Guest Speaker Report
Wednesday 21 July 2010
by Rotarian Ian Johnson (reporter)
Our guest speaker was Rick Brown who spoke to us about “Schooling in Uganda”. Rick was introduced by Peter van der Sleeson.
Rick first visited Uganda in 1993. He returned again in 1998 and 1999. In 2000 he accepted a redundancy offer from his public service position in Australia and has been in Uganda since then.
In Uganda there can be up to 100 students in a class. Whilst most children attend primary school not many attend secondary school.
Rick saw the need for a secondary school and obtained funds to buy 17 acres of land. The school is about 30 kilometers from Kampala.
The local culture does not place much importance on girls completing secondary school. They are encouraged to get married and have children whilst still of school age.
The school aims to provide:
- education
- spiritual guidance
- vocational skills.
Meals are provided for children attending the school and medicine is provided if required.
Donations are important for meeting these expenses, paying the teachers and developing facilities for the students. At present it is planned to put in some sport’s fields.
The school does take in boarders. The money received from the boarders helps to meet the school’s running costs. The school was visited in 2007 by a group from SCEGGS who have set up a scholarship scheme and who assist the school greatly.
The school has set a goal of becoming self sufficient eventually so that it does not have to rely on donations to keep running.
Rick was thanked by PDG Harley Tarrant.