#GivingTuesday - Health and Education in Uganda

Summary

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, 2026 has been a year of continued growth and exciting momentum for The African SOUP. Building on the strong foundation established in 2025, we have continued investing in high-quality education, teacher development, child health, and family empowerment while strengthening partnerships that will expand our long-term impact across Uganda.

Our holistic model continues to demonstrate that lasting community transformation begins with education. By supporting children from early childhood through university while equipping teachers and strengthening families, we are helping create sustainable opportunities for future generations.

This year has also marked important progress in our partnerships. We continue working closely with Uganda's Ministry of Education and Sports to strengthen active learning in government schools, while our partnership with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation is helping transform both our campus and the opportunities available to our students.

What We Have Accomplished

During the past year, our four core programs have continued to create meaningful impact across eastern Uganda, strengthening education, improving health, and expanding opportunities for children, families, and educators.

The SOUP School continues to serve as a center of excellence, providing high-quality education to 807 nursery and primary learners while maintaining outstanding academic results and a 98% student retention rate. In 2025, 100% of our Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) candidates passed, with 15 students earning Division I, helping rank The SOUP School 7th out of 120 schools in Namutumba District. Beyond the classroom, students continue to develop leadership, teamwork, and confidence through athletics, music, debating, agriculture, and other extracurricular activities, while our boarding program provides stability and opportunity for 139 vulnerable children.

Our Active Learning Project (ALP) continues to transform teaching and learning across eastern Uganda. To date, the program has trained 1,220 educators, including teachers, head teachers, tutors, education students, and government officials across 109 government primary schools and Bishop Willis Core Primary Teachers College. 

Emma's Baby SOUP (EBS) continues to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable families through nutrition support, maternal healthcare, home visitation, livelihood training, and community partnerships. In 2025, EBS supported 170 families across 52 villages, including 120 households with malnourished children and 50 pregnant mothers. The program helped 96 children recover from malnutrition, supported 75 children to complete their immunization schedules, trained 60 households through Street Business School, and helped 35 families launch small businesses, creating healthier and more economically resilient communities.

Our Secondary Enrichment Program (SEP) continues to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent talented students from continuing their education. In 2025, SEP supported 102 scholars attending 26 secondary schools, five vocational institutions, and seven universities across eastern Uganda. The program achieved 100% retention among continuing scholars, while 19 students graduated from secondary school and eight scholars advanced to university, bringing the total number of university scholars to 12. Through scholarships, mentorship, leadership development, and career guidance, these young people are preparing to become educators, healthcare professionals, engineers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who will help shape Uganda's future.

Looking Ahead

The remainder of 2026 will be an exciting period of growth for The African SOUP.

We are excited to share that The African SOUP has received an official letter of endorsement from the Uganda Ministry of Education and Sports supporting the expansion of the Active Learning Project to two additional Core Primary Teachers Colleges. This significant milestone reflects the Ministry's confidence in the impact of our learner-centered teaching model and marks an important step toward scaling the program beyond Namutumba District. Through this expansion, we will equip more teacher educators and future teachers with active learning methodologies, ultimately benefiting thousands more learners across Uganda.

Construction continues on the first phase of our campus development in partnership with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. The new health clinic, community welcome center, administrative offices, and music facilities will significantly strengthen our ability to serve students, families, and the surrounding community while creating a welcoming space for future learning and collaboration.

Our Voices of Uganda choir is preparing to travel to Tuscany, Italy, in July 2026 to perform as part of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation's Voices Of initiative. This extraordinary opportunity provides students with advanced musical training while building confidence, leadership, teamwork, and cultural understanding. It is a proud moment for our students and a testament to the power of international partnership and the transformative impact of education through the arts.

We also continue strengthening our organizational capacity through improved monitoring and evaluation systems, enhanced communications, expanded storytelling, and deeper partnerships that will ensure our programs remain sustainable for years to come.

Thank You

None of this would be possible without the generosity of supporters around the world.

Your investment is helping children access quality education, empowering teachers to transform classrooms, strengthening families through improved health and livelihoods, and creating opportunities that will impact communities for generations.

Together, we are building a future where every child has the opportunity to learn, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Thank you for believing in the work of The African SOUP and for walking alongside us as we continue this journey.

Links:

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