Article 28 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child:

‘1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular:

(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;

(b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need;

(…)

(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.

(…)

3. States Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.’  

And what does reality look like?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia – these are just a few examples of countries that do not observe the right of children to education. In these countries either schooling is not compulsory or access to education – even primary one – has been greatly hindered. A high rate of  illiteracy prevents people from combating economic chaos and breaking the cycle of poverty that affects large sections of society.  Insufficient expenditure on education means that projects aimed at building new schools, training teachers, and generally raising the standard of education are underfunded.    

Facing numerous problems, African countries are unable to adopt an equal opportunities policy in the field of education. Therefore, external aid is much required.

Uganda’s education system in a nutshell:

The Ugandan have to pay for their education. Tuition fees vary from UGX (Ugandan shillings) 8000 to UGX 500000 that is from PLN 12 to PLN 700 per term (the fee does not include a place in a dormitory). The cheapest schools are located in the open air and offer low quality teaching. These schools lack qualified teachers, school equipment, sometimes even chalk and a blackboard. In state schools there can be even 130 pupils in one class. The quality of teaching is directly proportional to the amount of money one has to spend with the highest fees being paid in private schools.

A school year is divided into three terms. It commences at the beginning of February and ends in late November. Children have two three-week holidays at the end of May/the begging of June and at the end of August/the beginning of September.

Around 7 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. the streets of Uganda are crowded with children and teenagers who, dressed in colourful uniforms, head for schools. Each school has its own uniform that has a unique cut and colour.

The overview of  Uganda’s education system: Pre-School; 7-year Primary School, 2-year Vocational Training School (VTS) with specializations in: construction; joinery; metalwork; car mechanics; electricity fitting; bricklaying; sewing/tailoring or 4-year Secondary School or 6-year High Secondary School for those who wish to go to college; 3-year Bachelor’s programme; 5-year Master’s programme - courses in medicine and law last for 6 years    

In the fourth year English becomes the language of instruction.

Sadly, many people are denied access to education and thus a chance of finding a good job. For that reason Ugandan society cannot break the cycle of poverty and even the youngest generation has little prospect of making a difference in their life.

The EKIROOTO project is our response!

The EKIROOTO project, that we coordinate, aims at helping children and their parents fulfil their dreams about education. It is to guarantee the right of children to education that has been laid down in The Convention of the Rights of the Child.  

‘Ekirooto’ means ‘a dream’ in the luganda language. Sadly, for many African children schooling is still a dream. Our project has been launched to assist children and teenagers in obtaining primary, secondary and tertiary education.   

The project has been set up to support orphans and homeless children but also children and teenagers whose families cannot afford to pay for their education.

The project covers:

tuition fees (UGX 150000 per term that is $75 or PLN 220); a place in a dormitory (UGX 200000 per term that is $100 or PLN 300); a dormitory summer fee; a school uniform; shoes; school equipment; medicines; hygiene products and other indispensable items.

The yearly costs of a place at a reputable boarding school amounts to PLN 2 000 –

2500.

The future of every child begins today!

Education is the future of Africa!

The project in practice

The ‘Ekirooto’ project can be supported by individuals, companies and schools.

An application should be sent to: office@uslyszecafryke.org. An e-mail should include the following:

The ‘Ekirooto’ project,  forename and surname/the name of a company (in the latter case also the name of a coordinator) and a correspondence address.

No minimal payment has been established as any contribution will be of help to us.

The boys do not speak English well but it is still possible to correspond with them. Letters with the boy’s name written on an envelope should be directed to our mail box (We only ask that letters are written in plain English). Gerald Kateu is the project coordinator in Uganda. Once a term you will be provided with information regarding progress the boys make and their lives in general. You will also receive some photographs.

Money to support Steven, Hussein and Samuel can be paid in the following account:

PLN 87 2490 0005 0000 4500 6458 4516

Children sponsored by the project:

In August 2009, we began to sponsor three homeless boys from Kampala, the capitol of Uganda.

Steven Mwanje

12-year-old Steven has lived on the streets for 3 years. Fond of cycling, he mounts a bike whenever he can. He is also keen on football but above all he loves dancing and proves to be a brilliant dancer. Steven wears his heart on his sleeve. Having gone through a lot in the last few years, he is still a child. Outgoing,  joyful and very sensitive, he was amongst those who came running first to greet us at the school door. He was first to notice when we were sad and got sad himself too. He could not help taking one of us by the hand as we were strolling along the streets of Kampala.

