Changes in Uganda
After 20 incredible years, our project in Uganda is moving in a new direction.
When we first started supporting Pencott Valley Primary School, it was in need of huge investment to improve the structural standards and keep the place running well. The teachers do an incredible job with such limited resources and we invested much time and effort into helping the school thrive (both educationally and taking care of children’s health/nutrition etc).
The purpose of this project was to provide free primary education to those children in the slum who could not access this. We sent teams of teachers from the UK to provide training and encouragement to the wonderful staff and pupils. We raised funds to build classrooms, kitchen and cover the monthly running costs. We also raised money to install toilet blocks, not only in the school block but the geographical slum area as a whole. We are proud to say that this intervention eradicated cholera and subsequently saw a rise in attendance at the school with overall improved health. What an achievement!
Throughout the years there have been many changes in legislation and Ugandan team has needed to pivot and change things in order to meet the ongoing demands.
Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis has hit hard all over the world. The cost to run this project continues to rise as charitable giving significantly decreases. It’s become much harder to raise enough money to cover the increased budget and keep this wonderful project going in the way it has been, so we felt it time to pause and ask some essential questions about the best way forward.
During the pandemic, we rescued orphans from the slum and built a safe house for them near the school. Without this place to live they would be on the streets, alone.
Whilst there are other places for school provision in the area, there isn’t a place for these young ones to stay safe as they grow. Together with the Ugandan team, we have decided to focus our regular giving to continue funding the place of safety but no longer funding the school, in order to prioritise the raising of these youngsters.
The team are trying to raise support from within Uganda. They are also considering other ways of using the incredible resource they have to bless their community.
This week, they celebrated 20 years of Pencott school, with much singing and laughter. There is so much gratitude for the wonderful years gone by and all of the children who have had the privilege of attending the school.
Looking forward, we are not removing our support from the community and certainly not removing our relationship. We will continue to support where we can and have committed to see the children grow in their place of safety and access education too.
The founders of the school are now elderly and retired. They have done such a fantastic job of pioneering this work when the slum was not as sophisticated as it’s looking these days.
They have handed over the running of Pencott to their daughter Joy who is trustworthy and a fantastic businesswoman. With Joy steering things, we have no doubt they will build something wonderful on the foundations that have already been laid.
Change is painful but necessary, and we are so grateful for all the lives we have helped through this incredible project over the past twenty years.
