ABOUT

I came across Kashojwa Village during my work of lion monitoring and avian surveys back in 2018. This village is just in the Ishasha sector, which is part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. When the head teacher approached me as I looked at this school, wondering how they were teaching in a shattered, squeezed shelter with so many children in one small room. The teacher said to me: “I know you must be wondering how crazy we could be teaching in an old house of one room parked with many children like this.” She then said that that’s what the village could afford. As I was wondering at the state of the shelter, I inquired about the reasons behind the inability to construct a more suitable shelter for the children’s education. She explained that the villagers is lack the financial resources necessary to acquire space and build a new and improved school shelter. I then asked her about the origin of the shelter that they were currently using for lessons. She informed me that the old structure had been given to the school by a parent, intended for use until a more adequate school shelter could be established. 

But unfortunately the structure was deteriorating and could not help them for long. The structure was abandoned by its owner, (the parent) and was now in a sorry state. Upon seeing the village's status and the condition of the school shelter and children themselves, I recalled how I grew up in also similar conditions especially at home where my parents struggled to raise school fees for me for the cheapest school in our village. This reminded me and brought back memories of my daily routine, where I would walk three kilometers barefoot to attend school, as the distance from our village to the school was considerably far. Teachers at my school at that time lacked sufficient teaching resources, just like at Mothercare school. 

Upon observing the current the sorry state of Mothercare school in Kashojwa Village, I was struck by the reality of a village populated by impoverished families that unable to afford school fees for their children. Furthermore, I learned that many men in this community have turned to poaching within the national park as a means of generating quick income by selling bushmeat. This practice, while providing immediate financial relief, is illegal and carries severe penalties if one is apprehended within the park. Consequently, many families in this village have been compelled to sell their limited possessions to secure bail for their men (husbands) which resulted to poaching, from police custody or court proceedings. After observing this situation, I resolved to contribute gradually within my means to acquire a piece of land for the village children. This land would serve as the site for a school for their children. And I successfully purchased it. We established a shelter on this land, where the children now receive their education. And the parents were so grateful, they prayed that I continue supporting in any way possible. I promised I would do so.

Initially, we constructed two basic shelters using wooden poles and mud walls. However, the heavy winds and rains compromised the integrity of the mud walls and removed the tarpaulins that covered the roof of the main shelter. Afterward, we constructed another modest structure utilizing wooden poles and mud walls, roofed with iron sheets and the iron sheets are still intact and undamaged. However, the walls are deteriorating and in need of repair. Currently, the teachers are using tree shelters and iron sheet structure that still stands; however, it is not good at all because walls are falling apart and cannot accommodate all the children you saw when you visited the school in August this year. Basically, tree shelters for classes are playing a big role for Mathercare school, and the only challenges come it rains.

We distribute books each term and provide hot porridge at school, as many children travel approximately one kilometre from their homes. A significant number of these children arrive at school without having eaten, as their parents often do not have food prepared for them before they leave for school. In fact, it is common for many families to have only one meal per day.

We offer hot porridge twice a week and strongly encourage parents to make an effort to provide meals for their children prior to arriving at school. However, their typical response is, "we will," yet they often do not. We often tell them that education is the key to transforming not only their children, families but also their entire village. Men in this village have lost hope and have a sense of being left behind. They have expressed a desire for assistance in finding markets for their agricultural products, such as soybeans, maize, and simsimu cereals. However, the challenge they face is the limited quantity of these crops, which is a direct result of subsistence farming practices. The reliance on manual labor for plowing restricts their ability to cultivate larger plots of land. They also lack the financial resources to establish more extensive plantations. Their situation triggered many motivation to provide support and help to this village.

The children live with their elderly. It is customary for the elderly to live with their families here in Kashojwa Village. The village is overseen by a Village Chairman, referred to as LC1, (Local Council 1) who is responsible for local governance of the village. On average, a family consists of 6 children. Boys typically begin working at the age of 10 if their parents are unable to provide them with an education. Girls often marry as young as 15 years of age.

The head teacher hails from the same village Kashojwa as the students, while the second teacher comes from a different village. The head teacher possesses an ordinary primary teaching certificate, which is considered to be of a lower qualification than a diploma certificate. My team and I encouraged the parents to contribute funds to ensure that the teachers receive a monthly payment of at least $50 each. The parents agreed to this arrangement until we can secure sufficient funds to provide them with a more reasonable salary. The teachers accepted this situation as voluntary support, remaining content until the parents and the school can offer them adequate compensation. However, there are instances when the parents are unable to fulfill this commitment, leading the teachers to seek my guidance on how to proceed.