Some years ago the news that children’s education was mandatory and available to all came as a great joy to the uneducated population of Uganda living in Rural Communities.

This rejoicing was short lived however as it was soon announced that fees would have to be paid for all children attending Secondary Education upwards.

 Where the average family in a village consists of 8 children this in practice means that many children fall by the wayside at this juncture.

 As part of their work therefore the Friends of North Kigezi organise a sponsorship programme to enable the education of children of eleven years and above.

 This scheme has meant over the years that a number of children whose education would otherwise have been cut short have been educated to a standard which has enabled them to go on to useful employment.

The average contribution that the charity needs per annum in order to ensure the education a child at secondary level is £240 which is sometimes donated as a single payment per annum or more commonly as a monthly donation of £20.

 This sum ensures that the charity is in a position to guarantee an uninterrupted education of the sponsored child. This sum also covers the cost of the child boarding at the school during the week (travelling is often either too costly or takes too long to be practical on a daily basis).

Children are added to the list of those in need of sponsorship following close liaison between the charity and the headmaster or headmistress of the school. In order to be selected to go onto the list for sponsorship the child will be on the point of dropping out of school due to family hardship and will have to demonstrate through the school a hardworking and dedicated attitude to their schooling. One unexpected but welcome side effect of this approach has been a general improvement in non sponsored children’s dedication to their work as they aspire to the hope of  being recipients of sponsorship.

 Currently the majority of the children supported by the charity are at the Kinyansano girls school in Rukingiri. This school caters for 600 children and currently the charity has 28 children under sponsorship here.

 All sponsors are provided with the name of the child they are actually sponsoring together with a photograph and a letter written personally by the child. Contact between sponsor and child is encouraged but not obligatory.

Please Sponsor a child by donating whatever amount you want to by contacting:

Reverend Ken Berkin or Roger Hill on 01303 261854 and 01303 266649

Friends of North Kigezi Diocese.

UK Registered Charity 1114602