Trustee Report from Jenny's Visit to Uganda: 5th–17th December 2009 and 24th January–2nd February 2010
The purpose of Jenny's visit was to do some preparatory work before Rachel and James’s visit. She visited several past and current projects, including Home of Joy, Sanyu Babies’ Home, Mulago Hospital, Kids in Need and St Philomena’s Babies’ Home, and was able to do some administrative preparation for Mikwano’s NGO registration.
She returned in January 2010 to support the nurse at Providence Home and to assess the suitability of adopting this home as one of our projects.
Trustee Report from Visit to Uganda February 2010
1.1 Trustees visiting Uganda
Rachel Turner and James Armson
1.2 Date of visit
6th February – 20th February 2010 (Rachel)
6th February – 1st March 2010 (James)
1.3 Purpose of visit
To assist in the review of all completed and ongoing projects sponsored by MCT-U and to research senior schools in order to make recommendations at the next Trustee meeting. As agreed by the Trustees at the AGM, no new projects are to be adopted unless they fall within the scope of our discretionary powers.
2. Review of grants made to date and grants made in 2010
The exchange rate was much better this year: 3,045USh to the pound, which meant that MCT-U had approximately the same amount of money in real terms as anticipated when the funds were allocated in December 2009.
Grant Summary for 2010
|
Project |
Description |
UGX |
GBP |
|
2.1 Junior Education |
Primary school fees - 81 children |
12,021,700 |
£3,948 |
|
2.2 Mpigi Project |
Primary school fees, school materials & training - 148 children |
8,694,500 |
£2,855 |
|
2.3 Mukisa Foundation |
Funds Mukisa's special needs school - 12 children |
9,150,000 |
£3,005 |
|
2.4 Richard Okello |
Ntinda school for the deaf fees & family support |
1,117,500 |
£367 |
|
2.5 Patricia |
Primary school fees |
661,500 |
£217 |
|
2.6 St Philomena Orphanage |
Baby formula milk, water & staff salaries |
18,408,000 |
£6,045 |
|
2.7 Providence Home |
Rebecca Rainbow projects |
745,600 |
£245 |
|
Hardship |
Medicine and housing assistance |
60,000 |
£20 |
|
Admin |
|
526,700 |
£173 |
|
Grand Total |
51,385,500 |
£16,875 |
|
2.1 Kampala schools
The results across the entire country were better this year, partly due to easier exams.
We checked the reports of all the children we are continuing to sponsor and, again, where their grades were weak, they had not tried or they had been absent for more than 5 days per term we established the reasons why before agreeing to sponsor them for 2010. It was encouraging to see that absenteeism had fallen compared with last year’s figures.
Again, all the headteachers had identified extra children to add to the programme.
Again, we were advised that children need to complete at least Senior 4 if they are to have a chance of getting a job. Whilst P7 leavers have a basic education it is highly unlikely to assist them in getting a job. Our recommendation is that MCT-U’s schools programme expands to ensure that the children already on the programme complete S4, rather than increasing the number of children on the primary programme (unless they are exceptionally needy). We therefore researched into good secondary schools and significant additional funds required to sustain such an extension to the programme (see below).
We provided all the schools with fresh written agreements to confirm the partnership between Mikwano, the schools, the parents and the children.
We updated our means assessments. We asked many more parents to make contributions to their children’s school fees.
2.1.1 Lungujja
The P7 results were very encouraging, with all 19 children achieving Division II. None of the children Mikwano sponsors sat these exams.
All 3 children sponsored by Mikwano had put a lot of effort into their studies in 2009 and the boys’ results confirmed this. Sarah had been absent for one term due to poor health; she suffers severely from sickle cells, but because she had tried and her other marks were alright she had been promoted to P5.
Ronald and Francis’s mother requested that they remain at Lungujja. Given the performance of the school this was agreed. It was noted that the class sizes are very small (15-30 children only per class). The school has had Canadian sponsorship which has enabled them to set up an internet café in the local area with one class attending IT lessons each morning.
The school is in the process of building 4 new classrooms. Currently 3 of the classrooms are divided by curtains/sheets crudely strung up to separate the years.
Finally the Director has plans to set up a local NGO to assist the poor and needy children in the area. Rachel requested she forwards her project proposals to Mikwano so that we can look into this further.
