In my September 13th News Blog I asked if supporters would like to help Mustard Seed School’s Girl Scouts who, following their success in a national scouting competition, have been asked to represent Uganda in the East African Jamboree in Kigali, Rwanda. The cost is £2,200 and, so far, we have received no offers of support. This is a difficult one and I have already indicated in the blog that I felt it was difficult to justify paying other than a small part of this from existing funds (see https://uhst.org/latest-news/)
We are used to dealing with difficult decisions. Whenever we decide to send money to the schools, we know that we are using funds that could have gone on some other pressing need. When we started the charity we said we would aim to always make the immediate improvement in education for the children in the schools as our priority. This puts a strong weighting on resources to improve teaching and learning for current students. However, we soon realised that children who are thirsty do not concentrate well. So ensuring that each school has good supplies of safe and palatable drinking water became an important educational priority. There is also a constant tension with the need to improve the infrastructure of the schools so that students have a better learning environment.
To set the £2,200 for the girl scouts in perspective, we give each secondary school £800-£1000 each year to buy books, £400-£500 on science materials and a similar amount on such things as maintaining computer networks, art, sports and music or meeting shortfalls of money to pay staff wages. The same sum would bring one or two of the school Directors to Britain to undertake a speaking tour, which would inform our supporters and Humanist groups around the country about the work of the schools and, in the process, help with fundraising.
That said the opportunity to build on the success of the girl scouts would bring a huge psychological boost to the students and staff at Mustard Seed School, raise its standing within the community and undoubtedly aid recruitment. Already news of the girls’ success has boosted the school. The latest email from Moses Kamya says:
“Last Friday, the District Education officer of Kamuli awarded our scouts with certificates acquired from the last national competitions at school, he promised them Uganda Shillings 500.000= (£120) towards their expenses to attend the Jamboree. The presentation was covered in both local radio stations and in the “Daily Monitor”, a Uganda national newspaper. This has prompted the woman member of parliament for Kamuli district to invite us to her home at the end of this month; hopefully she will offer a further small contribution.
Our girl scouts moods are upbeat; are you having any success in raising funds for them to go to Rwanda? We need to confirm whether they can attend very soon. The picture below shows the press visit to our school for the presentation of the certificate.”
UHST reserves are low at moment, because it is our policy to hold minimal reserves and to get money donated by supporters to the schools as soon as we possibly can. In the savings account we have sufficient funds to pay for 130 scholarships for one term and we have £7,000 in our current account, but £5,000 of this is already committed to meeting the final payment on the boys’ hostel at Isaac Newton High School (Kateera) and we need to find money for solar power for the new hostel.
If you feel you would like to help the girls go to the Jamboree then you can donate through the website www.ugandahumanistschoolstrust.org/donate (please add a note to say the money is for the Girl Scouts), alternatively cheques can be sent to: UHST (Girl Scouts Appeal), 31 Greenmeadows Road, Madeley, Crewe CW3 9EY.
Posted: December 1, 2014 by Steve Hurd
Favourable mention for UHST in Guardian Newspaper
UHST was mentioned favourably today in Julian Baggini’s Guardian blog:
Posted: October 20, 2014 by Steve Hurd
Fond memories of Jean Davies
Jean was a strong supporter of UHST and of the Humanist Schools in Uganda.
At the British Humanist Association Conference in Leeds in 2013 she made a remarkable intervention on behalf of the charity. She interrupted one of the final meetings of the conference and said that instead of “just talking” the conference members could make a real difference to the world by supporting the endeavours of the Humanist schools in Uganda. She organised an impromptu collection using buckets and boxes, saying she would match any sum of money donated by the conference delegates. This she did and the appeal raised almost £1000, which went towards the construction of hostel accommodation to improve the living conditions of students at the schools.
Jean was a highly principled and feisty lady with an endearing nature. What she did has helped to make a difference to the lives of generations of young people at the Humanist Schools in Uganda. She has a warm place in our hearts and we will remember her as a very special person.
Posted: October 4, 2014 by Steve Hurd
Mustard Seed Girl Scouts: a funding dilemma
We are used to dealing with difficult decisions. Whenever we decide to send money to the schools, we know that we are using funds that could have gone on some other pressing need. When we started the charity we said we would aim to always make the immediate improvement in education for the children in the schools as our priority. This puts a strong weighting on resources to improve teaching and learning for current students. However, we soon realised that children who are thirsty do not concentrate well. So ensuring that each school has good supplies of safe and palatable drinking water became an important educational priority. There is also a constant tension with the need to improve the infrastructure of the schools so that students have a better learning environment.
To set the £2,200 for the girl scouts in perspective, we give each secondary school £800-£1000 each year to buy books, £400-£500 on science materials and a similar amount on such things as maintaining computer networks, art, sports and music or meeting shortfalls of money to pay staff wages. The same sum would bring one or two of the school Directors to Britain to undertake a speaking tour, which would inform our supporters and Humanist groups around the country about the work of the schools and, in the process, help with fundraising.
That said the opportunity to build on the success of the girl scouts would bring a huge psychological boost to the students and staff at Mustard Seed School, raise its standing within the community and undoubtedly aid recruitment. Already news of the girls’ success has boosted the school. The latest email from Moses Kamya says:
“Last Friday, the District Education officer of Kamuli awarded our scouts with certificates acquired from the last national competitions at school, he promised them Uganda Shillings 500.000= (£120) towards their expenses to attend the Jamboree. The presentation was covered in both local radio stations and in the “Daily Monitor”, a Uganda national newspaper. This has prompted the woman member of parliament for Kamuli district to invite us to her home at the end of this month; hopefully she will offer a further small contribution.
Our girl scouts moods are upbeat; are you having any success in raising funds for them to go to Rwanda? We need to confirm whether they can attend very soon. The picture below shows the press visit to our school for the presentation of the certificate.”
UHST reserves are low at moment, because it is our policy to hold minimal reserves and to get money donated by supporters to the schools as soon as we possibly can. In the savings account we have sufficient funds to pay for 130 scholarships for one term and we have £7,000 in our current account, but £5,000 of this is already committed to meeting the final payment on the boys’ hostel at Isaac Newton High School (Kateera) and we need to find money for solar power for the new hostel.
If you feel you would like to help the girls go to the Jamboree then you can donate through the website www.ugandahumanistschoolstrust.org/donate (please add a note to say the money is for the Girl Scouts), alternatively cheques can be sent to: UHST (Girl Scouts Appeal), 31 Greenmeadows Road, Madeley, Crewe CW3 9EY.