Update from BHW Uganda Partnership Facilitator

Key People: Timothy and Jennifer Kakooza

Current Situation

Timothy sent me an e-mail outlining the current position with both schools. In his words both schools are doing well and “progressing positively”. They have experienced huge challenges with teachers because the government has increased the salaries for teachers in the public service and they have not been able to match that. Accordingly, they have lost some teachers.

All our Uganda partners, particularly where they are involved with schools, have experienced significant challenges with inflation. Food prices have gone up, firewood is an issue in Uganda and cooking is a problem. By way of background, the Ugandan government has introduced a series of “initiatives” around the use of charcoal for cooking. This is obviously an attempt to improve the environmental quality of the country and ensure that there is less degradation of trees. Unfortunately, it is very negatively affecting poorer people, and also increasing the level of corruption. The police typically confiscate charcoal from people who have travelled to obtain it for resale purposes and then sell it themselves. This means that prices have increased dramatically as charcoal suppliers have to obtain their supplies and transport them in the dead of night, to avoid police corruption. I am sure that this issue is negatively affecting this school. 

I have also recently been having some dialogue with Timothy regarding the schools. I am very conscious that it is important to update the information regularly and provide regular reports. Over the years this has proven a bit difficult with Timothy, because he is such an active and fully involved Christian leader in southern Uganda. He is an overseer of several churches, is one of the leaders of the Christian Schools Association of Southern Uganda (involving over 30 schools) and a network of Christian leaders as well as the church in Katosi. 

I had an excellent conversation with him on the 6th of November for nearly an hour in regard to the school at Mbale. 

School

The Mbale school presently has 138 students and is going well.

Timothy has arranged for three teacher's houses to be built near the school. As previously reported the teachers had to walk great distances to and from school each day. This has diminished that need, the only need now is for solar panels for lighting for the houses at nighttime. 

Well

The well that was installed at the front of the school site is working extremely well and the community uses it too. There have been some security issues as bad people had broken in and stolen parts of it. They are in the process of creating a wall to protect it at nighttime. However, the well is still functioning and serving its purpose. 

This well was funded by BHW donors and has been a real asset in the community which otherwise uses water from Lake Victoria, or other poor quality local water.  I think that we should be proud of this well, and the fact that it is still functioning well after so many years. This is different from quite a lot of other wells in Uganda which seem to fall into disrepair very quickly. It is partners like Timothy who are ‘movers and shakers’ who seem to be able to get things done and keep them going in the right direction. 

Church Plant

Timothy has planted a church in the local Mbale village. This is a very important development and unlikely to have happened without the school being there. They are noticing significant changes in the village itself. The school also has a pastor that works within the school community itself and is part funded through BHW as I understand it. I remember visiting Mbale village in 2018 with Timothy and being really shocked at the blatant poverty and the fact that it did not have latrines or a well and all water came from the lake which at that location appeared very dirty. I will not be able to get to visit the school or village until the middle of next year but am confident that Timothy’s efforts with the school and now community involvement having planted a church there, will be yielding fruit.

Road

Another thing which has assisted in the improvement of the area is that the road to the village has been upgraded. I would venture to guess that this is because there is improvement in the community and therefore it has warranted an improvement to the road.

Partnership's Influence within the Community

The presence of this school in such a backward and poor community is having a positive effect both on the material and spiritual welfare of the community. 

Ideas for the Future

There is a need for a water tank for the school to store water as quite a lot is presently wasted.

There is a need for further classrooms for more children as the demand is there.

Timothy would like the feeding for the children to improve. There needs to be a kitchen built on the school property as they are presently still cooking under the tree in the yard outside the classrooms. This would be a great improvement.

Timothy also identifies that there is a need for a medical clinic near the school, perhaps not right out there but at the village itself which is about half a mile further down the road. The need for the medical clinic is because it is quite a long way from Katosi and very difficult for the villagers to obtain medical care. I told Timothy that BHW would not consider funding a medical clinic, but it is possibly something that a donor might think about. I can see, having visited the village and the school, that the need is high. If anybody can establish a functioning medical clinic in such difficult conditions Timothy can. 

There is a need for uniforms for the children in this school. 

Income Generation

Timothy and I had a significant discussion about income generation as a way to help particularly the Katosi school become more independent and not rely as much on donor funding. We discussed a number of proposals that he had raised very briefly in an e-mail. Among the proposals were for a grinding mill, or cow/goats/pigs or chicken farms, and a revolving credit fund.

I told Timothy that we would probably not look at funding a micro-loan fund under the existing type of model which has been used by other partners in Uganda but would assist him possibly in establishing a table banking scheme. I am not sure whether he has really done much research into this and fully understands the difference. He is undoubtedly thinking more in terms of the type of micro-loan fund debt we have previously discussed.

Personally, I think that assisting with the funding of a grinding mill would be a good idea as over time it gives the opportunity for the Katosi school to generate its own income source and be less donor dependent. I discussed this with Timothy, and he is going to send me a budget for it. The same comments apply to a proposal for farming.

Current Issues and Challenges

At present there are very significant challenges that every family, business, community, and school are facing in Uganda post the Covid downturn. Covid has affected every aspect of life in Uganda, and our partners are often really struggling with huge financial difficulties. This is particularly so for schools, which rely to some degree on parents paying school fees. When they have lost their livelihoods, as many have, and descended further into poverty due to the economic impact of Covid in Uganda, then schools suffer enormously too. It is a real tribute to the resilience of our partners that they are able to continue.

Prayer and Praise Points

1) That Mbale school is thriving under great difficulties.
2) For a deepening impact on the lives of those in the villages. That parents would see the changes in their children due to the input of the school and would seek the Lord for themselves.
3) That the well continues to operate and be in good working condition.
4) For funds to expand the classrooms to accommodate more pupils and to be able to erect a kitchen, along with a water tank.
5) For a donor to come alongside and assist with funding a medical clinic.
6) But mostly give thanks to God for the wonderful benefit that the Mbale school is having in its community and toward the next generation.

Comments

On 7 November Timothy telephoned me late at night and gave me a video walk around of what was happening at the Mbale school. I found it very moving to see the school again after such a long time. The school is certainly looking to be in great condition and thriving. I really appreciate everything that Timothy and Janepher do in their communities, and the big heart that they have to serve the poor. I would certainly hope that BHW’s support of both schools will continue into the foreseeable future. The schools and the related activities are promoting significant change in very poor communities.