21 SIT FOR THEIR UPLE EXAMS

First CANDIDATES (21) who sat for their UPLE between 5-6th November 2012

The year 2012 will never be forgotten in Rubanda community, Rubanda Sucounty, Kabale district and Uganda. Its the year when Rubanda Sollidarity Nursery/Primary school has got its first primary candidates since 2005 when the school started.

Candidates before leaving the school November 7th 2012

The 21 candidates, 11 were girls and 10 were boys. Some of these students were among the first 90 pupils who assisted as a  study class to find out why school dropout was increasingly growing in government.  This was based on a hypothesis that lack of enough food at the household and lack of meals at government schools in Rubanda community was the major cause came up successful. The study found out that majority of the children in the community didn't want to go to school  because of fear that the little food at or prepared in their absence would be consumed by their younger siblings while at school. This made them to always find excuses to miss school.
With this discovery new life began for the children in Rubanda. The first private nursery and primary school were opened in 2004 to offer both day and boarding school opportunities. It was also to offer these same opportunities to both boy and girl children. With this school, life will never been the same again for children in Rubanda.

1st Candidates take a farewell photo 7th Nov. 2012

Today as you move in the village, you can hear children cry out to their parents to that they want to go to the boarding school while the day scholars are asking to be boarders or jump out of their beds so early every morning to rash to the school just not to find school breakfast over. However, their mind and attitudes are changing. They now love to read, invent and are getting more and more eager and curious to work hard and change life. They all speak of their big and wonderful future dreams. On the other hand, its amazing to see girls can confidently compete with boys. Something that was never encouraged by tradition and culture. They now do it without shame, fear or embarrassment. They are learning to be equal.

 The journey to build this confidence has not been so easy. Though creating a sense of equal opportunities has been our major focus our main obstacle and resistance has been the culture, social and economic poverty. These are the major barriers to rural development However, our success has been great by creating a big difference in our gender sensitive education policies. For example in 2005 only 20% of our students were  girls compared to 80% of boys. Today things have changed with 45% boys and 55% girls present in our school capacity of 288 students.

Our great appreciation goes to each and every one who has contributed to this great adventure and opportunity for our children: parents and children, community volunteers, donors and administration