News

It has been a busy time in Jinja, with the schools having just completed a full school year for the first time in three years. This year has not been without its challenges but with plenty of support educationally and offering food every day most children have returned to class and are thriving. Offering a simple porridge every morning so parents will send their children to school knowing they will be fed. The planting program set up in all schools and children’s homes during lockdown is a great success. Working towards sustainable meals with surplus to help support the school and homes. Continued teacher training and educational monitoring of all children gives the best possible education. 

Providing porridge and planting for future meals makes healthy children, able to make the most of their education. 

The children are confident performers and love to put on a show for any passing visitors. We were treated at every school! 

During our visit last week Jon, Smita and I were able to see how the new Twinkle nursery is being built, all ready for the new school year in February. Twinkle will then be completely rebuilt, this school was a few corrugated iron huts 4 years ago now offers excellent education to 680 primary school children, with 260 boarders in a safe, comfortable, welcoming environment. 

All this was possible as we work together to offer the youngest and most vulnerable children a safer, brighter, and successful future. Life is often very harsh in Uganda but knowing they have our continued support through all of you and the JET team on the ground, gives hope and aspiration. 

Our plans for next year will be to continue to support all communities with food and educational support. At the same time, we need to ensure all schools have ongoing structural improvement to make them safe and welcoming places to learn. 

We still need to have a sickbay in each school to be able to isolate children and stop the spread of disease. 

We plan on a small IT room for each school so they can access online learning and the teachers access further training. 

The dormitories in another of our schools are in urgent need of a rebuild as the current ones are not fit for purpose. 

We anticipate that things will be very difficult with the recession, with the added challenge of schools once again closed to stop the spread of Ebola. We have faced difficult times before and with your support we can find a way through this time too. 

Thank you from all of us, we appreciate your standing by us, we really couldn’t do all we do without your continued support. 

Sue, 

All trustees, JET team, children and staff.