Support Sky Is The Limit school in Uganda

Helping the Teachers

The past four months have been difficult for all of us, in different ways in different circumstances. March brought a general lockdown in Uganda, with the borders closed and strict evening curfew from 7pm to 6am. To date, only 1,070 case of COVID-19 have been reported with no deaths. That is remarkable and positive news. For now. 

However, the lockdown measures have had consequences for the Ugandan people. Businesses closed and very many people were without any form of income to support themselves and their children. There was no Government support for those who became unemployed. They have had to manage by themselves.

Sky Is The Limit school was closed in mid-March, children and teachers were all sent home. Rose Mugenyi made space for 45 orphaned or vulnerable children in her home, Noah's Ark. For those with HIV she has provided them with ARV medication that has to be bought from the hospital. They need special food supplements to protect their immune systems from opportunistic infections. Prices sky-rocketed and we were shocked to hear that a bar of soap cost £1 and one litre of antiseptic detergent cost £15!!

Ecologia organised a massive fundraising Appeal for Sky Is The Limit, to which many of you very generously contributed. The funds raised have got them through until now, feeding the children, buying them essential clothes and medication.

However, the school is not yet open and the teachers are struggling. Currently the 22 teachers have not received their salaries for the months of April, May, June and July. This adds up to £5,500. £1,379 per month. That is only £62 per teacher per month. 

If schools do open in September they need additional £1,379 for August. And there is no guarantee that parents of children who normally pay school fees will be able to pay because of their own lockdown circumstances. 

Ten dedicated teachers have been going to Noah’s Ark help the children with school work, and they came as volunteers. But there is no money to pay them. They need to feed their own children and have no means of support. If they are to be paid we need 3,180,000 UGX (£700) for each month they helped at Noah’s Ark.

These teachers are dedicated, committed to educating the children in their care and are becoming desperate. Catherine, one of our Trustees who was also a teacher once, has donated £500 as a starting point to help the teachers. We hope that others who value the teachers will also contribute. Any amount, small or large, will be a great help. Thank you for caring about Sky Is The Limit!