Supporting Students Inside & Out

On June 18th, Children of Uganda’s Program Director, Ritah Namakula, along with our Finance and Administration Officer, Richard Kasibante and Sponsorship Coordinator, Angela Kyolaba Munii traveled to Kyotera to check on the welfare and academic progress of our students at various partner schools in the region.

Our team first visited Sabina Primary Boarding School where staff met and interacted with the headmaster, teachers and students. They spent time in the classroom, as well as at lunch where they found students happily enjoying a good meal in the dining hall as seen in the video below:

Next, they visited St. Nicholas Mannya Primary school – specifically to speak with a student who has been experiencing depression. Edrine and his brother were abused and mistreated by their step-mother and thankfully he has opened up to our social workers about the situation. He shared that he was beaten by her and not given food at times. Ritah talked with him and we have also arranged for a school counselor to help him while our team continues to monitor his mental and physical well-being.

At St. Stephen’s College Bajja, students were busy with their studies and getting along well. Our staff spoke with the Head Master regarding our sponsored students’ performance, upcoming academic seminars, field study visits, as well as challenges for the school and surrounding community as a result of increasing commodity prices.

In addition, the most recent Family Visitation Days were held on July 13th at Sabina Primary Boarding School and on July 21st at Kamuli Primary School in Kampala. COU staff and child guardians come to these events to visit with students.

Our staff uses these opportunities to monitor and assess performance, provide counselling to students where necessary, meet with school administration to discuss child welfare and academic progress, as well as offer snacks and drinks for children who are not visited by their guardians (or whose guardians can only afford transport and not a special treat to share with them). In total, 18 children were not visited at all by their guardians and looked to COU staff to fill this void.