School Days, School Days!

19 Feb School Days, School Days!

Last year, in January of 2025, the Village2Village Education Centre officially opened on both Serere and Kateta campuses.The grand opening  was an exciting time and we were able to be there to witness it!   The school year in Uganda begins at the end of January with three terms that finish at the end of November, and we began serving kids in Primary 1 through Primary 4.

By hiring all the new teachers our staff doubled overnight!

Why after all these years have we opened a school?

The biggest reason is that when Covid shut all the schools down in Uganda for two full years, the Ugandan staff pivoted and got permission to “homeschool” our then 180 students. We hired 25 out of work teachers, and sent them on bicycles with portable blackboards to 25 different villages where our kids were living. The kids were able to invite all their siblings and neighbors that were in their “bubble”. We were able to save 800 children from two years without education, and our test scores were the best in 18 years!

The key to the children’s success was the individual attention. The educational system in rural Uganda has been under significant stress as the young population grows fast.  One teacher can be expected to teach 90 children in a Primary One class! Our children were not getting the instruction they needed, even in private schools. 19% of the time, that single teacher isn’t even in class!

When we put the children back in school after schools reopened, they actually struggled more. We had the two beautiful campuses, and hired a degreed teacher as a social work liaison for a year of planning.  It was time to take that step and give the children a solid foundation.

This year, after visiting again last May and hearing great reports, we returned and were greeted by young children speaking English!  Many of our children had been unable to write their names even in P3 and P4. The children being educated on our campuses have made tremendous progress in all subjects, but noticeably in their English language learning.

Inebe Sharon, pictured below on the left, is one of our V2V students who will graduate soon with a diploma in Early Childhood Education.  She is spending a semester in our school before she starts her final internship, giving back to the organization who helped develop her career by helping the newest children in a small group setting.

 In 2026, Primary 5 classes have been added  to our school thanks to generous support from several individual donors, Mercy Road Church NE, and a grant from the Rotary Club of Rockport which allowed the addition of  multiple classrooms. The new teachers are all  incredible educators who support our philosophy of meeting each child where they are, and providing a positive learning environmnent.

We hope to continue adding a class each year through Primary 7, which will involve providing boarding for the older students. Looking ahead, we can see so many positive outcomes from this investment. Many thanks to all who have been a part of it!

Enjoy this composite of our loving teachers!