Education is vital to breaking the cycle of poverty. But in Uganda, school is not free.
Our Child Sponsors make a huge difference to the lives of children who may be vulnerable, through the gift of education, giving children hope for a brighter future.
Families living in poverty have an impossible decision to make between sending their children to school, putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads. Child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and school fees keep many teens, especially girls, out of secondary schools. 1 in 3 children are forced to drop out of education because they can't afford school fees. It is also up to the child’s family to provide the books, pens, pencils, and uniform. This becomes another barrier to access.
Uganda experienced one of the longest school closures worldwide during the pandemic (almost two years). Not only were schools not opening, but the ones that did open increased their fees dramatically. Due to increasing food and energy costs, in some cases school fees have risen by up to 20% over the last few years, further making education unaffordable for many parents. (LSE) As a result of more children being out of school, this increases the risk of safeguarding issues, rising child labour and the potential for teenage pregnancies.
However, with an education, children are more likely to find a job in the future and help to support their families. With support from our child sponsors, in 2023, 13 new children enrolled onto the School Sponsorship Programme, meaning 168 children have the opportunity to attend school with all of the resources they need. 12 sponsored children have also successfully graduated from the programme this past year. Read the full impact report here.
Sarah* was just 13 years old when she was first enrolled onto the School Sponsorship programme back in 2013. She went on to complete primary and secondary school, before attending Technical College to pursue a Certificate in Early Childhood Development Teacher Education. A decade after Sarah joined the programme she has now successfully graduated from her course and is now looking forward to inspiring the next generation.
Here are some practices taken into account to ensure our Child Sponsorship Programme is safe and effective:
1 sponsor per child
All communications managed through our team
Financial transparency demonstrating how sponsorship funds are spent
Sponsoring a child with us not only benefits the child directly, but also their family. After graduating from an education and creating a sustainable income, many children choose to support their family with basic necessities, like rent and food. It also frees up the parents to work or educate themselves whilst their child is at school each day, and relieves some pressure at home as each child receives a hot, nutritious meal during the day.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear what our current sponsors have to say …
Julie
Julie says, "I knew right away I wanted to get involved." She loves how Kids Club Kampala cares for supporters and feels like family. Julie adds, "Being part of this great charity gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling," and she's "confident the school sponsorship programme is making a huge contribution to improving the lives of children who clearly need help to achieve their potential."
Elizabeth and Ron
Ron and Elizabeth who have visited our projects in Uganda say: "we felt compelled to make a difference. We believe in education as a way out of poverty." They've watched their sponsor child Jack flourish through letters and updates. "He is very definitely part of our family!"
Sponsoring a child costs £28 a month. The monthly gift will cover the cost of school fees as well as necessities like shoes, uniform, school books, pencils, medical care, school meals and anything else they need. We allocate children to sponsors depending on the needs and family situation of the child.
Our team works hard to ensure that our Child Sponsorship Programme continues to be of benefit to each child, and have seen firsthand just how much of a difference it can make. If you would be interested in becoming a Child Sponsor and making a huge difference to the life of a child in Uganda, contact Andy at andy@kidsclubkampala.org.