2022 Review

This year was a banner year for KEC-A Village of hope. It was a banner year because we learned so much about the school, its strengths and shortcomings, and set the path for the school to bring the school to the next level, striving towards excellence.

During our March Visit, we took note and identified where the school needed help and started helping with weekly Sunday meetings with the KEC-Uganda Team to learn more and to assist them in keeping track of operations. We later had weekly meetings with the finance team to give it the attention that it needed.

This led to our second visit in August to hold an 8-day conference to teach the teachers, staff and board members critical subjects which they had not been exposed to.

By the end of the year, we:

• Hired an architect to draw plans for our future school compound, and had the plans approved by the government.
• Processed the paperwork to register the school.
• Processed the documents to obtain a land title.
• Brought Solar Power to the school to support the office operations and teacher research.
• Brought Wifi to the school in order to collaborate better with the team on the ground. And, also to bring the world to Kaguma by allowing teachers to research their subjects online.
• Built a P7 Classroom.
• Built the case for increased tuition for the 2023 year.
• Partnered with another non-profit to drill a well (borehole) in 2022 and install the pump in 2023.
• We provided $1425 for uniform funding.
• We hired a bursar and a P5 and P6 Teachers.
• KEC-Uganda went to mobile banking eliminating all case transactions.

During our March Visit, this is what we accmplished:

• Met with the LC5 Chairman (Senator/Governor equivalent)
• He committed to helping us by paving the road, providing us books, and letting us use his heavy equipment if we pay for the gas/oil. He has asked us to get our license for the school by June.
• Interviewed all teachers
• Karen was able to sit down and interview all teachers, getting to know them and why they went into teaching.
• Received interview sheets from about 24 students
• There was no time to interview the students but Karen was able to get them to fill out the interview questionnaire so I think we can sponsor a small story on them.
• Visited the tailor and collected uniforms
• We visited the tailor and looked at the facilities. There were three workers in a small room and they were using pedal sewing machines.
• Keith built a very nice rabbit cage with several of the other men in the village. Some of the other rabbit owners, from our previous donations, will provide us with the rabbits.
• We visited the land and saw all the work the community has done on land. They have eliminated a lot of the brush and the boundary lines are clear.
• The land had an unbelievable view, something that we did not recognize the last time. We call it the land of milk and honey because of its beauty.
• Walked the land with a Project Manager from Kampala to get ideas
• Took 500 pictures of the students, teachers and land. Hosted Run4Water Team (5 from TN and 3 from UG) as part of our 2022 partnership.
• The Run4Water team arrived on 6 March and visited the school on 7 March. During the time they were there, we visited three water sites
• Tested a water backpack
• Ran one full day and two half days of the 84-day program and one day of the Real Men training.
• They also tested out a pump for the shallow wells.
• Karen Lonis visited the school with us from 7-10 March, and visited the classrooms, giving out teacher supplies provided by local Tennessee educators, as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste, donated by Karen Jennings’ Dentist, Dr Ho. Karen Lonis and her team also gave each teacher a book bag with teacher supplies.
• 84 day program at KEC and Secondary School. The young ladies ages 12-14 from KEC participated in the 84 day program for one half day.
• Participated in a Board Meeting.
• We went to the market and bought clothing and shoes for 27 students who were needy.