Help us to fund income-generating projects at KAASO to retain valuable teachers during this difficult Covid lockdown period.
International
Update 28th September 2021: Uganda has now been in a second nation-wide lockdown since early June 2021 with all schools across Uganda closed for almost 4 months and counting with no guarantee that schools will reopen this year. Many students have now been out of school for almost two years and the situation is incredibly difficult.
To make matters worse, KAASO, classified as a 'private school', receives no government support to help their teachers though this difficult time but, with no schools fees coming in, it's impossible for KAASO to keep paying their teachers. All donations received from this fundraiser are going towards a new initiative created by Dominic and Rose at KAASO to establish income-generating projects for KAASO teachers to help keep them connected to the school, as well as providing much-needed funds and motivation during these hard times. So far, the teachers have engaged in creating a piggery, a poultry project, goat-rearing, brick-making and agricultural projects such as watermelon gardens and other crops and seedlings.
Thank you for your ongoing support to help keep these projects afloat!
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Original Message: KAASO has suffered hugely during Covid, with the school closed by government mandate from March - October 2020. In October, only the final year Primary Seven students were allowed to resume classes and throughout 2021, other classes have slowly been able to return.
While it's wonderful to have the children back at school, the major challenge KAASO now faces is that strict Covid safety measures have meant the school is now suffering under a heavy burden of additional costs. Where one teacher used to take a class, two or three teachers are now required for the same number of students due to stringent social distancing measures. Dormitories that used to house double decker bunks are now required to have single beds only, spaced 2 metres apart, creating a severe lack of dormitory space - and a need for more matrons. Hand washing stations have had to be erected around the school as well as temperature guns purchased for daily temperature checks and a constant stream of disinfectant is needed to comply with the twice-daily sterilising that must take place in each classroom.
To make matters worse, many of the fee-paying students at KAASO are no longer able to afford to pay school fees (or partial fees) and so while outgoings have increased, incoming funds have decreased.
All of this means that the impressive juggling act KAASO once ran which enabled the fee paying students to cover those unable to afford school fees is becoming unsustainable and the school is struggling to make ends meet. We are asking for donations to our urgent Covid relief fund to help cover the cost in the short term of teacher salaries and wages for non-teaching staff during this difficult time.
Emma's new page for KAASO: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/kaaso-christmas-bunk-bed-fundraiser
I am the Volunteer Coordinator at KAASO and have been visiting KAASO regularly since 2009 when I first volunteered at the school for six months. I coordinate fundraising efforts for KAASO around the world.
The funds donated will go directly into covering the costs of teacher salaries and wages for non-teaching staff at KAASO (matrons, cooks, gardeners and administration staff). This is a short-term relief fund until Covid restrictions begin to ease.
KAASO Teacher’s Covid Relief Project Fund Update 9 December 2021
Thank you so much to you all - our incredibly generous donors who have helped support the KAASO teachers through this difficult Covid time. While many schools around Uganda have been losing teachers who have gone in search of other opportunities, KAASO has been able to retain the numerous teachers who have participated in these income-generating projects – all thanks to this relief fund.
With schools due to go back in January, we are so excited that the teachers will finally be back in the classrooms doing what they do best – teaching children – but this does not mark the end of the line for these projects. They have all been designed to operate alongside the teachers’ school commitments and will continue to help supplement their incomes in years to come. These projects will help keep teachers loyal to KAASO and enable them to earn extra money to help shape the futures of their own families.
Thank you so much for the faith you have put in us and the hope you have given these teachers through an incredibly difficult time. We are all so very grateful.
Please find below an appreciation letter from Dominic on behalf of the teachers and the KAASO community.
With thanks and love,
Emma, Dominic, Rose and the KAASO Family xxx
To Our Beloved Donors
Re: APPRECIATION FOR COVID TEACHERS’ PROJECT SUPPORT
On behalf of the School Management Committee and Administration of St Paul KAASO Primary School, I hereby humbly forward our appreciation to you our donors for your generosity to our school staff during this difficult time of the Covid Pandemic.
The support you sent us was given to our staff to set up projects in groups according to their wish and the following are the projects that they are involved in:
The poultry project which has a team of 13 members of staff, the piggery project with a team of 15 members, the goat keeping project with 6 members, the brick/blocks making project with 6 members, the nursery bed project with 11 members and the fruit and vegetable growing project with 8 members. Some of the staff are involved in more than one project i.e. to say they cross from one project to another.
These projects have benefited the school, the staff and individual teachers with their families in the following ways:
Retaining of teachers. All staff members involved in these projects have shown interest in working with KAASO for more years. (So many schools in the country have lost their staff as they have been taken up in other businesses during the lockdown) but most our staff are still with us.
There has been promotion of team spirit and working together among the staff members.
Our staff have been engaged throughout the lockdown period.
The staff have gained skills and knowledge of sustainable Agriculture and economics.
These projects have proved to be models in our community and district and as a result they have attracted many people to come and witness how they are being run.
All these projects are going to continue even after the lockdown and we hope to expand them to the family members of our staff.
We really very grateful and appreciative to your positive response to our call through madam Emma and we promise to work hard to sustain these projects.
I remain yours faithfully,
Dominic Kalinzi Mukwaya
DIRECTOR KAASO UGANDA.
Thank you so much for your donation Temepara, the KAASO family is so grateful to you for all you have been doing to help support us! Emma
Thank you so much Siân, I'm so grateful for your kind words about my book and your generous donation. The KAASO family is so thankful and will be sure to put this to good use!
Thank you so much for your beautiful words, I'm so glad you found my book and that it touched you. Thank you for your generous donation, we are all so grateful.
Thank you so much for your kind donation, we will be sure to put this to good use! These donations really make a huge difference so thank you for your generosity and support.
Thank you so much Mel, Glenn, Hollie & Larni for your amazing ongoing support for the KAASO family xxx
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