by a teacher in the holidays. This is only possible thanks to kind donations from supporters and sponsors.
For these children, and their families, the chance to get an education is truly life changing. Unfortunately, there are still so many children in Bulenga who are unable to go to school.
We are always looking for more sponsors and supporters to help the children of Bulenga.
Many of the children selected by the school for sponsorship are orphans cared for by relatives in the village; others have only one parent or come from families who struggle just to feed themselves, let alone pay school fees. In exceptional circumstances we have been able to provide extra support to extremely vulnerable children. For example, we have supported a little girl who was abused and abandoned by her family throughout her primary school education. She was cared for in the school boarding house during term time and is cared for by a teacher in the holidays. This is only possible thanks to kind donations from supporters and sponsors.
For these children, and their families, the chance to get an education is truly life changing. Unfortunately, there are still so many children in Bulenga who are unable to go to school.
We are always looking for more sponsors and supporters to help the children of Bulenga.
If you would like more information or to sponsor a child at Bulenga Modern Primary School, Uganda, please do not hesitate to contact me; Rona Craig, email: [email protected]