Educate a Child Initiative Uganda is an exciting new program started by my friend 27 year old Michael Kasule in Kampala, Uganda. His father died of HIV when he was 6 years old. His mother works as a seam stress. She is an HIV positive woman activist and HIV/AIDS counsellor at a local clinic
After his father’s death, Mike worked at embroidering to pay for school. Since sewing is a girl’s occupation in Uganda Mike was the only boy in his class of nine girls.
In 2000 he and his brothers began to receive funding for their excellent educations from donors to the Stephen Shames Foundation-LEAD Uganda program.
Michael and his two brothers are now successful graduates of university. Michael studied secondary art and design at Kyambogo University. He then taught at his former secondary school for a few years.
He is now fully employed at a photo studio in Kampala, he is engaged to his fellow university graduate, Julie. Julie and Michael are proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, five month old Phyllis. Now Michael wants to help others like himself, who cannot afford a quality education on their own. I am working with Michael to raise funds to send four bright motivated hard working young students to a good school. He hopes to expand the program for other bright young students by receiving donations from fellow Ugandans and any of you who want to help send these motivated youngsters to school so they too, like Michael and his brothers, can grow up to become contributing citizens of the world. This year the children attend a local day school that was less expensive than a boarding school, but still better than the public schools. We pay for school fees and supplies which include brooms, books, pencils, pens, and uniforms. The parents help as much as they can and Michael is doing active fundraising in Uganda.
Michael, baby girl Phyllis, and Julie
Next year,when the new term starts in February 2014, our plan is to raise funds so these four can attend a boarding school. At boarding school they receive three meals a day, participate in sports, and have time and a place to study. Right now the children have to walk a long way to school, must often go without meals at home, and do not have a place to study and do their homework. They’re doing well despite these difficulties and their report cards are improving.
We also hire tutors – university students who are alumni of LEAD Uganda - to give themany extra help they may need in certain subjects and to visit them at their school to see how they are doing and address and deal with any small problems before they become big problems.
Our children:
- Wangota Lawrence
- Kaggwa Hamuza
- Nakakawa Teopista
- Nakakande Olivia
Lawrence outside his home
Kaggwa studying hard at school
Teopista with her schoolmates
Nakakawa Teopista is seven years old and lives in a Kampala suburb called Salaam Munyonyo, the same neighborhood where Michael grew up. She has three younger siblings.
Michael says that Teopista is “a good and funny girl, lovely and joyous, she likes singing, reading, and schoolwork. Mathematics is her best class.”
“Teopista goes to a nearby school but by nearby I mean 2½ km away from and to school, so she walks 5kms a day every day. Sometimes she has a teacher that helps taking her along in a matatu so she does not have to be late for school. She told me some times they go a night without food and all she has is some porridge to eat at school for breakfast and lunch is posho.
When mum told me about this it touched me so much. And this situation and story gave me a meaning that I should have something to give back since I was also helped and I was in that very situation when my father died in 1996. I could not imagine a primary three child going a night without food! This is when I said at least me I was 12 years old but she is too young for this situation.
This was my second child I sponsored and now she is making me proud because she has graduated to her next class which is primary four and her performance has improved a lot. The teachers like her and they also help her study so she can become one of the best students in school with good grades. And achieve everything she wants for school and the mum appreciates this so she makes sure the father helps pay school fees for her.
Teopista says “If someone helps my mother take care of me I hope to become a doctor in future."
Nakakande Olivia is our fourth student, she is also in primary three but she is a very special one. She has managed to live a positive life since her parents died and she is now living with her grandmother. Nakakande Olivia Is HIV+ and she hopes she can become a doctor. Educate a Child Uganda Initiative is helping her live and go to school, so that she can achieve her dream.
Nakakande Olivia
Thank you,
Phyllis