Total spent on 3 children: 275,000USh (£90)
2.1.2 Busega
The P7 results for 2009 were as follows:
Division 1: 29.7% (40.0% in 2008)
Division 2: 65.6% (54.5%)
Division 3: 3.1% (1.8%)
Division 4: 1.6% (3.6%)
Mikwano sponsored one child who sat his P7 exams, obtaining Div I!
The results were excellent, as were the children’s reports and the administration. Everything went smoothly and, again, it was a pleasure to work with this school. We continued the agreement whereby the school takes 20,000USh of the total cost per child and we pay half of the remainder, with the parents paying the other half (apart from one child assessed as continuing to be in need of full support).
Total spent on 15 children: 2,408,000USh (£791)
2.1.3 Bright Star
The P7 results were as follows:
Division 1: 32.4% (7.1% in 2008)
Division 2: 64.9% (92.9% in 2008)
Division 3: 0.0% (0.0% in 2008)
Division 4: 2.7% (0.0% in 2008 - this child was “sick”)
Good results and mainly good reports. The only 3 children who had poor results were the initial 3 Mikwano sponsored in the area, two of whom have a guaranteed, committed sponsor.
School fees had taken a massive hike of 10,000 per child per term, adding over £300 to the total bill. We proposed that the parents pay 10% of the fees, the school reduce them by 10% and Mikwano pays the remaining 80%. The school agreed and although the parents were unable to match the school’s contribution most made small payments.
Total spent on 11 children: 3,140,000Ush (£1,031)
2.1.4 Mukisa Foundation Primary School Sponsorship
MCT-U sponsors 13 children through Mukisa Foundation. The children attend several schools in and around Kampala. Mukisa Foundation attends to the administration and which is reviewed by MCT-U annually. All children had a good attendance and are doing really well.
Total spent on 13 children: 1,635,000 (£537)
2.1.5 Uganda Martyrs
The P7 results were as follows:
Div 1: 20.0% (11.2% in 2008)Div 2: 78.8% (83.7% in 2008)
Div 3: 1.2% (5.1% in 2008)
Div 3: 0.0% (0.0% in 2008)
Mikwano only had one child taking the P7 exams. She gained Div II and a sponsor was found by the school for her to go to senior school.
We received good reports for most of the children, with only 3 not putting in enough effort and one being moved to the new vocational course due to poor academic performance. We lost 4 children due to their parents moving away from the school. We took on 15 children. Therefore total children sponsored at Uganda Martyrs = 39, an increase of 10 children.
The headteacher believes the way Mikwano is trying to help the children through sponsorship is correct. He feels that we are really helping the poorest of children to gain an education. He also feels that it is right that the parents/guardians have a responsibility for their child’s education and we are giving that to them by asking them to pay for the “requirements” (scholastic materials, uniforms etc.).
Total spent on 39 children: 4,563,700 (£1,499)
2.1.6 Mackay & Mengo Primary Schools
Given the rise in school fees but Mikwano’s education budget remaining static we did not have enough funds to contemplate rejoining these schools to the programme. It is therefore recommended that these schools are permanently removed from the programme.
2.2 Mpigi
The P7 results for the 3 counties within the Mpigi region were greatly improved but still weak:
Div I: 3.1% (1.1% in 2008)
Div II: 29.3% (19.8% in 2008)
Div III: 22% (23.3% in 2008)
Div IV: 17% (16.1% in 2008)
Fail: 21.2% (31.4% in 2008)
Did not turn up: 7.4% (8.1% in 2008)
In 2008 the area in which the schools are based came 79th out of 80 districts. In 2009 it came 45th out of 91 districts. We received detailed reports for all the sponsorship last year.
We spoke to the Inspector of Schools, the Centre Co-ordinator and trainer (CCT) and both head teachers, who advised us of the following:
- There is far less gender inequality now, with girls attending school more regularly than in the past
- The improvement in the P7 grades and overall position of the district in relation to the others was down to a combination of easier exams, sensitization of the headteachers, teachers and parents to teach them about the value of their children and their children’s education.
- The biggest challenge at the moment is getting parents/guardians to support their children at school as they stop the children going to school because they are needed to farm, because they do not have the money or because it is not part of their culture to go to school. We felt that sensitization was not something Mikwano should a) pay for or b) get heavily involved in as it should be community led. Rachel spoke to the parents and School Management Committee at length about the need to encourage the children to go to school and support them in their studies. Joseph has begun sensitization by going house to house to explain this too.
- Although the government is supposed to pay for one teacher per 50 children and give each school 4,200USh per child they are very late in making the payments, if they pay at all. It is reported to the government that more teachers are needed but salaries are not forthcoming. The Inspector of Schools reported that she was denied money for refresher training and even if she is successful it can take up to 5 years for the money to reach her.