When Steven was little, his father threw his mother and all the children out of their home. The woman lives in Kasese now and earns her living selling coal. Steven’s father, who turned out to be HIV-infected, has remarried and lives in Kampala.   

Steven begged for money to be able to buy something to eat. When he couldn’t gather enough money he searched dustbins for leftovers. He slept on the porches of shops and private houses. A piece of cardboard became his makeshift bed and a large T-shirt served as a blanket and allowed for escaping an evening chill.

The boy is in the second year of primary school now. He has joined a school band as a high-hat player. He has come 21st amongst 53 pupils.  It is quite an achievement for someone who joined during the third term. In English he received 92 points, in mathematics 70 points, in reading and writing 90 and 86 points respectively, and in Christian education 76 points. He stands a good chance of moving up to the third year, provided he does equally well in his final examinations.

The boy misses his mother and a younger brother a great deal.

Hussein Katabazi

13-year-old Hussein has been homeless for 7 months. It is only his eyes that smile, while he continues to assume an ominous and bit determined expression most of the time. Only rarely he plucked up his courage to cuddle up to one of us or take someone by the hand. We could see from his behaviour that he was uncertain about how another person would react to him. Frequently, he just sat in silence. Hussein likes playing football and cycling. He has completed three years of primary school.

His mother had him when she was in her sixth year. As his father had died when the boy was little, his mother remarried and had another son. Due to poverty Hussein was sent to his aunt. Then, his grandfathers had taken him in but some time later he ran away from home and ended up on the streets.

Life in Kampala turned out to be tough for a 13-year-old boy. Begging for money, daily humiliation, cold, fear – all that became part and parcel of his everyday life. Scars that Hussein carries on his hand are a reminder of one night when he was mugged by a group of homeless adults who were after money.

Since August 2009, Hussein has attended The Rev. John Foundation School – a primary school situated in Kitintale on the outskirts of Kampala. He took up baseball. In the opinion of the coach the boy has a knack for baseball. From time to time he comes to school band rehearsals and plays a drum. 

Having joined the fourth year during the third (last) term, he is likely to repeat the year. In mid-year examinations out of 100 points in each subject he achieved the following results: English 33 points, mathematics 77 points. He failed to sit examinations in Science and Social Studies. He was 62nd amongst 70 pupils.

Samuel Bukenya

14-year-old Samuel has spent 3 years on the streets. He has completed 3 years of primary school. When we met him he rarely smiled and could not speak a word of English. He kept well away from the others. Whenever we wanted to talk to Samuel we asked Steven for help.

Samuel was raised by his aunt. From her he learned that his father had died when the boy was very little. He knows nothing about his mother. Samuel’s aunt worked on the land and grew beans, cassava, and potatoes for sale. For the money from crop she could buy things for the home such as: soap, candles, paraffin and medicines.

One day Samuel and his brother came up with the idea of visiting their relative in Kampala. Their aunt approved and gave Samuel’s elder brother some money for the trip. After the boys had arrived in Kampala, Samuel’s brother disappeared and the 11-year-old boy was left all alone in a big city which he had never been to before. He could not remember where his aunt lived. As nobody offered him a hand he had no choice but to live on the streets and beg.

He often fell asleep on an empty stomach. He ate leftovers from restaurant dustbins. At nights he would join other children for fear of adults who were also homeless. Hoping to get some money, these adults mugged children when they were asleep. 

When the Queen of England was visiting Uganda in January 2008, Samuel was arrested. The local authorities simply tried to rid the streets of Kampala of beggars for the visit. Samuel and other children were transported to a prison for juvenile offenders where life was not easy. A few weeks later he and his friends managed to break out. After two days of marching they arrived in Kampala. At the beginning of August, this year the boy finally managed to go back to his home village located a few kilometres of Hoima. All the neighbours greeted him as if he had risen from the death. His aunt was certain he had been dead. She could not believe her eyes. Not only was his nephew safe and sound but he also went to school. Till late night villagers visited the aunt’s home to greet Samuel  despite the fact that the village has not been electrified. Everybody was deeply touched by this reunion. Samuel found out that  his mother was alive.

For a few weeks now the boy is not afraid of speaking English. He has begun to talk to us and smile.

Samuel’s most resent examination results are as follows: mathematics 49 points, science 9 points, social studies 47 points. He did not sit an examination in English. He came 67th among 70 pupils in his class. He will probably continue education in the fourth class.

Waiting for our help:

In the new school year (January 2010) we would like to sponsor 18-year-old Esther Nabutsabi and 26-year-old Faisal Asega. They would resume education in secondary school which they had to give up due to the lack of funding.