Back to school!

Hazel, Jane, Lauren and David had a wonderful time visiting three schools in the Jinja area. We arrived unannounced but were fortunate enough to meet the headteacher at every school.

We started off at Walakuba East Primary School, which has a link to Lauren’s school, Bowdon Church School. The headteacher greeted us warmly and we have arranged to return on Friday to teach the children a lesson on how to respond to the letters they have received from BCS. Walakuba East has 1,200 students in its building - with classes averaging out at 80 students.

Next, we drove down some treacherous roads to get to Masese Primary School. We arrived slightly dishevelled from the journey, but as soon as we arrived we knew it was worth it! The children were delighted to see us and waved enthusiatically with big smiles on their faces. They followed us around wherever we went! Masese Primary School is linked to Broad Heath School in Altrincham. We were delighted to see a picture in the head’s office of Masese staff after receiving gifts from Broad Heath.

The headteacher spent a long time with us, telling us about the school and the struggles they have encountered since funding from The World Health Organisation has been cut. To receive a lunch of posho and beans, parents must pay a termly fee of 70,000 Ugandan Shillings, which equates to roughly £15. We were informed that only 40 children can afford to have a school meal, meaning that the rest of the children do not receive a lunch and therefore go hungry. Having said this, the children could not have been more lovely. We entered a junior classroom, where 60 students were sat cramped around desks. The ages ranged from 12-16 years old. They greeted us with a little chant and listened attentively as we told them about the letters from a school in England. They read the letters with intrigue and delight. We will be receiving their replies very soon.

The final school we went to was called Spire Road Primary School. We have delivered some letters to them and they will soon be writing a reply. We have arranged to return on Friday to teach a geography lesson about the UK. We look forward to returning.