Our Kids' new home @ a glance

Long range view of Rubanda Solidarity Nursery/Primary school

Could you imagine that this home was non existent a few years a go?

Its origin and existence is the growing concern of our kids in Rubanda community.
Between November 2005 and February 2006 a team of three students, Morgan, Valentina and Dominic from the Roma Tre University in Rome conducted an unpublished research in Rubanda community. The research focused on finding out levels of human development in areas of ; Health, Education, household incomes, maternal and child care, Why kids resent school and youth drop out soon, sanitation, water and environment , extra.

It was amazing to discover the hips of untold stories.The most fascinating story is of why kids continuously resented school. The findings of this research identified lack of food the major factor.  Children do not eat enough dinner and if they do, they have nothing left to pack for lunch at school.

As if this was not enough reason, schools are miles away from most of the households. Many kids have to wake up so early, before parents could prepare anything they can afford for breakfast to go to school. Kids are very sharp, they know quite well that if they do go to school then the little food prepared during their absence will be eaten by their little brothers and sisters at home who haven't reached the age of school.  

This finding prompted Fr Dominic Tumusiime in 2004 to initiate a study class at St. Andrews primary school, a government school program that didn't provide school meals to kids either. The only request for the enrollment of kids to parents and guardians was 5,000 Ugandan Shillings equivalent to 2 US$  then, for providing to offer a mag of porridge for the kid each morning. We got 90 kids enrolled and I remember requesting for a community volunteer as a teacher. A tree became our first classroom and kids loved it for fresh air and natural grass carpet.

At the end of the year 2004, and evaluation was conducted by Fr. Dominic Tumusiime and Sr.Stellamaris Kyasiimire together with the kids' parents and guardians. The results were unbelievable. I remember one mother narrating that she no longer had morning wars with her kids as she used to have in the past year. "Now our kids wake us up to go to school and when we ask them why, " we do not want to find breakfast over, they say", she narrated.

However, they observed other two issues. The issue of congestion having meals infront of other kids who had none. And I remember another lady saying, " now the year is getting over, where are we going to put our kids, return them where they were resenting?".
With these ideas among others, the study project proved successful and a resolution to unite as a community and begin a private Rubanda Solidarity nursery and Primary School was finally carved and concluded.

In 2005, amidst the lack of funds and any infrastructure, 120 kids were enrolled. A house of one of the community member was hired and from scratch, the school started its official journey as "a new home for our kids" in the spirit of Solidarity. The more time passed, the more it came to be known near and far. Friends from the community and outside started to stream to this little mustard seed bed. Today come and see, we  have a new outlook. Things have since changed and on June 9th our new home marked its 7th anniversary. Many things, all in the interests of our kids and the community have been achieved but a lot still remains to be done.

Just look at the picture above and have your say. Most of our structures are temporal and our nursery section needs a separate location to facilitate administration and services to little kids. Remember, where there is the will, there is the heart.With you joining our efforts many more miracles can be done for our kids.

If you feel interested to know more about our "new home for kids", just send s a post on the space provided for you below and then click enter, we will be with you shortly.