Send refugee and poor children to school in Uganda

Dear friends and supporters,

As the CIYOTA calendar year of activities enters into its first quarter, we at the COBURWAS Hostels have commenced the first academic term for 2014. Humbly share with us this brief journey thus far.

With a humble start in 2008, the CIYOTA hostel had 18 girls and 10 boys sharing one house; caring for themselves. Over the years, the hostels have seen many of its students from needy communities including; the homeless, orphans and refugees finish primary, secondary into tertiary institutions in and outside Africa.           

This year has seen us move into bigger and spacious hostels with an increased number of students to 70 girls and 90 boys selected from different refugee camps of Kyangwali, Kyaka and Rwamwanja. By providing accommodation, medication and food to students from surrounding areas that would otherwise attend inadequate schools, we remove geographic barriers to education. Students who stay at the hostels benefit from a strong sense of community and mutual support.

We structured programs and all scheduled activities reflecting our focus on functional education, social entrepreneurship and socially responsible leadership. We hold trainings and have had competitions in formal debating, soccer and netball. We have guest presentations on life skills and social entrepreneurship and our students have showcased three projects including paper file making, bed sheet designing and modern small scale horticulture, though we are yet to reach out to the market with the current and other products as an income source. All our students participate in our entertainment sessions involving showcasing songs, dances, and poems reflecting their cultural backgrounds.

It is in our plans to better our feeding, have a fully equipped and manned sick-bay, and install fully stocked and furnished reading spaces and we plan to have our students go for educative trips and participate in more community works.

May you be strengthened and abundantly enriched as we partake in this great social transformation mission.

The primary need addressed by the hostel-lack of access to quality education-is prevalent. We envision one day spreading our hostel model to other communities throughout the world. For us to continue supporting youth, we need YOU, your friends, your family, your co-workers, church members, and neighbors to help us raise $10,000 by June 30th, 2014! This will not happen without you! Please tell your friends, family, co-workers, church members and neighbors. Ask them to invite 10 friends to give and tell them why you gave. Post the link on your Facebook page, tweeting or emailing or anything else you can think of!

Thank you again for allowing CIYOTA transform communities in Africa by preparing, developing, and empowering a unified group of young leaders to tackle the greatest challenges facing our communities.

Sincerely,

COBURWAS Team