The Mustard Seed Humanist Primary and Secondary Schools are in a very poor area which has become marginal for cultivation due to climate change. Local farmers are now only getting one crop a year, instead of two and even that can fail in a dry year. Family savings have been used up during the covid debacle and they will not have crops to harvest for at least another month.
Families were finding it very difficult to send their children back to school. Many could not afford shoes and they certainly lack money for the other school essentials like uniforms and scholastic materials.
Mustard Seed Children returning to school
After January 10th, when schools reopened, children were drifting back to school very slowly. At the secondary school, which had 600 students before the pandemic, only 140 returned in the first 2 weeks. The new primary school is starting from scratch. Most of the Muslim children who were there before are not being allowed by their parents to join a secular school, though some have. So, a school with a capacity of 400 is operating with 60 children – again others are drifting in slowly.
Moses Kamya, the schools’ Director, approached us for specific help. Moses had the idea that it would help if the school could provide returning and new students with:
– School uniforms
– scholastic materials such as exercise books, pens, mathematical sets, reams of paper, colours, uniforms, calculators,etc.
Providing the requisites to 300 children would cost £2,000. This, he felt, would greatly relieve family finances and enable many more children to return.
UHST funds were stretched but to help us one of our regular supporters agreed to donate the proceeds from his birthday Facebook fundraiser to help meet this challenge.
The success had been almost immediate. Almost 300 extra children have returned to the high school in the past 2 weeks, pushing enrolment towards 450 and there are now 200 in the primary school. The school and children are delighted to have received this really targeted assistance at a critical time.
Mustard Seed School teachers ready for the restart
A BBC team has visited Kanungu Humanist Primary School. They were making a programme for World Service “Africa Eye” TV on the growth of Humanism and the Humanist Schools in Uganda.
Robert Magara showed them around his new school, which has been built near the site of the world’s worst religious cult massacre. Robert enjoyed having an opportunity to tell the world about the Kanungu massacre and his efforts to build a school which welcomed children from all sections of his divided local community to help heal the wounds of a dark past.
BBC team interviewing Robert Magara, Director of Kanungu Humanist School
Here is part of his report:
“The BBC visit for the Kanungu Humanist Primary School opening went very well. On 28th Jan 2022 Friday early in the morning, I warmly welcomed the BBC team: Peter Macjob, Chris Alcock and Steve Ayeny. Also present were Peter Kisirinya and Moses Kamya, representing Uganda Humanist Schools Association. Our school children were extremely happy to be the centre of the world’s attention! It is an event that they and their families will never forget.
BBC reporter Chris Alcock enthusing Kanungu children
The team filmed the school and the children, getting overhead shots using a drone, which caused a lot of excitement. I was interviewed as we walked together around the school. The team observed and spoke with children and teachers in class.
I took them from the school to the cult site. We spent about 5 hours there. I told them what happened in 2000 with the massacre. My friend Gasheka, a neighbour and relative, gave his eyewitness account of the poisoning and burning of 800 villagers in the church, which included his wife, and we visited their mass grave.
When we returned to the school, I was happy to be interviewed and have an opportunity to give my replies to a host of questions, including:
What inspired me to become a humanist?
Why did I start a humanist school in Kanungu in a religious community,
Where did I get the funds to construct a school like this in Kanungu?
Are there other humanist schools in Kanungu?
Will the children become Humanists and will this continue when they leave the primary school?
How do we teach the children. Do we teach religion?
How do we recruit teachers? Are they humanists?
How do we pay teachers? Where do the teachers stay?
Where do I get money to help children who cannot pay fees?
Do I have expectations of big numbers of students in our school?
What makes this a humanist school?
Do I give the students freedom to go to their churches? What of the teachers?
They also, surprisingly, asked me if I was religious?
The resulting discussion took us about 7 hours. I was very pleased to have an opportunity to answer such searching questions. I explained the tremendous support that we have received from Uganda Humanist Schools Trust. Without their help the completion of the school to the present level, would have been impossible. Chris Alcock from the BBC was very happy with their visit and he sent warm messages of appreciation.”
Bringing together parents and teachers at Katumba Parents Humanist Primary School to form a Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) was an important landmark in the school’s development. The school has chosen to place the AHA’s “10 Commitments” at the forefront of its efforts to promote Positive Humanist values in the school and wider community. The 10 Commitments adorn the front wall of the school building. Humanist schools in Uganda are finding that local people embrace this inclusive statement of Humanist values, whatever their religious or personal beliefs. The 10 Commitments are an excellent template for a good school and for a good society.*
Happy parents at the founding meeting of Katumba Humanist School Parent-Teachers Association
Here is an account of the launch of Katumba Humanist School’s Parent-Teacher Association by Juma Irumba Siriwayo, the school’s Director:
“Today for sure was a joyful and interesting day in the history of the new Katumba Humanist Nursery and Primary School.
Amos Bandaliza a retired primary school head teacher was elected as our PTA committee Chair. In his acceptance speech to the parents and media team, Amos promised to ensure that academic performance and collaboration between teachers and parents were enhanced in the school.
For my part, I presented the newly-elected chairperson with the school’s Humanist values and our Humanist code of conduct, which each teacher must sign when they join the school. I thoroughly explained the implications of Katumba’s Humanist Ethos for the day-to-day conduct of teachers and children. Parents showed a great willingness to support the school’s Humanist values.
Katumba’s newly elected PTA Committee members
I outlined the tremendous support that Katumba had received from Uganda Humanist Schools Trust and read out a speech from Steve Hurd, Chair of UHST, who was unable to travel due to Covid restrictions. The speech explained to parents that UHST is strongly committed to building the school up to a high standard in terms of buildings, facilities, staff support, books and learning materials. Steve congratulated everyone involved with Katumba Humanist School on the progress that has been made over the past 2 years. He intends that Uganda Humanist Schools Trust will be a good friend and partner to the Katumba Community for years to come.”
