Action For Fundamental Change And Development (AFFCAD), a URI member group in Kampala, Uganda, shares this exciting news with us about the school they built, which has overcome great odds and is now expanding to serve an even greater number of underprivileged youth.
It has been an incredible start of the year back here!! AFFCAD School is officially open and children have started class!! And yes you all made it happen!! We launched a campaign dubbed #ExcelRebuild to fundraise for the rebuild of AFFCAD school. This project was initially started to rebuild the only community school in Bwaise and enable vulnerable children in this community access quality education in safe spaces. AFFCAD initiated its education component in 2009; however, the structures in place at the time were semi-permanent and against KCCA and government standards for any operating school. In addition, the increasing rent and influx of children from the community made these structures unable to contain the numbers. The continuous floods disrupted class time as the classrooms flooded too.
With generous funding from Hewlett foundation, Fonthill Charity foundation, Enfance Tiers Monde (ETM) and Waterloo foundation, AFFCAD was in a position to purchase the land on which the school will be built. We kicked off with setting up the nursery section block that will accommodate pupils from Baby Class to Primary Four, as the remaining blocks are being set up gradually.
AFFCAD School was officially handed over to us by DANSEM construction company, who were contracted to foresee construction of the classes early this year. This was a go-ahead to enroll more children and also comfortably use the premises.
Our target this year is to mobilise sixty (60) new students, and the main goal is to reach out to 400 by 2022. After the rebuild, the school will be run as a low-fee private school with 60% of the children enrolled on a bursary system while 40% will pay standard school fees as a sustainability measure for this project.
We cannot forget all who have taken part in the Kampala Slum Walk, as all proceeds from this go to feeding the little children and other community residents. We are all smiles because, to us, this is witnessing our dream come true: providing quality education to vulnerable children.
For more information and to get involved, email [email protected].
