April 2023 - Letter from our Founder

I returned to the USA on March 9th and immediately fell sick with a nasty infection much like Covid and thus am delayed in sending you this update. It should have been a chance to get lots of work done but that did not happen.

As usual, I loved my time in Bududa. I love the people I work with and many of them have been friends for sixteen years. The school is thriving! I heard that yesterday we had 187 students in attendance. That is 27 more student than we have ever had. Our goal was 200 students enrolled by the end of the year, it looks like we may reach that goal by end of the term.

While I was there, the school was inspected by the Ministry of Education in Uganda. The inspectors conducted a site visit and gave us high marks, which enables the center to remain an accredited examination center. The inspectors were impressed by our facilities and skilled staff. One of them admitted to being “wowed” by all of our functioning computers. I do not think he had seen another school with such facilities.

We have a new principal, Paul Wasolo, and that seems to be going well. One staff member said he was “approachable and a leader.” What I think is important is that he is a Bagisu, the same tribe as everyone in the village and speaks their language.

Our big news is that for the first time ever we have hired a professional grant writer, Rachel Tanner. We think she is terrific! She will work half time for us focusing on identifying and applying for grants. We secured funding for her position from an outside body so that BLC's operational budget will not be impacted.

Once we had hired Rachel, she requested that we get letters of approval from two graduates in each department. Until I read these letters, I really did not realize what an incredible impact we are having in the community. Some of them are truly heart-warming, filled with gratitude for BVA. The one I remember best was from a tailoring graduate a few years back - she now has her own tailoring shop, many customers and is employing other women in the community. She was so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend a vocational school locally and is now able to not only support her own family financially, but also pay the school fees for her siblings.

Knowing that we have a grant writer, we realized that our current website needed work and so we found a young man, Simon Rogers, CEO of A Little Better Company, to help us with our website and we think he’s outstanding. Stay tuned as we hope to launch a new website in the coming month.

The most exciting news is that our greatest supporter, Court Young, who does more than anyone to further our program in Bududa paid us the honor of bringing her family to Bududa for a week and they were action packed days indeed. They fell in love with Bududa, the students and staff of BLC, and of course, everybody at our school loved having them, and showed their joy in so many ways.

There are so many stories to tell but I must end now and tell more next time!

Letter of Support: Oliver Nanyama

Re: To Whom It May Concern:

I am Nanyama Oliver a former student from Bududa Vocational Academy in the tailoring department.

I come from a poor background. I could hardly raise my tuition for my tailoring course. Because of Barbara through Bududa Learning Centre who paid my tuition gave scholarship and I was able to do a National Certificate in Tailoring.

I am self employed, I have a tailoring workshop, I have employed two tailors.

I am very grateful to Bududa Learning Centre that enabled me to do the course.

I can no afford to pay fees for my three children and for my young brothers.

My family and community has changed because of assistance of BLC.

I pray that it is there forever and more funding so that many more people from this poor community be helped.

Thanks,

Yours sincerely,

Nanyama Oliver

Letter of Support: Peter Kitongo

Dear Madam,

Re: To Whom It May Conern,

I am Kitongo Peter a former student of Bududa Vocational Academy in Building Construction department and did a National Certificate in Building Construction and passed.

I did come from a poor family with many children (nine in number - two girls and seven boys) which could not support me beyond senior four. But because of Barbara and Bududa Learning Centre, I got a government sponsorship and went for my diploma in Civil Engineering in Mbarara which I finished last year.

This year, I got a good job with one of the construction companies in Kampala and I am earning food money and I now support my family members including paying school fees for my sisters and brothers.

I pray for Bududa Learning Center to get more funding so that it can continue supporting the needy forever.

Thanks,

Yours sincerely,

Kitongo Peter

Celebrating 200 Students

Our organization has pursued a goal for years: to reach a milestone of serving 200 students in a single term. This goal holds immense importance to us as it symbolizes our dedication to expanding educational opportunities and profoundly impacting the lives of individuals within our community. However, our journey toward this milestone faced an unexpected roadblock when the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to close our doors temporarily.

As the pandemic unfolded, our community experienced economic challenges, resulting in a slow return of student enrollment. 67% of our community faced a decrease or total loss of income during this challenging period. Despite the hardships, we are overjoyed to announce that we have finally accomplished our long-standing goal.

Initially slated for achievement by the year's end, we have surpassed our expectations today. We hold a profound responsibility to our students to provide the highest quality education possible. The quality of education they receive is always at the forefront of our minds.

This achievement is a testament to the perseverance and resilience of our board of directors, our dedicated Ugandan staff, and, most importantly, the students themselves. It celebrates their thirst for knowledge, commitment to personal growth, and unwavering determination to succeed.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have participated in this journey, including our supporters, community partners, and volunteers. Without your unwavering support, this milestone would not have been possible. Together, we have created a nurturing environment that fosters educational excellence and empowers students to unlock their full potential.

We look forward to the future with renewed determination as we celebrate this remarkable milestone. We remain committed to expanding our impact, creating even more educational opportunities, and ensuring every student receives the support they need to thrive.

This achievement is not the end but rather the beginning of a new chapter in our journey. We are inspired by what we have accomplished, and it only strengthens our resolve to continue making a positive difference in the lives of our students and community.

Once again, we express our profound appreciation to everyone who has played a role in this achievement. Together, let us embark on the next phase of our mission, knowing that by providing quality education, we are shaping a brighter future for all.

February in Bududa

Greetings from Bududa! Sheila Havard, Children of Bududa's International Coordinator, and I have been back in Bududa for several weeks. Bududa is experiencing an extended dry season, the resulting hardship of which is compounded by the impact of inflation on the local economy; access to and the cost of food has continued to skyrocket. Nevertheless, the Bududa Learning Center (BLC) remains a beacon of hope. Sheila has been busy traversing the mountainside of Bududa visiting the 70 students in the Children of Bududa (COB) program assessing the hygiene and health of each household. It continues to be astounding how rural Ugandans live and manage to get by on so little. With every home visit, a report is prepared for the child's sponsor, this work is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. 

Meet Nasbushuyu Phiona (pictured above), a star pupil in the COB program. Phiona has been boarding at a local secondary school and received outstanding marks on her O-level exams. It is difficult to describe the magnitude of this achievement given the poor quality of education and lack of resources in most rural primary and secondary schools. She attributes her success to the timely payment of school fees by her sponsor, a learning environment where she can concentrate on her work, the provision of good lighting to study, and regular meals. COB is looking forward to supporting Phiona's next step in her educational journey.

Our visit to COB student Kuloba Emmanuel who attends a local primary school, revealed that the family has fallen on hard times since the mudslide in September 2021 swept away almost all of their land. What remains is a wide area gouged out of the mountainside, pitted deeply in places and covered with enormous rocks. Thankfully, the mud that swept down the hillside spared the family’s house and the newly built latrine, but the banana trees planted on the landslide site in April 2022 have barely grown due to the lack of topsoil and manure. 

The Bududa Vocational Academy (BVA) continues to thrive with a line of students outside the Head of School's office waiting to register for vocational classes as the new academic year begins. Meanwhile faculty and administrators deliver best-in-class instruction, attend to a myriad of student needs and curriculum requirements. Each day we are confronted with students that want to attend the vocational academy but are unable to afford the modest school fees. As such, we have included within this year's annual budget funds for additional tuition assistance.    

We remain thankful for the generosity of our sponsors and donors.