Support Education for Youth in Rural Uganda

Hi everyone,

For 2017, Friends In Need Integrated Development Project (FINIDP) has continued to support the education of academically promising but economically challenged needy children in different schools at both Primary and Secondary School levels. This year we were able to support 5 students who were destined to drop out from school because of lack of school fees and scholastic materials yet they were in their candidate (certificate-awarding) classes. In Uganda like in many other parts of the world, a certificate is evidence of attainment of a given education level and also a stepping stone to another level in their education career. Hence, missing certificate exams means lot a lot to the future of all academics.

With funding support raised through GlobalGiving initiative and channeled to FINIDP through Even Ground, we have provided one year scholarships to the five and helped them to have uninterrupted study for the entire year. With the scholarship assistance the five were able to sit for their final exams in November 2017 and therefore are waiting for results to join other levels. Two of them sat for Primary Leaving Exams (PLE) while three of them sat for their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). Examination results are expected to come out early next year (usually January). It is anticipated that the ones in Primary level will join secondary level education while those in form four will either join tertiary institutions or High School (H.Sc.) level for form five and six after which they will join university or college.

The children supported and their guardians and were very grateful and expect good grades because they attended school the whole year without any inconveniences related to school fees. Whichever route they take, the children will still need scholarship assistance if they are to stay in school undisturbed. The stories of the children who have been sponsored are really very touching but one clear message is that the educational support was a complete rescue. For instance, one girl had been supported by an uncle for 3 years after her parents had passed on. Unfortunately, the uncle also had six children of his own to care for and bad luck came when the uncle lost his job at a time when the intelligent girl had just been promoted to form four, she was to drop out had it not been for this scholarship assistance. With the GlobalGiving scholarship the girl is expected to score grade one.

 Attached herewith is the letter of appreciation from one of the beneficiaries.

As project implementers, we are very grateful to whoever contributed towards raising funds that made this support possible because the lives of these youth have been changed. And having successfully sponsored the five children, many more needy students are writting to us seeking for similar short-term assistance at various education levels.

It is a reality that one of those we supported earlier is almost failing to sit for semester one exams due to lack of a sponsor, simply because his parents just can't afford the cost of University education. The demand is so huge, but funds limitations can not permit us to support a reasonable number.

Thank you.

Dear GlobalGiving Fraternity,

Greetings from Uganda and particularly the needy students sponsored by funds mobilized through the GlobalGiving platform.  Note that this year, two pupils both in Primary Seven were recruited and are being funded by the funds sent to us through Even Ground.  The two (Kerry & Faith) are extremely happy and grateful for the scholarship opportunity that was provided which has enabled them to stay in school since term 1, 2017. One of them, Kerry wrote an appreciation note which is attached to this progress report. The two sat for their MOCK exams and passed with Grade 1. Both have pledged to work harder and smarter to ensure that they pass Primary Leaving Exams (PLE) in Grade one.

Three students namely: Mary, Mathias and Frank all in Senior Four (Form 4 – Ordinary Diploma Certificate Awarding class) were also enrolled in the program and given scholarships to enable them complete ordinary level this year.

Regarding their back ground:- 
Mary, a 17 year old girl is an orphan but highly intelligent and a good performer academically. She is well-disciplined and responsible that she is a students’ leader. Mary started getting school fees problems when she was in primary seven after losing her father’ who was mainly supportive for her education and general living. Since then she has been supported by an uncle, John, who also takes care of 6 other children of his own. Because the Uncle takes care of other children he has found problems meeting his financial obligations after experiencing setbacks in his main source of income. In the same period Mary had to pay much money because she had entered form four, which is a candidate class and required more money to register for certificate exams. Mary is a very bright girl, last year (while in form three) she was number one during the first academic term and had very good grades and that was 9 aggregate with several distinctions (A+) but after getting disturbances of absence from school due to lack of school fees, her performance started declining but still maintained grade 1, but with 28 aggregate score. This decline from 9 to 28 aggregates was attributed to inconsistency at school.  Mary noted that she was worried about whether or not she will be able to sit for her final national form four exams because the uncle’s income is at the moment very low yet he has his own children. Based on the above FINIDP took her up and started by paying her 2nd term fees and the outstanding balance of the old term. 

 Mathias is a 17 year old boy currently in form four at Paul Mukasa senior secondary school Mukono. He was originally being supported by a single mother with 7 other sisters and brothers. Matthias started getting school fees problems when his father abandoned the family and relocated to a place not known to them for the last 4 years. They live in Wandago village Luuka district where the mother is a peasant farmer and hardly gets what to support her 8 children. When Mathias was in form two he was sighted as a disciplined and bright boy but always disturbed by school fees and as a result the school gave him an offer to work for at school on weekends and partly in holidays and in turn this contributed a big part to his school fees but when he reached form four the school invited the mother and informed her that Mathias required much concentration as a candidate so they could no longer allow him to work for the school. This meant that the mother had to find all means to pay Mathias‘ school fees totaling to 760,000 (Approx 210 USD), additional fees like registration , mock fees and many others. Because the mother is only a peasant and also has other dependants, it has been very difficult for to cover the school fees for this term, she was only able to pay the registration fees. This made Matthias a bit psychologically unstable because he was not sure whether the mother would be able to raise the fees.  In his words when taking to FINIDP officers he said:” ….I’m unlucky that my poor mother cannot pay my fees but even when I was busy over the weekends to work for the school as a way of meeting my school fees I was able to score good grades (distinctions and credits). I also got promoted to senior four with a first grade of 20 aggregates. Had I been settled I would have made it to 15 aggregates and below. ’’It is on this ground that Matthias was recruited and given scholarship assistance to complete his ordinary certificate education. 

  Frank is a 17 year old currently in form four at Paul Mukasa senior school and was experiencing school fees problem. He lives with his mother who supports 4 other children. She gets her income from brick laying a complex activity that even defeats men to get profits but because she wants to help her children she took decision to do brick lying for she has failed to find a better alternative. Though he has been disturbed with school fees he has always passed with a first grade and previously he scored 24 aggregates and hopes to work much better if the problem of school fees is solved. Frank said that in his entire school life he has always been sent home for school fees because the mother is a low income earner and many times he got his report forms late because many times they were retained for fees defaulting. It’s on this background that he was given this scholarship.

By the time of writing this progress report, senior exam results hadn’t yet been released by the school but all the senior 4 students are hopeful of very good scores since they attended school without any school fees related interruptions.