To: Monayr Asha Aid Foundation, Canada
Dear Monayr Asha Aid Foundation Supporters:
For several years Buwagga Secondary School has been fortunate to benefit from Educational Tools for Buwagga project, initially supported by Engineers Without Borders and currently working with the Monayr Asha Aid Foundation. The volunteer teachers who spent the summer of 2002 teaching science and English language were directly and indirectly involved in development activities in the community.Their services made a valuable contribution and a number of achievements have been realized there from. These have included initiating a computer laboratory at Buwagga Secondary School that is now fully functional. This was made possible also when, last year, the school connected to hydroelectric grid. In addition to the two computers which they brought with them to start teaching the students computer lessons, we had added more Next year we intend to have Internet connection and open them to the community.
In their science demonstration effort the school built and equipped a new kitchen for the school with energy saving techniques that save on wood fuel significantly. There are additional ideas in agriculture, which we have done in demonstration at school open to the community. Next year we expect more impact in agriculture as we expand our demonstration work in this area. In our scheme of works we are closing the year with a list of activities to accomplish before the next school year open early in February 2007. The two principle ones are a second laboratory and textbooks. In the middle of this year we wrote to Uganda National Examination Board to be upgraded and in particular be reclassified as a Uganda Advanced Examination Centre. In their response to our request we were advised to meet two main requirements: namely to build, furnish and stock a second science laboratory as well as recruit additional teachers with specified minimum qualification and experiences. To meet the requirements of a science laboratory we decided to build a new and a bigger Hall which will enable us sit a bigger number of candidates at Ordinary level* and the new Hall is now ready and we shall be using it during the Public Examination season October - Dec 2006; and subsequent years thereafter. We shall shortly start renovating the Old Hall to be converted into the second science Laboratory required from us by the government body to be ready before end of January 2007. Buwagga Senior Secondary school motto is "Determination is the key to success" Our students come from poor financial strapped homes. They are mainly subsistence farmers with one-room homes that have no electricity or running water. Our students must work in the fields, fetch water from the borehole or shallow wells, fetch firewood etc. These demands compete with their schooling and also diminish support and encouragement from their guardians/parents. Despite theses circumstances they must compete with the best Ugandan student in the same National examinations and with determination some do. As a consequence of our students background the school receives little money because of the poor paying capacities and thus the fees do not cover the expenditures let alone provide the facilities needed. But as a school we also are, "Determined to succeed", by providing facilities that will give students, teachers, community opportunities skills awareness as others in the country .We are also keenly aware how Uganda’s open policy has brought competition on our community doorstep which makes it necessary the our children and community to join if they are not to be compromised. Just as our students we are also "Determined to succeed" in answering some of those challenges. On behalf a Buwagga S.S., I write to thank you for the assistance you extended to Buwagga SS and surrounding community. I write to invite you to assist us with a science laboratory renovation stocking with equipments and chemicals as the cost to range from two to two and a half millions Uganda shillings (1 200 to 1 500 Canadian dollars). With Advanced level Registration and a reasonably well-equipped science laboratory we shall increase our competitiveness and relevancy to community. Sincerely, K. Sendi
Buwagga Senior Secondary School
Director
On behalf on the Buwagga Community
* Advanced and Ordinary levels (A levels and O levels) are based on the British Educational System