- Capacity building is required in the schools i.e. update training of head teachers who can in turn train their own teachers, exchanges between pupils and teachers from a nearby district and Kampala (twinning). The Inspector of Schools will arrange the twinning this year.
- Monitoring and supervision of the teachers is required to keep them motivated. The CCT will do this as part of her job.
- The refresher training had gone well but more is required. We agreed to sponsor a further year of refresher training. However this was on the understanding that the Inspector of Schools will write to the Ministry of Education again to request funds for refresher training next year. Joseph will check that this is done promptly.
- It is better to help the whole school rather than a number of individuals because then the whole school benefits. As there is a great need for educational materials such as reading books and science materials, markers Rachel increased the sum for materials, thereby benefiting the whole school. Joseph is going to supervise spending on materials, let us known how the money was spent and ensure the materials are kept safely. The CCT is going to keep the receipts.
- It is useful to set targets as it makes the headteacher responsible. This is something to set next year, if Mikwano sponsors Mpigi again.
- There is a need for SEN training. This is something to be aware of for the future.
- The children’s lack of uniform. Rachel explained that for every few uniforms Mikwano pays for, one less child attends school. The CCT told each guardian that they must find a way of paying for the uniforms.
- Absenteeism. Level = high in St Andrew’s. We were told that this is due to malaria and the guardians not being able to afford the “requirements” e.g. books and pens. The headteacher agreed that the children could attend school if they did not have all the requirements, a long as they had enough to start lessons. The guardians could then provide the rest as term continued. Joseph (who assists Mikwano of his own volition) is going to try to arrange for a doctor from the local hospital to come to speak to the community about how to avoid malaria – it seems that nets are not enough as one of Joseph’s children contracted it severely, despite sleeping under a net.
St Andrew’s
We met with the headmistress and her teachers. There are approximately 450 children in the school, with 10 teachers (3 are paid for privately, from school fees). Despite the refresher training the teachers did not appear particularly motivated. They had a number of complaints such as poor pay, distance for them to travel to school due to lack of accommodation at the school and lack of lunch provision for them.
The children remain hungry as Mikwano’s funding only covers porridge rather than poshu and beans. However to increase to poshu and beans it will cost an extra 5,000USh per child per term i.e. approximately £880 extra. In addition we were told that if we pay for the children Mikwano sponsors to have poshu and beans the remaining children will stay on porridge. Therefore, if Mikwano is to pay for poshu and beans we recommend that they consider providing the same for the entire school.
We were asked to add 19 children to the programme but only added 10 as Rachel could not be certain that the Trustees will agree to sponsor this project next year.
|
Item |
Cost Ush |
Cost £ |
|
School fees (72 children) |
3,690,000 |
£1,212 |
|
Teaching materials |
500,000 |
£164 |
|
Refresher training |
384,750 |
£126 |
|
Additional items |
80,000 |
£26 |
|
Total |
4,654,750 |
£1,529 |
Nseke School
Again, Rachel was not even remotely impressed by the headmaster of the school. Again, he was unable to answer many of the basic questions asked and had not completed the requisite reports. Rachel raised her concerns with the CCT who gave the headteacher a “final warning”, i.e. that if he did not stick to the terms of Mikwano’s agreement especially in relation to reporting requirements she would apply for him to be transferred out of the school and that Mikwano would only sponsor St Andrew’s.
There are approximately 590 children and 9 teachers. The headteacher said that he did not need more teachers!
That said, the results had improved, the teachers appeared fairly motivated and attendance was very good at this school. The CCT advised that it is better for the sick children to be at school rather than a home as there is no one to look after them at home.
The chicken project failed as locals stole the remaining chickens – hardly surprising as many locals are literally starving and the shelter was not secure.
Due to Rachel’s concerns about the headteacher she did not sponsor any new children. Although there had been 8 P7 leavers last year a number of children’s guardians asked that they repeat the year so that the child could obtain a better grade. As none of the children had been advised to repeat Rachel did not pay for any of these children.
|
Item |
Cost Ush |
Cost £ |
|
School fees (76 children) |
3,075,000 |
£1,010 |
|
Teaching materials |
500,000 |
£164 |
|
Refresher training |
384,000 |
£126 |
|
Additional items |
80,000 |
£26 |
|
Total |
4,039,750 |
£1,327 |
Rachel gave 11,000USh to Joseph for communication for the above tasks he offered to carry out for the good of his community. He will update us at the end of every term.
