UHST and the Humanist Schools in Uganda have been awarded a grant of 6,500 Euro, which will provide matched funding from UHST towards a Humanist Ethos Project. Steve Hurd is the UK Project Director. The Project Manager in Uganda is Moses Kamya, Director of the Mustard Seed School and other members of the management team are Peter Kisirinya, Director of Isaac Newton High School, Kateera and Robert Bwambale, Director of Kasese Humanist Primary School. Moses is pictured right talking about Humanism at the 1st National Conference of Teachers in Humanist Schools in Uganda.

The aim is to develop a unique Humanist identity for the schools in Uganda. The project will begin with a series of meetings in each of the participating schools. The first task will be to agree on a core set of Humanist values. These will be used in promotional literature for the schools. They will also guide the induction of new staff and a code of conduct for teachers, which all teachers in the schools will be asked to sign. This will include, for example, a pledge to maintain high standards of pastoral care and to rely on guidance rather than violence when dealing with disciplinary issues. This will employ procedures which the schools have worked out with help from a team from VSO which included Chris Smith, a UHST trustee.

The project will also devise strategies for introducing students to Humanist thinking and to embed Humanist values into the governance and practices of the schools. In terms of teaching strategies this will include fostering independent learning using books and web resources, so that students are not solely reliant upon notes dictated by teachers and can learn to evaluate and synthesise arguments from different sources. The schools are also concerned to promote principles of empathy, social concern and active involvement in community issues at local, national and international level. The schools are keen to develop educational links with humanists in other countries.

The project will develop a new website for the Uganda Humanist Schools Association. Promotional materials and powerpoint presentations for use with staff, students and in parent/guardian meetings.

If you are a humanist involved in education and have ideas on how the Humanist Ethos might be fostered in the schools, or can point the Project team to useful resources they could use or adapt then do please email: stevehurd@uhst.org and/or mkmoseskamya@gmail.com. We welcome help from all sources.

I have just returned from a two week visit to Uganda.

During my stay there I spent a lot of time with Peter Kisirinya, Director of Isaac Newton High School, and with Moses Kamya, Director of Mustard Seed School. I was able to spend a few days in each school and talk to staff about the progress of the schools and needs for the future. Attached are detailed reports on each school:

Isaac Newton High School Visit Report February 2015

Mustard Seed Secondary School Visit Report February 2015

My visit coincided with the start of the new school year and, only a few days before, the Primary Leaving Certificate results had been published. So the schools were actively recruiting the new first-year intake. It was clear that the scholarships provided by UHST supporters were helping them to attract some of the brightest primary school leavers. Competition for scholarships was attracting students with their families to see the schools and to demonstrate their enthusiasm to become students there.

In view of the large distances that students have to travel in these rural areas, the existence of good boarding facilities is important to families. They like to know their children will be coming to a caring and a safe environment where they will have good study facilities and a range of activities to give them worthwhile things to do when they are not in lessons. On Sunday, in particular, the schools offer a range of sports, board games, including chess, music, films and opportunities for religious observance for the few who want this. Families were impressed that both schools had very high quality hostel accommodation and washing and sanitary arrangements for boys and girls. The new boys hostels were at the final painting stage so both schools were expecting a further boost in student numbers in 2015. Both schools were planning to split the Senior 1 class to create two parallel streams.

Both school sites were being spruced up for the start of term. The grass was cut, the grounds were being tidied, classrooms and hostels washed out and all furniture was being dusted down and cleaned. There was a general sense of purposefulness about both schools which are turning into self-confident institutions as they move towards becoming self-sustaining.

The former Fair View School at Mbute, which had been transferred to the ownership of Isaac Newton High School two years ago, is facing a challenge from the previous Director, Deo Ssekitooleko. The school, which had been founded as a joint venture between IHEU and UHASSO (the Uganda Humanist Association), had closed after failing two inspections while under Deo’s management. Deo found a job in Rwanda and for the past two years the school has undergone a renaissance under the competent management provided by the Isaac Newton team, led by Peter Kisirinya. However, Deo has returned and attempted to take over again and the school is currently closed while a lawyer employed by IHEU attempts to sort out the legalities. We are hoping the problem will be solved quickly so that students at Mbute will be able to resume their education as soon as possible.

