KIRABO Children’s Centre

Uganda Voluntary Development Association (UVDA) is a volunteer organisation dedicated to promoting a culture of peace by organising international voluntary projects for people of all ages and backgrounds especially youth15 - 35years.UVDA is a national wide organisation with a representative of approx. 5000 members and alumni. It was one of the first organisations to divest itself of all political or religious affiliations in its work of promoting peace and intercultural understanding and cooperation through practical action. Throughout the years UVDA has made a major contribution to the development of the main forms of volunteering. Year after year, the organisation enables volunteers to participate in community projects. Living and working together with people of different backgrounds helps volunteers to break down barriers and prejudices; it allows them to experience a world of mutual respect and understanding. UVDA is partnering with Kirabo Children’s Center Day and Boarding school was started by a small group of female teachers who are born from Kikandwa and Kikyusa Villages in conjunction with the local community members in 2006. The idea was hatched by M/S Sarah Muwanguzi Nabatanzi who had realized that children in that area were exposed to ignorance and diseases as a result of poverty and the average illiteracy rate was about 70% in the area. The area has several people affected by HIV/AIDS. A number of orphans over 250, their parents have died of HIV/AIDS and living with foster parents e.g grand parents who are too old to look after them (70 years and above) and others with friends and well wishers or next of kin. Kikandwa and Kikyusa villages are amongst those villages which were destroyed by the political war in 1980-1986 causing many people homeless, died and others migrated to big cities e.g Kampala for their safety. The teaching of the pupil was done from the Church which was the only existing building in the area with only 20 pupils. In 2007, many people in and outside the area developed interest in their initiatives and amongst those was the grandmother of Sarah Muwanguzi Nabatanzi who is still surviving and is called MRS MUWANGUZI CHRISTINE who donated 50 acres of land to the project. The community mobilized funds to construct 3 temporary wooden classrooms roofed with corrugated iron sheets. They currently have 270 pupils from Nursery to primary 5 levels. UVDA helped them to construct a three permanent classroom blocks and office to wall plate pending roofing, putting doors and windows, making the floor and plastering. Since most children live with old grandparents, they usually come to school without breakfast or anything to eat during break time or lunch yet some of these children are malnourished and quite a good number of them are attacked by malaria and others have jiggers in their feet. They lack mosquito nets and medicine. Therefore, the school started an agricultural project where they grow food stuffs and fruits on large scale for children’s consumption at school. NB: The nearest Government Hospital is at Wabusana 7 kms away and that’s where the HIV/AIDS Programme will be conducted. There is need for MTV/LTV to help the school project in garden, construction, tree planting and sports and shall all be accommodated in Mrs. Muwanguzi Christine’s home the grandmother of Sarah Muwanguzi Nabatanzi. Participants can bring with them some scholastic materials, sports kits, agriculture tools and also raise some funds for construction.