Uganda

Background:

The World Children's Fun Mama Kevina School is both an orphanage and a boarding school that provides education and care for orphans in Eastern Uganda.   The boarding school caters to both orphans and some local paying students and is located just a few kilometers outside of the town of Tororo in Eastern Uganda, about 200 kilometers from the capital, Kampala. 

Photo: Doug Kendrick, Ruth Kendrick, and Angela Geddes being welcomed to the World Childrens Fund Mama Kevina School.

Started as the Mama Kevina Comprehensive Secondary School, it was opened in 2006 with international financial support, and with the goal of providing both secondary education and vocational training. The student population is mostly from Northern Uganda where many children have been affected by ongoing wars, floods and HIV/AIDS. Many of the students' parents were killed by rebels or AIDS which left many of the children as orphans; some boys had been forced to be child soldiers. Enrolled at the school are students ranging in age from 11 to 24, who attend secondary grades 1 to secondary 4. 

Starting at the beginning of the Second Quarter of 2012, the World Children’s Fund started significant financial support of the school monthly operational funding.  This funding is being used to cover the school’s various operational expenses, enabling it to significantly raise the level of academics and support for the students and orphans, also enabling the school to attract more paying students.

Photo: The school administrator, Sister Clare, and students sort through clothing purchased with WCF/RMF funding.

Project Goals:

• Starting at the beginning of the Second Quarter of 2012, the World Children’s Fund started significant financial support of the school with $7,000 per month in operational funding.  This funding is being used to cover the school’s various operational expenses, enabling it to significantly raise the level of academics and support for the students and orphans.  This will also enable the school to attract more paying students, high quality teachers and work towards the long term goal of becoming self-sufficient. 
• Continuous improvement of infrastructure and buildings on campus to attract more paying students
• Support the school administration in payment of staff salaries and the daily running of school programs.
• Supply of school text books, laboratory and chemistry equipment for science practices
• Supply of computers to equip students and staff with computer skills and knowledge

• Equip the students with extra-curricular activities to participate in the regional games and sports to enhance the performance of the students and school in the region.
• Supply the students of World Children’s Fund Mama Kevina Comprehensive Secondary School with food supplies and support the local youths in the surrounding slums.
• Support the school with medicine so that the school nurse can treat the children within school premises.
• Support school garden to reduce food expenses.
• Support of Nurses Office for student medical needs. Decrease cases of malaria among school staff and students.

Project Objectives:

Support World Children’s Fund Mama Kevina School with the following: 

• Food supply for the students and staffs
• Support of the school garden work: planting of the maize, weeding, and now they are soon to harvest.
• Anti-malarial medication and mosquito net supplies for the students and staff
• Support the school clinic with drugs.
• Payment of staff salaries
• Support computer purchases to teach IT skills
• Purchase of text books and other school teaching supplies
• Purchase of office equipment supplies like photocopier, printer, and office furniture
• Facilitate participating in community outreach and inter-house competitions with music, dance, drama, regional games and sports held in partnership with the Tororo District.
• Support of infrastructure/constructions projects on campus.
• Support John Ochwo with medicines, medical supplies and medical consultation at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala for heart disease before taken to India for heart surgery and after return to Uganda.

Summary of RMF/WCF-sponsored activities carried out during the reporting period under each project objective: 

The Fourth Quarter saw the continued purchase of food supplies for students and payment of teaching staff salaries to keep the school’s operations running smoothly, and also the renovation and rebuilding and expansion of the girls’ bathrooms and the construction of a security gate. 

In addition to infrastructure projects, food and staff payments, WCF/RMF funds in this reporting period also contributed to the purchase of medicine for the nurse to treat students within the school premises. 

John Ochwo, the heart patient we sponsor, continued being facilitated with medication funds, given to him monthly. He is also being supported with his school fees and scholastic materials every term.  All his dues for the third term were cleared and he has started writing his senior four National exams to take him to senior five.

Results and/or accomplishments achieved during this reporting period: 

• We were honored to host Doug Kendrick, Ruth Kendrick, and Angela Geddes of World Children’s Fund, the sponsors of World Children’s Fund Mama Kevina School, who visited the school campus for an afternoon in October.  Sister Clare, Charles Naku, and all of the students were overjoyed to meet with their benefactors and show them all that had been achieved with a few months of funding. A full tour of the school and its upgrades was given showing the newly sponsored upgrades: the upgraded school nurse’s clinic, newly installed water taps, upgraded kitchen, upgraded dormitories and bathrooms, newly purchased lab equipment, and the newly stocked library. The tours were followed by students singing traditional folk music and dancing performances, and speeches on behalf of the school and by WCF. (More photos of visit below)

• Students are now also able to receive novels for their literature lessons, medical treatment within school premises, and computer lessons.  The laboratory is equipped and students are able to have practical science classes within the school premises. 
• Computers, text books, laboratory equipment, medicines and medical supplies, photocopiers, printers, head teacher’s desk, and mosquito nets were bought.
• Teachers are motivated with timely full payment, and the performance of the students in class has been greatly improving.

• RMF/WCF food sponsorship for Mama Kevina continues, with students receiving all the meals in a day.  Previously, the students would only receive porridge in the morning and one meal per day. 
• The Clinic on school premises was plastered, painted, and furniture was put in place. We also bought medicines and medical supplies, and beds and mattresses.
• A visiting doctor was recruited to reduce the cost of taking students to St. Anthony Hospital for cases needing advanced care that the nurse cannot provide. The visiting doctor not only treats the students, but also has ample time to educate students on STDs, and HIV/AIDS.
• Malaria cases have really reduced due to mosquito net supply and encouraging proper use of them.
• A new school gate was constructed to increase the safety of the school property. The appearance of the new gate has given visiting parents confidence of the safety of their children on campus.
• A school garden was planted and weeding took place, we expect the first harvest in the next Quarter.
• Additional girls’ bathrooms were constructed to avoid congestion and time wasting during the school day bathroom breaks.
• Students received clothing during the Christmas holidays.
• John Ochwo, our rheumatic heart disease patient, continues to receive medication and attends his monthly examination at National Referral Hospital Mulago, Kampala, both services of which are provided by RMF/WCF.  John Ochwo’s school fees are also supported by RMF/WCF.

Number served/number of direct project beneficiaries: 

During the last reporting period:

• About 200 students at World Children’s Fund Mama Kevina School
• John Ochwo also benefited as his school fees and medical bills were being paid by RMF/WCF.
• Staff salary was being cleared every 25^th day of the month.