First Impressions of ROA

Karen found a friend! 

Play ground! Well used and still functional! Thank you Alaska team!

This Weeks attendance

Karen and Billgates, (His real name). Karen and Gabe sponsor Billgates!

Our small but growing library! The kids are allowed to take books over the weekend and return  in Monday!

2015 School enrollment

Stopped by the school for a short  visit, I love seeing the kids and the progress made during the past year. Some random pictures!

Silly Boys!

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P6 Students, Cramped into nursery classroom until new building finished. Notice the class clown in the background.

Finishing off the inside of the new building

We arrive

March 6th, 2015

The plane landed on time and we disembarked, shedding clothes as we made the hurried trek to the immigration hall. Although it was 10Pm, the temperature was  75F  and it  was  humid. As we entered the hall,  masked and gloved greeters squirted sanitizer from giant bottles into our hands and herded us into a long labyrinth to await our health check. Six stations were set up ( a special station for families with children) and one  by one nurses scanned the  questionnaires  we had filled out on the plane  and took our temperatures with digital thermometers aimed at our foreheads. A clean bill of health and we were on to the normal immigration process.

All though the hysteria has passed in the US, Uganda is still concerned that the Ebola virus might slip into the country, even though the epi-center is thousands of  miles to the north and  the  threat  there is waning daily.  A stark reminder, that although greatly diminished,  the threat for global contamination is not over. Unlike the US, Uganda has not had  a single case from that outbreak.

After collecting our bags we headed outside (no one  other than workers and passengers are allowed inside the Entebbe terminal) to be warmly greeted by Betty, Abdu and 3 of their children, Moses, Hannah and Abby,  who like children everywhere had grown so tall in the last year!   Lots of hugs, smiles, and laughter! Moses,  with all the determination a nine year can old muster, helped push one of luggage carts to the parking lot.  Such polite, sweet kids. Betty and Abdu are doing a great job.

Another 2-3 hours ride eastward thu Kampala and beyond and  we were in Mbiko.

For me, the night was short. Dawn is breaking, ushered in by those incessant roosters. Everyone else is sleeping but  my internal clock says it is 10PM. A long, but exciting day  awaits. I am blessed and happy to be here.

A fall from a Mango Tree (P.S. we love our generous sponsors!)

Enock recovering  surrounded by his brothers and sisters

You would not know from this picture that Enock,  a twelve year old attending Rock of Ages School, is recovering from the worst trauma of his young life.  A couple of weeks ago, he severely  fractured  both his right leg  and left arm after falling from a mango tree.   He lay in bed for four days before under going surgery to reset his bones, crying whenever the pain medication wore off.   His family was desperate. Fortunately,  with financial help from his sponsor and  treatment provided by One4Another, a wonderful, non-profit based in Canada whose mission is to "alleviate suffering and give hope to the children of Uganda by facilitating life-altering surgeries", Enock was able to get the surgery he needed to start healing. It is an amazing story of love and resources coming together to help a young boy regain hope for his future.

The pictures below help to explain the story.

Enock and his mom at Jinja Hospital.  Wondering where the help they need will come from. 

Look carefully. You can see the fracture of his femur (right leg)

Enock's fractured tibia (left arm)

Post surgery

Going home. 

Enock and his parents are thankful for the love and support they received. Without the surgery, he would have been severely crippled for life.

Welcome to our New Teachers

A new school year started this week and Betty  reports that over 200 students showed up on Monday. She expects by the end of this week there will 250 students, an increase of 30 from last last year. Most of those will be children starting in the  nursery section or as we call it, preschool.  Thankfully, we have  been able to add a Primary 6 class, continuing the tradition of the last 5 years of adding a new grade each year.

Along with a new grade, comes two new teachers,  Fabian and Alice.

Fabian  just completed college with certificate as a grade three teacher. He is 22 years old and single.

Fabian  will teach English Language in Primary 5, Religious education in P4  and integrated science in the same class. He is a Ugandan by nationality born in Merikit sub-county in Tororo District.

Alice  graduated as a professional teacher in 2012, She will be  teaching mathematics in P4 and P6 class. Alice  is 23, married  with  a daughter named Juliet. She  is from  Nagongera sub-county in Tororo District.

Fabian

Alice

Getting Ready to Raise the Roof

With the new school years starting in a little over a week, the construction of the new classrooms is proceeding,  despite  a set back earlier. On Monday, Betty and Abdu were in a car accident coming home from Kampala.  Thankfully, neither was seriously injured but their car is in need of repair. Abdu sent these pictures today and says that "  this is the building as of today. The ring beam  will  dry  over the weekend, and  Monday roofing will start"

It's starting to take shape!

Here's a pictorial update on the new classrooms being built...it's starting to take shape!

Construction Begins On the New ROA Classrooms

Digging the Foundation

Construction is underway for two new ROA classrooms when the 2015 Uganda years starts the first week of February.    Although we are staying with our strategy of adding one class a year (P6 this year),  the building will allow  the addition of  a P7 class next year.  This will complete all building at the current site.  Uganda primary schools end at P7.  Students, if they have the grades and the resources,  continue on to a 6 year secondary program. In 2016 ROA will graduate it’s first primary class!

The school is currently on rented land. We have a written agreement from the landlord to continue to operate the school rent free for the next five years, but  the space at this site is very tight. We continue to hope and pray that vision we have for a school on land we own will become a reality within that time frame. There are lots of obstacles.  But with the full primary school now built  we, Betty Wasswa, the ROA board and Hands4Uganda can focus on how to accomplish that goal. We are so thankful for our many supporters and friends.  

Bricks being delivered, The bricks are hand made by villagers out in the country side.