By Thad Jarmon | Project Leader
Nankabirwa is a six year old girl at Bwetyaaba Primary School. Having lost her mother this year and left to the care of her ailing grandmother, Nankabirwa has found consolation in being able to go to school. She enjoys her time at school learning with her friends. However, since the death of her mother, securing books, pens, pencils and money for lunch has been very difficult. Nankabirwa is thankful to organizations like BUVAD and Global Backpack Project for helping children like her stay in school.
The current enrollment at the Bwetayaaba Primary School consists of 656 girls and boys. Forty-eight of these children have taken their Primary Leaving Examinations and are on their way to join the secondary section. In January of 2014, the start of the school year for children in Uganda, the school will welcome 80 new kids graduating from kindergarten. This will bring the school's enrollment to near 700.
For many of the children, attendance at school can be challenging. Lack of school supplies, backpacks, school uniforms and lunch fees make it hard for them to participate in school. Many of the girls find themselves entering into marriage, inevitably leading them to drop out of school completely. The boys look for odd jobs to supplement their family’s income and acquire school supplies and household items; often times, they end up leaving school to continue working to help their families. The situation becomes worse during the planting season as parents rely on their children to help with the farming and consider this a priority over school. Families are faced with having to choose between food and school.
By providing backpacks, school supplies and uniforms, Global Backpack Project is helping families to not have to make the difficult choice of choosing food over school. We know that education is critical to improving quality of life. Our challenge is to ensure that every girl and boy has the necessary tools so they can stay and succeed in school and life. In the immediate, Global Backpack Project has joined a global movement that is focused on a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. #GivingTuesday is a campaign that celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations. On Tuesday, December 3, 2013, global charities, families, businesses, community centers, students and more will come together to create #GivingTuesday 2013. Global Backpack Project will be reaching out to its supporters to take part in this day by donating $25 to help one child stay and succeed in school. We hope you'll join us in this effort.
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