SAFE HOUSING & EDUCATION for 50 GIRLS IN SW UGANDA

We are delighted to receive this report from Apollo Saku, the Planting for Hope Uganda project manager at Kititi:

We had recognised a problem, that several of the young girls attending Cornerstone School, were having to walk long distances across remote bushland to get to school. This was disturbing enough, especially if they had no one else to walk with (girl children are very vulnerable and childhood pregnancies are a real concern in the region) but in the rainy season the journey was often impossible. They did not have suitable shoes or in some cases no shoes at all, or any rain wear and in spite of their keenness to learn they would be forced to stay at home. This really affected their opportunities to achieve grades needed to go on to secondary school. We identified that there were 42 of these girls attending the school, some of whom were orphans being cared for by a grandparent or neighbours. We wanted to raise funds to build a dormitory. This would solve not only the girls problems but those of the caretaker families who were mainly subsistence farmers scraping a living to just provide food. The dormitory would provide meals and clean water, clean beds, space and light to do homework, showers, latrines as well as a caring house mother.

It was a huge relief when Kinver Rotary Club offered to apply for a Global Grant to build such a dormitory. We are delighted to say that in spite of a prolonged rainy season causing some delay earlier this year, the dormitory is complete and the girls are now living there and loving it! It is wonderful ! Thank you so much to Kinver Rotary Club, Bewdley Rotary Club and the many generous donors who have made this possible. It will enhance the lives of so many children in the coming years.

The response from donors has been fantastic and not only is the building now complete, beds installed and the dormitory now in use before the next rainy season arrives. Thanks to a further donation from Kinver Rotary Club and a Foundation grant from Rotary District 1060 the water harvesting equipment to collect and save water is currently being put in and will be completed in the next few days - in time to benefit from the forthcoming rainy season.

Sincere thanks to all our generous donors. We cannot believe how quickly this project has come to fruition. In the coming years hundreds of children will have a safe place to live and be cared for, to receive an uninterrupted education and to be able to go on and live a fulfilling life.