Mpigi is more a community development project than purely educational. As described above, there are many strands to it. It requires more monitoring than an annual or even biannual visit from the Trustees. It may be that Joseph is providing the same effectively but we have had to put a lot of faith in him to deliver. Rachel is not clear whether Mikwano should continue to sponsor this project. James would prefer not to. If we are to continue sponsoring the schools, our recommendations are as follows:
- To raise money for mosquito nets for all the children in the school. We have since been notified that the Global Fund will do this and that they have already provided nets for all children under 5 in the area.
- To arrange for an English teacher/headteacher etc to visit the school for a two week period to provide refresher training
- To raise money for all the children and teachers to have poshu and beans (at least one day a week)
- For the next trustee visit to spend a week at the two schools and in the locality to gain a better understanding of the children, schools and community
- To raise money for more teachers/supplements to their salaries
Rachel has already notified Joseph that we may not sponsor the children next year. However, if Mikwano is to pull out from this project our recommendation is that we need to devise a proper exit strategy as an immediate withdrawal would mean that 138 children would no longer be able to attend school.
2.3 Mukisa Foundation Special Needs School
Since its inception in 2006, Mukisa Foundation has become one of the leading centres for special needs children in Kampala and Uganda and its reputation continues to grow. Mukisa Foundation continues to run an exceptional special needs school, with two fully trained special needs teacher; sponsored by Mikwano, the school works with over a dozen children a year with various physical and mental disabilities. To date the school has managed to reintegrate six children into main stream schools and vocational programmes.
Mikwano gave Mukisa a grant for £3,000; 9,150,000 Ush, which will be spent accordingly:
Teacher’s Salaries: 6,480,000
Scholastic materials: 1,800,000
Child sponsorship: 870,000
Total: 9,150,000
2.4 Richard Okello
We had Richard’s hearing tested. He is profoundly deaf in one ear but has moderate to severe hearing difficulties in the other. Although this means that he could have a hearing aid we were advised by a number of people that as a child at boarding school he is likely to lose or break it within days, even if his teacher is responsible for it when he is out of class. We therefore did not purchase a hearing aid. This decision will be kept under review.
In the holidays Richard is being fostered by a family headed by Madame Florence Nightingale. She is deaf and cares for a number of other children who are also deaf. They all sign and some speak too. They appeared very loving and caring of Richard. They managed to scrape money together last year for his needs (medical as well as scholastic) but were clearly struggling. Richard appeared to be far more confident, far less frustrated and far happier than we have ever known him.
We visited the school (Ntinda) and met Richard’s headteacher and new class teacher. We were told that his school is the best in Uganda for the deaf. The school’s results had improved and were as follows:
Division 1: 0% (0% in 2008)
Division 2: 4.8% (2.9%)
Division 3: 28.6% (0%)
Division 4: 28.6% (8.8%)
Fail: 38.1% (88.2%)
We were therefore happy to fund the following:
|
Item |
Cost Ush |
Cost £ |
|
School fees |
667,500 |
£219 |
|
Requirements, medicine and holiday upkeep |
400,000 |
£131 |
|
Hearing test |
50,000 |
£17 |
|
Total |
1,117,500 |
£367 |
James has now found a sponsor for Richard. The sponsor has agreed to fund Richard‘s school fees and any other expense that Mikwano may incur in assisting Richard.
2.5 Patricia – Lungujja Progressive Primary School
Patricia was one of the children Mikwano sponsored at Mukisa’s special needs school. She is an exceptional little girl who was with Mukisa as she was recovering both physically and mentally from severe cancer, which has left her partially paralysed. Patricia is now ready to be reintegrated into main stream education, but due to her physical special needs her choice of school is fairly limited. Lungujja Progressive Primary school meets all these needs and has an excellent reputation. James inspected this school and was extremely impressed, the school’s facilities are second to none and the teaching staff seemed highly motivated and enthusiastic.
Lungujja Progressive Primary school is a private school and as such the fees are significantly more than UPE schools, however James has found a personal sponsor for Patricia and they have committed to covering all her school fees.
Annual school fees: 581,000Ush (£217)
2.6 St Philomena’s Iganga Babies Home
Sister Elizabeth has continued to provide monthly reports on the use of the baby formula milk as requested. James visited the Home and talked at length with Sr Elizabeth; the Home cares for over 40 orphaned and homeless children, of whom 12 require Baby Formula milk daily. James continues to be impressed with Sr Elizabeth’s management of the Home and the care the children receive. The Home’s annual budget is around 100,000,000Ush (£32,840) and when you consider what they achieve with this it is most impressive.
