SCHOOL FOR LIFE FOUNDATION - UGANDA
22 members were present to listen to Annabelle Chauncy OAM present on the development & progress of the School for Life Foundation work in Uganda.School for Life Foundation was founded by Annabelle Chauncy and David Everett in 2008. After experiencing East Africa first hand on various volunteer projects in 2007 Annabelle and Dave returned to Australia resolved to make a difference. At the age of 21, they teamed together to build a community centre in rural Uganda.
There are many challenges and hurdles they had to overcome including only 56% of the population completing education and 52% of girls dropping out due to financial burden. But with an average life expectancy of 53 years and 49% of the population under 14 years there is a strong desire & passion to learn, which is resulting in the foundation making a significant impact.
With School for Life Foundation’s main objective to “create long lasting sustainable change using education as a tool to break the cycle of poverty”, it transforms communities in rural Uganda through the provision of high quality primary and vocational education, health care, clean water, farming and agriculture, employment and infrastructure.
The school, based in Katuuso, provides education and employment to more than 500 children (including disabled) and adults. The school provides three nutritious meals a day, clean drinking water, adult education (i.e. crops, finance) and health care for the whole community. The children are also heavily involved in activities which give back to the community.
You can sponsor a child for $50 per month via the School for Life Foundation website.
This year, as every second child is turned away due to lack of room, the foundation plans to expand their operations with construction of another primary and a secondary school.
Together, over the past six years, the foundation has fundraised more than $2m and provided primary education, vocational/skills training in agriculture and tailoring, solar electricity, health care, clean drinking water, local employment and community outreach programs to ensure that the entire community benefits from their services.