As I reflect on 2012 I am amazed at what has been achieved in Hidden Treasure Primary School and how our journey with Kahara Primary School has begun.
Charlene would be amazed at what has been achieved through the project she started in such a short period of time. The Hidden Treasure Primary School new build was officially opened in August 2011 and 2012 has seen consolidation and growth. The amazing work done there by the Director and teaching staff was evidenced during the visit in June 2012. Currently almost 300 children attend with 100 children sponsored and all children taught at a high level by conscientious teachers and all children receiving a meal in school daily.
During the June visit Kahara Primary School was chosen as the second school of Charlene’s Project. Already the ground has been broken for the building of a second classroom block to replace the mud and straw classroom structure previously used, the agricultural programme begun with money forwarded from this years Big Festive Fry for the sinking of a borehole to bring clean water to the school community early in 2013. It is expected that the 300 children will be in the new school block early in 2013.
The pictures below tell the story – but it would not have been possible without the incredible support of all those who walk this journey with us in Charlene’s Project. Thank you to each one who is part of Charlene’s ongoing legacy.
JUNE TRIP 2012
Packing up hockey sticks and kit for Uganda
Half a ton of hockey and sports equipment leaves for Uganda
Basil, Dickie and Natalie leave for Uganda in June
Introducing Hockey to Hidden Treasure Primary School in June
HIDDEN TREASURE PRIMARY SCHOOL 2012
Work around the Hidden Treasure compound
New School gates going up
Water Harvesting Tanks installed
Generator in position
School connected to mains
Children being taught to use the computer for the first time
Hidden Treasure Children cleaning up their local community
Children receive letters and gifts from Northern Ireland
Children in their sports kits
Teachers receive their new uniforms at Christmas
Children get fitted for their new shoes for Christmas
Sponsor children in their new uniforms
Text Books received from Waringstown Primary School
KAHARA PRIMARY SCHOOL 2012
First impressions of the needs of the school
Some of the children of Kahara Primary School
Building has begun as the people of the community celebrate the ground breaking.
“Having a complete classroom shows that the school is ready for learning. This is what a competition ground looks like; we will have lawyers, doctors, teachers and all sorts of literate people in this community. It has never been the case before,” said Robert Mayamba, one of the parents.
Pupil Violet emphasized how important the new classrooms will be to her and her classmates: “We used to have jiggers (fleas that very painfully burrow under the skin) in our old dusty classroom block. We shall no longer have jiggers.”
The community has every reason to be excited for the second classroom block to be built. Kahara Primary School has been comprised of mud and wattle classrooms for many years. Children have been suffering with jiggers as a result of dust and during the rainy season, the classrooms would leak and the be filled with mud. In these classrooms the children would sit on stones, sticks, or simply on the floor. Through partnering with Build Africa and Charlene’s Project, the school will get the quality infrastructure it needs to truly flourish.
THE BIG FESTIVE FRY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AND MONIES RAISED IS BRINGING WATER TO KAHARA PRIMARY SCHOOL EARLY IN 2013 AND SUPPORTING OUR ONGOING WORK IN HIDDEN TREASURE AND KAHARA. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP THROUGHOUT 2012 AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED WITH THE ONGOING WORK OF CHARLENE’S PROJECT IN UGANDA THROUGHOUT 2013.