*Activities for school students based on the 10 Commitments can be found on our Human Studies Resource Bank.
Posted: February 3, 2022 by Steve Hurd
School recruitment crisis averted
The Mustard Seed Humanist Primary and Secondary Schools are in a very poor area which has become marginal for cultivation due to climate change. Local farmers are now only getting one crop a year, instead of two and even that can fail in a dry year. Family savings have been used up during the covid debacle and they will not have crops to harvest for at least another month.
Families were finding it very difficult to send their children back to school. Many could not afford shoes and they certainly lack money for the other school essentials like uniforms and scholastic materials.
After January 10th, when schools reopened, children were drifting back to school very slowly. At the secondary school, which had 600 students before the pandemic, only 140 returned in the first 2 weeks. The new primary school is starting from scratch. Most of the Muslim children who were there before are not being allowed by their parents to join a secular school, though some have. So, a school with a capacity of 400 is operating with 60 children – again others are drifting in slowly.
Moses Kamya, the schools’ Director, approached us for specific help. Moses had the idea that it would help if the school could provide returning and new students with:
– School uniforms
– scholastic materials such as exercise books, pens, mathematical sets, reams of paper, colours, uniforms, calculators,etc.
Providing the requisites to 300 children would cost £2,000. This, he felt, would greatly relieve family finances and enable many more children to return.
UHST funds were stretched but to help us one of our regular supporters agreed to donate the proceeds from his birthday Facebook fundraiser to help meet this challenge.
The success had been almost immediate. Almost 300 extra children have returned to the high school in the past 2 weeks, pushing enrolment towards 450 and there are now 200 in the primary school. The school and children are delighted to have received this really targeted assistance at a critical time.
Posted: February 2, 2022 by Steve Hurd
BBC Film Crew visits Kanungu
A BBC team has visited Kanungu Humanist Primary School. They were making a programme for World Service “Africa Eye” TV on the growth of Humanism and the Humanist Schools in Uganda.
Robert Magara showed them around his new school, which has been built near the site of the world’s worst religious cult massacre. Robert enjoyed having an opportunity to tell the world about the Kanungu massacre and his efforts to build a school which welcomed children from all sections of his divided local community to help heal the wounds of a dark past.
Here is part of his report:
“The BBC visit for the Kanungu Humanist Primary School opening went very well. On 28th Jan 2022 Friday early in the morning, I warmly welcomed the BBC team: Peter Macjob, Chris Alcock and Steve Ayeny. Also present were Peter Kisirinya and Moses Kamya, representing Uganda Humanist Schools Association. Our school children were extremely happy to be the centre of the world’s attention! It is an event that they and their families will never forget.
The team filmed the school and the children, getting overhead shots using a drone, which caused a lot of excitement. I was interviewed as we walked together around the school. The team observed and spoke with children and teachers in class.
I took them from the school to the cult site. We spent about 5 hours there. I told them what happened in 2000 with the massacre. My friend Gasheka, a neighbour and relative, gave his eyewitness account of the poisoning and burning of 800 villagers in the church, which included his wife, and we visited their mass grave.
When we returned to the school, I was happy to be interviewed and have an opportunity to give my replies to a host of questions, including:
The resulting discussion took us about 7 hours. I was very pleased to have an opportunity to answer such searching questions. I explained the tremendous support that we have received from Uganda Humanist Schools Trust. Without their help the completion of the school to the present level, would have been impossible. Chris Alcock from the BBC was very happy with their visit and he sent warm messages of appreciation.”
Posted: January 22, 2022 by Steve Hurd
New Katumba PTA embraces Humanist Commitments
Bringing together parents and teachers at Katumba Parents Humanist Primary School to form a Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) was an important landmark in the school’s development. The school has chosen to place the AHA’s “10 Commitments” at the forefront of its efforts to promote Positive Humanist values in the school and wider community. The 10 Commitments adorn the front wall of the school building. Humanist schools in Uganda are finding that local people embrace this inclusive statement of Humanist values, whatever their religious or personal beliefs. The 10 Commitments are an excellent template for a good school and for a good society.*
Here is an account of the launch of Katumba Humanist School’s Parent-Teacher Association by Juma Irumba Siriwayo, the school’s Director:
“Today for sure was a joyful and interesting day in the history of the new Katumba Humanist Nursery and Primary School.
Amos Bandaliza a retired primary school head teacher was elected as our PTA committee Chair. In his acceptance speech to the parents and media team, Amos promised to ensure that academic performance and collaboration between teachers and parents were enhanced in the school.
For my part, I presented the newly-elected chairperson with the school’s Humanist values and our Humanist code of conduct, which each teacher must sign when they join the school. I thoroughly explained the implications of Katumba’s Humanist Ethos for the day-to-day conduct of teachers and children. Parents showed a great willingness to support the school’s Humanist values.
I outlined the tremendous support that Katumba had received from Uganda Humanist Schools Trust and read out a speech from Steve Hurd, Chair of UHST, who was unable to travel due to Covid restrictions. The speech explained to parents that UHST is strongly committed to building the school up to a high standard in terms of buildings, facilities, staff support, books and learning materials. Steve congratulated everyone involved with Katumba Humanist School on the progress that has been made over the past 2 years. He intends that Uganda Humanist Schools Trust will be a good friend and partner to the Katumba Community for years to come.”
*Activities for school students based on the 10 Commitments can be found on our Human Studies Resource Bank.