This will be the third year MCT-U has sponsored the Home and at roughly £5,000 per year, we effectively fund 15% of the Homes annual budget. Please note in 2010 MCT-U will not only fund the baby formula milk for the year but also subsidise the Homes water and staffing costs with a one-off 6,100,000Ush (£2,000) grant.
On review, it is fair to say that St Philomena’s is definitely not one of the most needy orphanages or indeed projects in Uganda, and if MTC-U were to pull out James feels sure Sr Elizabeth would continue manage the Home well and probably find alternative funds to meet all the children’s basic needs. James continues to struggle with whether this is the best use of MCT-U funds.
Total spent: 18,408,000 (£6,045)
2.7 Providence Home
We sponsored 2 children to go to boarding school for the whole year. Mikwano needs to decide at the next Trustee meeting whether we wish to formally take on Providence as a project for 2011.
Total spent: 745,600 (£244.86)
We visited the home and discussed the potential chicken project at length with Sister Juliet, Fred (the person who would run it) and Cathy (a Peace Corps volunteer). Providence is a Home for the orphaned, elderly and disabled people of Uganda to live when they have been abandoned.
20-30 years ago the Home used to have a chicken project but over time it failed. They are now trying to reinstate the project, using the old buildings, which need renovation. They also need to buy another 400 chicks. The project proposal is detailed and Sister Juliet clearly knows what she is talking about. Fred has been supervising the chickens and has excellent knowledge of how to raise chicks and do the books. The main difficulty we can foresee about this project is who is to run the project in the event that Fred cannot do so. Although Fred will take holiday sickness and emergencies mean that it is crucial for someone with the requisite knowledge to continue his work as chicks are very vulnerable and in a few days of mismanagement they can all die.
James sat with Sr Juliet, Fred and Cathy and detailed for them the budget requirements to fully assess the feasibility of running a 500 strong chicken project at Providence Home. On receiving this budget several days later, James pointed out to Sr Juliet and Fred that the chicken project simply wouldn’t work as an income generating project. Sr Juliet, Fred and Cathy reviewed the numbers again and came to the same conclusion. They are now looking at alternative projects.
2.8 Kids in Need (KIN)
Mikwano did not sponsor this project. Rachel had spent a lot of time before and at the beginning of the trip arranging to meet the necessary people. We were asked to rearrange the day before the meeting and then told that the Director was not interested in meeting with us. We felt that without the commitment from the Director there was unlikely to be a successful partnership. Shortly after making this decision we were advised that there KIN has a funding crisis for the entire project for this year as there are no funds. Clearly Mikwano is not in a position to assist on a greater scale and therefore we were very concerned that should we have paid for school fees the girls would have been unable to attend anyway if KIN closed down. Very disappointing but we need partners we can work with. We have since been notified that the link we had with KIN has left the project.
2.9 Single Parents’ Association – Uganda (SPAU)
We felt another full day of buying materials for the tailoring project was disproportionate to the size of the grant. In any event Rachel did not wish to fund the project without James’s support and James did not wish to review the project. Therefore no grant was made. Given that we already have substantial work to do on our existing projects it is proposed that SPAU is permanently removed from our list of beneficiaries.
2.10 Community project in Bunyonyi
We decided that the journey time to Bunyonyi (18 hour round trip) was disproportionate to the size of the grant to be made to the tailoring project and therefore we did not contact Bunyonyi or make any grants. Our recommendation is to not sponsor this project until or unless we have personnel on the ground to monitor a more large scale project.
2.11 Cancer ward at Mulago (Uganda Child Cancer foundation (UCCF))
Following the passing away of Andrew, the child Mikwano had begun to sponsor through a course of chemotherapy, Rachel visited Mulago 5 times to find a suitable alternative beneficiary. This was extremely difficult as for each potential child Rachel received numerous conflicting accounts of the diagnosis, the social and financial circumstances, the prognosis and whether another donor was sponsoring the child. Despite all the visits there was not a suitable child for Mikwano to sponsor, either because Hospice Africa were already funding, the parents could scrape together enough money or because the child’s prognosis was poor.
