Many of us are worried about the world’s problems but feel that, as individuals, we cannot make much difference. However, Humanists tend to believe that small acts of kindness, repeated many times across the globe, have the potential to make the whole world a better place. This philosophy underpins the work of the Humanist Schools in Uganda. The schools are in rural communities where families struggle to survive. Parents work hard to find money to educate their children, but often need additional help from extended family, friends and well-wishers in other countries. The Humanist schools do their best to keep bright, hard-working children in school. UHST supporters in Britain, the USA and elsewhere in the world help by providing scholarships for some of the neediest children, such as orphans and those with a struggling single parent.

The difference that education makes was demonstrated at Mustard Seed Humanist School this week. The school held a small party to celebrate the graduation from Kampala University of two former students who are now teaching at the school. Hellen Namaganda gained a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Saidat Mukasa a B.A. Education (Hons) in Economics and History. We are grateful to them both for allowing us to tell their stories.

UHST supporters provided a full scholarship for Hellen from 2010 to 2016. She enjoyed her time at school and her A-levels made her eligible to attend university, but her grades were not sufficient to gain one of the few government scholarships. After leaving school and failing to raise funds to pay university fees, she had a tough time. Hellen was forced into a traditional marriage and she conceived two baby boys. The marriage broke down and she returned to live with her mother who continues to help her to bring up the children. Seeing that she needed help, Moses Kamya offered her a teaching post, which provided a salary and covered her part-time university fees. This was a win-win. The school gained an extra teacher. Her inexperience was more than compensated by her knowledge and commitment to the ethos of the Humanist School. Hellen herself gained a lifeline and a means to support her two growing boys. 

Saidat Mukasa came to the school as an orphan. Since losing both parents his grandmother struggled to keep him in school. He did well in his O-level exams but during A-levels, his grandmother’s health deteriorated, and she could no longer find the money to keep Saidat in school. Recognising his potential, the school stepped in to help. Saidat taught, as an unqualified teacher, while the school paid for him to study part time for a Teaching Certificate. He upgraded the Certificate to a Diploma and finally to a B.Ed(Hons) degree in Economics and History.

Both Hellen and Saidat are now very happy to be established members of the teaching staff at Mustard Seed School. Hellen is enjoying teaching Agriculture and Saidat is making his mark as a teacher of Economics and Entrepreneurship. The kindness they have received has helped them both to get a good start in life and they are enjoying being able to make a valuable contribution to their school and wider community. 

UHST has just launched an appeal to bring secondary schooling to the remote Katumba community on Uganda’s Congo border. If we get a good response it will enable children to complete their education from kindergarten to O-level without needing to leave their home community.

To make the expansion affordable, staff rooms, computer room, library, playing field and multi-purpose hall will be shared with the existing primary school. 

The 1^st Phase of the work will cost £35,000. It will enable the construction of:

• Multi-purpose hall. This will enable the school to register as an examination centre, so that children can take national exams within the school, as well as being used for music, dance, drama, debates and school and community activities.
• Senior 1 classroom and Science Lab with storeroom, water supply and sinks. This will enable children completing their primary schooling in 2023 to start Senior 1 of their secondary schooling in February 2024 and to learn science by doing science.

For further information see:

March 2023 Katumba Report          Fundraising Leaflet

Our latest visit to Isaac Newton School was a good opportunity to reflect on the huge impact the school has made on its community since it was founded in 2005.

In 2023 the school is riding high in the district rankings: 4th of 36 schools at O-level and top school out of 21 at A-level.

This year’s performance was inconceivable when the school opened in 2005. At that time:

• The school had a single building with 2 classrooms and a staffroom. It had earth floors, and bare, unpainted brick walls. The land had been cleared, the bricks hand-made and the building constructed by volunteers.
• The first hall was under construction. Newly made bricks were drying in stacks.
• The area’s population was decimated by HIV/AIDS. Many parents of working age had died. Gravestones still stand in fields among the crops evidencing the catastrophe.
• Empty houses, whose occupants had died, were falling into disrepair. Gardens, footpaths and even roads were becoming overgrown. Crop yields and incomes were at rock bottom. Even the coffee crop had been hit by a wilt disease.
• The first parent’s meeting was attended by grandparents who had become sole carers of their grandchildren. They appeared tired and demoralised.

Today the situation has been transformed. Isaac Newton is a fine school which educates village children from nursery to A-level. 

Read the full Isaac Newton Report.