Trustees’ Visit February/March 2025
Kevin and Elspeth Riley visited Uganda accompanied by 6 friends from February 20-March 4 2025. It was a very successful trip: the projects were inspiring and taking friends will have an impact on fundraising and friend raising. Although ‘well travelled’ our friends found Uganda an amazing and emotionally overwhelming experience. Steve Ryan described his day at Kalengo as ‘a day he will never forget’ in his speech to the assembled guests.
Our first school visit was to the school in Kampala to meet (L to R) Betty, Patricia Valentine and Emmanuela, all former Mama Elisabeth students now at secondary school (Namugongo) and supported by trustees individually (except for Valentine).
We detected some tension between the schools/communities and the local government over this and the knock on effect of very large class sizes which in turn affects the quality of the teaching. This was highlighted in retrospect by our visit to Mama Elisabeth where there are many more teachers (2 to a class) and the impact was clear to see. The textbooks we provide are clearly a very valuable resource when the teacher is dealing with such large numbers. Attendance in the afternoon is also an issue because the schools do not provide a midday meal. Children go home and do not return or those who stay and do not eat find it difficult to concentrate.
There is little we can do to affect this situation but it does highlight the difference between the state and private schools. In the former the Chair of Parents Association has an important role in encouraging parents to send their children to school and to ensure that they have ‘scholastic materials’-exercise books etc. There are clear differences between the 3 schools in the support provided by the parents.
Overall however we were encouraged by the clear sense of purpose in the 3 schools and the progress the children are making. There are some systemic issues which we have little influence over but Martin and Grace have excellent working relationships with the schools and the local government.
The new building is of a very high quality (including 2 flush toilets and tiled bathrooms)and the plans for the development of the campus are impressive.
The local community were very welcoming.
There are a number of Sudanese refugee children at the school who performed a traditional dance for us. Patrick and Grace had also produced a school magazine which sets out the ‘12 years journey’ of Mama Elisabeth- we have copies for the Trustees. It’s a very uplifting read.
P6 and P7 have already relocated to the new campus and Patrick has made an additional request for the installation of solar power and to bring the purchase of beds for the girls dormitory forward.
We had a wonderful time in Uganda and were pleased to see the schools working well and the systems we have in place delivering real improvements for the local people. It was humbling and uplifting in equal measure.