Fees for the Future – Send a Child to School Today

Summary

Donations to this project will pay the public school fees for primary aged children who presently do not attend school for want of funds. When you donate to the project, you will have a direct impact in a young person's life - in fact, you will be giving them a future by ensuring they learn to read and write. Our project targets the least advantaged families in our community - widows who have lost their husbands to HIV and children with disabilities.

Challenge

In 2003, the Uganda government introduced universal free primary education as part of its commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. However, primary schools have begun to charge 'school fees' to make up for budget shortfalls. Where some middle income families can afford the fees, the poorest and most vulnerable families in the country are effectively locked out of a primary education. We are stepping in to ensure the poorest families in our community can access basic education.

Solution

Our project works in a very straight forward fashion: Needy families register at the office their children who do not attend school. Through a vetting process, we identify the most needy and provide funds directly to the school, which provides a receipt for school fees paid or school uniform purchased. The parent/guardian is then notified by SMS that their child has been enrolled in school.

Long-Term Impact

The United Nations has identified universal primary education as a key to promoting economic development and reducing gender inequality. In addition, education has the ability to create a well-informed citizenry that can participate meaningfully in political life. In the Ugandan context, this last point is especially important given the political violence in the country in 2007-2008. We believe that by giving even one person the gift of education, the future of this country will be brighter.