Ugandaid

Mrs Morrow is going to Uganda in February.  See below for a letter from her.

Dear Parents,

            Over the last few years our school has been supporting ‘Ugandaid’. This small charity supports young people in Uganda in getting an education and training at the ‘Nile Institute’ near Jinja, so they can then work and support themselves and others. It also undertakes practical ‘on the ground’ projects, such as refurbishing schools, supporting the building of homes and training village representatives to deliver key health messages back in their villages.

As a school we sponsor two students and some staff members also support a student personally and, for each of the last seven years, the school has also sent a teacher to join the Ugandaid team across the February half term, as they visit the projects and help with the work. Last year I was immensely privileged to go and I can confirm that I will also be going in 2016, for the second - and final - time. The reasons I am going back are many. The sheer, grinding poverty was so depressing but the effects we were able to have on the lives of those we were in contact with, made all the efforts worthwhile. Additionally, when I was there, I developed a very real and important relationship with our school students –two of the sweetest young adults you could ever meet - and I would like to see them one more time before they graduate to help ‘set them up’.  I really appreciate the school allowing me to do this but would stress that it is definitely not a ‘jolly’ as I have paid for myself to get there and will lose my half term holiday.  In addition, I know I will have to work very hard when I arrive!  All the money I raise will, therefore, support the charity.

As a condition of joining the team, each person must contribute as much as possible to the projects we will work on so we can make a difference whilst there. I am, of course, very aware of all the other very worthy demands on your kindness at the moment but, once again, am asking for your support as I endeavour to raise money over the next few months. Last year lots of you helped me enormously and I really hope you will not mind me asking again. ANY donations will be gratefully received! As far as possible too, I’d like the fund-raising to involve the children as this is, first and foremost, their charity. Just to kick things off, our kind caretaker has given me a large ‘bottle shaped’ money-box which will be put near the office for any ‘loose change’ you may have and there will be a repeat of the –VERY popular!!- cake sale soon. However, our first main event is to be a colouring competition. There will be a small charge of £1 for entering and prizes for the children who colour it in the most imaginative way for their age group. (Multiple entries are, of course, encouraged...!!) If your child would like to take part – and I hope many will do so - please simply send in £1 and he/she will be sent home with a colouring sheet.

Thank you very much for your support, Karen Morrow (Year Five teacher)