The Kichwamba Project 2007
Two teachers from Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School in Leeds spent their summer holiday living and working in Kichwamba, Uganda.
Ellen Vickerstaff and Michelle Ryan flew from Heathrow to Entebbe on 25 July, returning on 21 August after “the most life-changing and rewarding experience of our lives”.
The 700 inhabitants of Kichwamba live mainly in mud huts with corrugated iron sheets as a roof. Up to 200 people share two taps and a community toilet which is a hole in the ground. Most of the population are young, the life expectancy being 47 for men and 49 for women.
In 2002 Father Diido opened Kichwamba High School, a Catholic school for 400 pupils.
Two years ago, twelve students from Newcastle joined the local priest Father Emmanuel to build an orphanage and help create a religious community.
“We wanted to continue the work that our friends from university had started,” said Michelle. “The young people are so warm and happy. We just wanted to teach”.
In Kichwamba, you go to school when you can afford to. All the children pay - £200 per year to board, £100 for non-boarders and the primary school children pay £20 for each term. Teachers earn about £50 a month”.
Ellen and Michelle spent a year raising money to fund their project.
“The school does not have text books and so the day we arrived we went to the nearest town Mbarara to collect some books and place an order for some more. We also found the local carpenter and he got to work building some furniture for the new library”.
Ellen taught Christian Religious Education and Michelle taught Mathematics and Computing.
“We used pictures of computers because the school does not have any real ones yet. No electricity posed a bit of a challenge as well.”
By the time Ellen and Michelle left for home the Mount St Mary’s Library was finished and in use.
“There is so much still to do. We would like an unfinished building to become a computer room”.
Back in Leeds a penpal scheme has been started to begin to establish links between the two schools.
”We still need a lot of help. We particularly need books and computers and then we have to find a way of shipping equipment to Kichwamba. We would also like to start a sponsorship scheme to allow more children to go to school”.
The main source of income in Kichwamba is from plantations growing mainly bananas. Orphans often have to carry on the work of their dead parents in order to survive.
“The children are so keen to come to school and learn but they have to keep an eye on their land. Left unguarded their bananas are stolen and their livelihood is gone”.
“Seen through our eyes the children can seem to have so little but you have to take care not to apply your own expectations. They praise God each day for what they have. They pray for what they need not what they want”.
If anyone would like to help in any way with equipment or shipping or if you would like to sponsor a child please contact Ellen or Michelle at Mount St Mary’s High School on 0113 2455248