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In 2010, CDH Stephanus founded a school in Uganda, the STEPHANUS MISSION PRE- & PRIMARY SCHOOL, which continues to develop.
When the Stephanus Uganda mission was founded in 2010, they learned of a makeshift school where a large number of children were being taught under trees. There was a lack of qualified teachers and the learning conditions were very poor.
Initially, attempts were made to support the existing school by providing school supplies and paying staff salaries. However, it soon became clear that this was unsustainable, as the quality of education was woefully inadequate. Therefore, a decision was made to restructure the school. The first step involved re-establishing the school on its own land with temporary classrooms. The next step was to recruit more qualified teachers.
After the temporary school was built on the grounds of Mission Stephanus in 2012, children from the surrounding villages came to attend. It was clear that there was a great need for a school in the area. Therefore, it was decided to take the next step and build a permanent primary school.
Construction of the school began in 2013 – on an area of 911 square meters – and took some time until it could be inaugurated in 2017. Thankfully, the temporary school remained in operation during the construction.
The school currently has five classes with a total of 420 children.
The newly built school started with a first grade and a preschool. The school currently has five grades with a total of 420 students. The number has increased significantly in recent years. In 2022, the total number of students was 248, compared to 160 in 2019.
A typical primary school in Uganda comprises seven years of schooling. This is also the goal of this school. Therefore, a new class is offered annually so that students can achieve a Primary Education Certificate (PLE). This explains the constantly increasing number of enrollments. However, the school's facilities are already reaching their capacity. Unfortunately, no further enrollments can be accepted at this time.
More than 80% of people in rural areas of Uganda live off small-scale farming. The yields are barely enough to survive. Combating ignorance and illiteracy is a crucial step towards sustainably improving the situation of local families. A child who has received a better education has significantly more career opportunities as an adult, enabling them to provide for themselves and their families.
The biggest challenge, however, is that education in Uganda is very expensive. Good schools are unaffordable for the poor. Most families in remote areas or villages send their children to nearby "under-tree" village schools, which are usually poorly equipped and lack qualified teachers. Classes are canceled when it rains!
In this spirit, all friends of the mission are called upon to join forces to expand the school. The construction of an additional floor is planned to begin in March 2024. This will give students the opportunity to complete the 7th grade. In Uganda, the lack of completion of primary school (at least) is considered a lack of education.
Jack David Kayindu
CDH Stephanus
Further information about the project and the opportunity to donate can be found here: https://cdh-stephanus.org/uganda/