Building school kitchen in Elementary school Bugembe Blue

Volunteers of Plavi anđeo Organization came to Elementary school in Bugembe for the first time in 2012. We chose this school because it is the poorest Elementary school in Bugembe, with highest number of children attending (approximately 1200) and least available staff (21 teachers).

It is also the cheapest school and cousins of children attending, find the way to raise a small amount money necessary to enroll children in classes. Some classes have up to 150 children attending. Teachers from all domains are welcome, volunteers as well. School was in bad condition, lunch was prepared out in the open next to wall with 2 big cauldrons. If it was raining outside, they would wait for the rain to stop so they can continue cooking. Numerous times and due to poor weather, children remained without lunch. Back then we wanted to renovate the school and add a big school kitchen. However, it took time and money. First children for sponsorship program were chosen precisely in that school in 2012. The school is in the same condition today as it was back then, there isn’t anybody to invest in it, to renovate it and there is so many children.

That is why now we decided to start collecting donations, first for the school kitchen because it is crucial that there are walls and a roof. The amount necessary for school kitchen is 3000 dollars. That amount of money will be sufficient for adding a big room, a roof, windows and cooking equipment.


We would like you to join us and support us in this project, donate so the children wouldn’t be deprived of that one meal per day. For so many children, that would be the only meal per day.

Here is a little history about school itself:
Elementary school Bugembe Blue was founded in 1947, based on Islamic values and offering formal western education besides religious one. The school is located next to a motorway in village Budumbuli West, in district Bugembe. During its beginnings, school had one building with seven classrooms (for seven grades of elementary school) and it was for the children from local villages of county Bugembe. During the early 80’s , the Government of Uganda was responsible for managing the school and introducing mandatory elementary education. In 2002, the Government built two additional school blocks. However, despite adding two additional blocks, it was not enough for increased number of children from Bugembe and local villages to be attending. This situation forced School Management to keep half of the children to attend classes in an old, ruined part, and it that way putting their lives in danger.


Other school facilities like playground, water source, toilets, urinals and kitchen are either in a very bad shape or they do not exist at all. Girls share toilets and urinals with boys. Teacher also share similar facilities which completely reduces everybody’s privacy.


Despite the fact that lunch is provided for pupils, Elementary school Bugembe Blue does not have a kitchen, storage room or dining room, a space where lunch would be prepared or served, nor it has furniture, plates and other kitchen appliances. Food is prepared out in the open, in an improvised space next to the motorway which makes it extremely unhealthy for consummation. Kitchen staff is often faced with bad weather what forces them to stop preparing food. When the wind is blowing, so much dust ends up in food prepared for the children. Instead of using larder and kitchen appliances, all dishes and food that should be located in the larder, are being held in Principal’s office. Children usually bring their own cups and plates and hold them in classrooms and that, of course, obstructs them in actual attending. Currently the school counts 931 pupils and 21 teachers including other school staff. Most of the children here are orphans from the poorest of neighborhoods - slums of Bugembea and surrounding area.


In that school we interviewed for the first time the poorest of children and took them into our sponsorship program. After child was taken care of from the part of the sponsor, we would relocate them in better and suitable schools in Bugembe. Last year we also interviewed some children and accepted fifty children into sponsorship program. For most of them, sponsors were found.


Dear all, let’s all contribute to help these children and make their stay in school a bit easier. Every donation from your part intended for this project will be used exactly for what it was intended.

 

Donations can be paid on the account of Plavi anđeo Organization:

IBAN HR6924020061100610644, Erste bank (donation paid in Erste bank are without a fee)

Purpose of payment: donation for building school kitchen

Model of payment, if necessary: month of payment-year of payment (08-2016)

"We can’t all do great deeds, but we can do small ones with great love” Mother Teresa