Hospice Africa is an international charity which funds approximately 40 children per year with Burkitt’s lymphoma at Mulago. Their policy is to only pay for one course of treatment, even if a child who needs a second course of treatment has a very good prognosis. They advised that this is the case for approximately 10 of their children per year. They said that they try to find other sponsors but it can be hard. UCCF find it very frustrating that Hospice Africa does not follow through with the children, especially if they have a good prognosis. Rachel thought it a waste of Mikwano’s resources to fund Burkitt’s children if Hospice Africa would do so.
Rachel had been feeling that funding cancer treatment was too great a project for Mikwano to take on without anyone on the ground given the extensive research required (mainly cross-checking) per child and the fact that without Rachel being there asking questions no one else (even Andrew Okot) appeared to be doing anything.
However, Rachel then met with Hospice Africa. They carry out the research we require and they are in the hospital on a weekly basis. Given their funding limitations and our aims the best solution seemed to be for them to notify Andrew Okot of any children they had paid for the first course of treatment for but needed a second, yet could not afford it and for whom there was a good prognosis. They agreed to this and it was left that Andrew Okot will then notify us to check we are willing to sponsor the child and to confirm the finances.
We have since been notified by Andrew Okot that this is not the best way to proceed and that we should revert to the original plan of UCCF identifying a child for us to sponsor.
2.12 Sanyu Babies Home
We did not review this project in any detail this trip but Rachel visited and found that a lot of the older mothers had retired, the current employees have far less exploitative contracts, the new toilet block had been completed and the kitchen and laundry room had been refurbished. Our recommendation is that money is clearly continuing to come into the home and we should permanently remove this project from our charity.
3. Senior schools sponsorship programme
The headteacher of Uganda Martyrs Primary school advised the following:
- Only approximately 70% of children who start in P1 will actually make it to S1. This is due to many factors, including lack of finances, poor results in P7 and the parental culture of not valuing education.
- The P7 exam is selective as there are few vacancies in senior school.
- Only those P7 pupils who achieve a Div III and above are eligible for S1 but Div III children will struggle and therefore if Mikwano is to consider sponsoring children into senior school is needs to be on a merits basis, with the children achieving at least Div II.
Rachel met with the headteacher of Uganda Martyrs High School. The school is just starting to take children to S6 (A levels). Their results for S4 in 2009 were:
Div I: 29%
Div II: 54.8%
Div III: 16.2%
The school fees are: 945,000Ush total per child per year for 2010. Mikwano has 8 children in P7 at Uganda Martyrs Primary School. If we were to fund them at senior school next year we will need to raise £2,158.24. This can be done in part by not accepting any more children onto the primary school programme, something which clearly needs to be discussed at the next Trustee meeting, but we will also need to increase our fundraising efforts.
Rachel has requested that the headteacher proposes to the next board meeting that the fees for the children on Mikwano’s sponsorship programme are reduced by 50,000 USh per child per term. He will do this and revert.
James met the headteacher of Lubiri Senior School. The school is well established and has an excellent reputation. Their results for S4 in 2009 were:
Div I: 32.4%
Div II: 48.5%
Div III: 16.7%
Div VI: 1.9%
Absent: 0.5%
Lubiri Secondary school is mixed day and boarding school with roughly 3,500 students. Though the school is a Government school it is not part of the Universal Secondary Education (USE), meaning the school follows the government’s national curriculum however does not receive any finance assistance from the government. (Presently to qualify for USE, schools must charge less than 120,000Ush per term and have less than 1,000 students. The reason for this is that the USE scheme has just start and the government is targeting smaller school with perhaps less academic prowess.)
To qualify for Lubiri school a student must achieve a minimum of 18pts at P7; this is a strong Div II. In exceptional situation the school may consider a slightly high score as long the English and Mathematics scores are very strong. The headmaster stands by these criteria and strongly believes P7 candidates scoring in excess of 18pts would severely struggle at Lubiri secondary school and would perhaps be better suited to a less academic secondary school.
The school would consider reducing school fees for the children on Mikwano’s sponsorship programme and this will be discussed if and when Mikwano is ready to enroll students.
4. Personnel
We think the projects and the charity have really benefitted from having more personnel on the ground than in the first half of 2009 and we request that more regular trips continue where possible, particularly if we are to continue with Mpigi and if we do a project at Providence Home. If this is not possible we recommend the Trustees consider which projects are being adequately supervised and which may not be, with a view to terminating the latter.
5. Registration
We have submitted an application for re-registration of the charity to the NGO Board in Uganda. Their decision will take a minimum of two months to receive.
Rachel and James
