Good Hope is a charitable community orphanage initiative and a gesture of love and compassion to the less fortunate children in our community. It was established in 2009 and now has a total of 25 orphan pupils. Good Hope seeks to empower these children with effective developmental skills. These skills are best planted in children at a young age since education is a determinant of good life practices.
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Our communities observe that children who suffer the death of their parents are denied parental protection, care and educational service. These children are burdened by sudden responsibilities and/or forced to tend for themselves, making them less visible in their communities. They find themselves victims of exploitation. Being an orphan and losing direct parental care often puts an end to their educational opportunities. Less than 10% of orphaned children receive public support and services (UNICEF/UNAIDS 2005).
Ugandan situation
The education sector in Uganda is hard pressed to provide effective services for what is one of the fastest growing populations in the world. Primary schools are struggling to accommodate the large student body, estimated at 7.3 million children in 2004.
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Classrooms hold an average of 76 students and the pupil teacher ratio is 51:1. There are several challenges to overcome before children have quality basic education. Primary school enrollment has stagnated over the past five years averaging an enrollment of 82% nationally but this figure is unevenly distributed across the country, declining rapidly in rural areas like Bulondo.
School dropout rates for girls are higher than those for boys often due to early pregnancy or early/forced marriages in rural areas. Learning achievement is poor, with less than half of the children who complete primary school attaining proficiency in reading, writing and numerical skills (National Census 2002; Uganda National Household Survey 2005/06).
There are about 2 million orphans living in Uganda where 14% of all children are orphans. Out of that 14% of all orphans, 23.9% are double orphans, 35% are maternal orphans and 41% are paternal orphans. 63% of all orphans, 51% of single orphans, and 100% of double orphans are living without biological parents (National Census 2002; Uganda National Household Survey 2005/06).
A large proportion of orphans in Uganda are taken care of by relatives. A large proportion of these households are headed by single female widows (mothers, grandmothers and aunts) and are struggling to stretch limited resources to meet the increasing financial, psychological, educational and health needs of a larger number of dependants.
The current distribution of education is also heavily skewed against girls and the poor, meaning that the burden of illiteracy, like the burden of diseases, is concentrated not only among girls but also among the poor, ethnic minorities and rural areas.
Statistics
| 82% | Children 6-12 enrolled in primary schools |
| 0.96 | Gender parity in primary education |
| 42% | Girls that complete primary school |
| 55% | Boys that complete primary school |
| 700,000 | Children aged 6-14 who have never been to school |
| 76 | Average number of children in a classroom |
(Source: National Census 2002; Uganda National Household Survey 2005/06)
Through a keen and critical analysis of this situation, NYEN decided to establish Good Hope Nursery School to address some of these dilemmas that face our society. We aim to provide education to the less advantaged children in an effort to introduce sustainable development to children, the community and Uganda as a whole.
Vision
“Provide free and quality education to all.”
Mission
Good Hope Nursery and Primary School exists to respond to societal and educational needs by developing and delivering practical quality education that is responsive to the vulnerable children and underprivileged in our society.
Philosophy
Good Hope Nursery and Primary School regards each pupil as a unique individual who brings certain strengths and weaknesses to the learning environment. It is our role and duty at Good Hope to ensure that the educational experiences of our pupils generate productive citizens who can contribute positively to the overall well-being of society and of the world at large.
Objectives
To provide free education and other basic human needs to our children
- To supplement government efforts of rehabilitating orphans and vulnerable children.
Our motto
“Education is the key to development.”
Beneficiaries
Good Hope Nursery and Primary School is envisaged to directly benefit all the orphans and vulnerable children in Sentema County, Bulondo village – an estimated 17% of the district population.
It will also indirectly benefit all the people of Uganda, as the children will gain knowledge through free education and will become future leaders.
Implementation
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Through hard work from National Youth Empowerment Network (NYEN) and Bulondo Youth Anti--AIDS Association (BYAA), four rooms are being rented where the pupils are studying.
The classes include:
- Nursery Baby class
- Nursery Middle class
- Nursery Top class
- Lower primary (Primary one and Primary two classes)
The school is equipped with qualified teaching expertise:
- 1 teacher with a certificate in primary and nursery teaching
- 1 teacher with certificate in nursery teaching
The world must act now, urgently and decisively, to ensure that the next generation of children is literate. National, community and individual efforts should be supported to ensure that children have the chance to start life with a good education, and that future generations of children do not bear the burden of illiteracy.
It is therefore imperative to support Good Hope Nursery and Primary School in their efforts to offer effective education services to the children.
for more information please contact ronald at bomboronnie@youthforeurope.eu