We have received the following report from Moses Kamya, Mustard Seed School’s Director, of a life changing trip to Rwanda for the Mustard Seed girl scouts…

Students had a sleepless night on the night of 25th December eager to set off the next morning of 26th for the East Africa zonal scouts’ Jamboree and competitions. Early in the morning after breakfast, we set off to Jinja first to be hosted by a prominent radio station (Baaba fm) and to bid farewell to the parents and the community. By 10:00am, we set off from Jinja occasionally having bites enroute. We got lunch with Peter Kisirinya, Isaac Newton High School Director, at Nabbingo on Masaka road. Thereafter we proceeded having a stopover at Kayabwe for a picture at the Equator (picture).

We continued with the trip that had turned into a learning tour packed with fun. At Mbarara, we got two tyre punctures in our hired bus which was quite scary; after repairs we continued, reaching Kabaale at night proceeding to Katuna border crossing point into Rwanda. It took us about two hours to clear immigration’s bureaucratic red tape on the Uganda side to cross the Rwanda side where we were subjected to an Ebola test ; by good luck none of us had Ebola. We then began trekking roads with hair-pin bends over steep precipices. We could not exceed 30km/h as we climbed steep hills and the bus consumed far more petrol than we had budgeted for. This was a first time experience for all of us nearly resulting in heart attacks for fear of sliding down steep chasms. By 4:00am, we had reached Kigali. Led by a Boda-boda cyclist, we drove a 20km journey to Ndera where the camp site was located, a place with Eucalyptus trees all over. Girls were given a classroom to sleep in at a nearby school with their female teacher while I, a scouts trainer, driver and co-driver had to sleep in our bus.

Next day was 27th the beginning of the camp (see picture of our scouts’ kit inspection), unfortunately my camera lost the battery, some of the other pics I may have to download from the trainer’s later. We met scouts from Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania. The camp was supposed to end on 2nd but was cut short to close on 30th in the morning. Our scouts did well in the competitions and emerged in the 3rd position in the junior category.

Needing two new tyres and given the high petrol consumption and other expenses the trip cost far more than we had budgeted for. We would have been stranded in Rwanda with insufficient money to get home but for the generous additional help from our UHST supporters, who sent us an emergency transfer of £500 by Western Union in Kigali to enable us complete the camp and return home.

We left Kigali by 1:00pm on the 30th December, first touring Kigali city concluding with Kigali international airport. Kigali is a fine modern city built on a grid pattern with many sky scrapers. Inside Kigali city, we were surprised by the high level of cleanliness, nobody drops litter all streets are tarmaced. Taxis only stop at specific stages. Boda-bodas (motor-bike taxis) carry only one passenger, who must wear a helmet. Policemen act professionally and never accept bribes. This is not the case
with Kampala. Actually it’s the opposite. We were fascinated by the meandering roads on top of cliffs.

On our return journey we slept at Isaac Newton High School in Masaka. This enabled us to visit Nabugabo Lake to allow some relaxation on the beach to relieve us of the stress of the journey. Scouts had fun at the beach taking photos dancing, taking sodas and the tasty fish of this lonely lake without tributaries. On the morning of 31st, we set off for Kamuli. After Kampala we used Kayunga road to enjoy the ferry ride (see picture of students on the Nile ferry) in Mbulamuti enroute to Kamuli. We had to stop at Kayunga town for lunch. We arrived at the Mustard seed school Busota at  5:00pm. All scouts were in good health condition except for one Zaina who had developed malaria in Mbarara on the way back but was treated. Thanks to the experience of our driver, one Jafari who drove us professionally and safely to and fro.

At school, the District scouts Executive committee arranged a function where the DEO was the chief guest to receive the scouts ceremoniously. A series of journalists from local radio stations and national print media were available to cover the occasion. After speeches and drinking a few sodas, we had a wonderful dance celebration (right). It was generally a very wonderful experience for all of us, getting out of Uganda for the very first time. This trip has earned the school  tremendous publicity.

Some of the scouts had this to say about the trip to Rwanda;

It was fun moving on mountainous roads and seeing mulit-storeyed buildings in Rwanda, meeting new friends and going to the beach for the first time. Thank you  Director and all who have made this trip a reality. (Joanex Christine Mukisa-Scout leader)

I was very happy to travel outside Uganda for the first time, something even my parents have never experienced. I have seen lots of other people, different from my tribe the Basoga, my outlook is now
widened. (Gloria Mukyala)

I thank the Mustard seed school for taking us outside Uganda to Rwanda to camp with people from other countries, I have learnt the way different people in Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda behave. I have come to appreciate different cultures. (Evalyn Aketch)

And the District Executive Officer for Kamuli District Scouts urged the scouts to even higher achievements in their academic work: You scouts should know that what you have learnt in scouting can lay a foundation for your future career. Stick to those good values in scouting and no doubt you will be successful. If you could defeat others in scouting, why not in your academic work?