Fundo Parents' Primary School

July 2010

2010-11-17T05:46:00.000-08:00

In Sep 2010,

We wish to thank all of you our partners in the UK for your continued prayers and financial gifts.

The community was able to pay for the cost of windows and doors for the project. In the photos here, all the fittings are done. Before this was done, animals would take shelter in the building during rain season and damage the house. E.g. the children would arrive in the morning only to find a lot of droppings in their classes. These doors and windows were locally made in Arua, 89km from Fundo Parents’ Primary School.
All the few furniture we received (chairs and desk) are now safely stored in the class room that has its floor work done. Hence, they are protected from weather and termites.

The other three rooms are not yet cemented. Every child would like to attend class in the cemented room. The people in the other classrooms have been asking their teachers to take them in to the room that is cemented. We are looking forward to more funds to be availed for finishing this work. A lot needs to be done yet.
Now the government is getting interested in the community and the school. We are optimistic that they will begin to fully support it soon.

The current pressing need is to build a pit latrine (drop in) for the children. There is none in a good condition. Children some time run to the nearby bush in case the current facility is engaged. The parents have come together to dug a pit latrine. This now needs funding for building it. We estimate it will cost £2,500 to build a decent one with four doors.

Secondly, they have also clear a play ground for the school just behind the classroom. This ground is occasionally used by the children for physical education. However, it is not properly done yet. We are hoping to get other necessary games equipments for the school when funds allow.

The third challenge has been source of clean water. We (community) has planed to collect rain water in big water tanks (20 litres) so that the children have a source within the school. Currently, every one in the community uses water from the River Nile. This water is contaminated with Bilharzias and other diseases. The only way to purify water for the school to use is by boiling. However, this is not providing enough water for all the 217 children and staff at the school. We are still looking for partners to work with in the area of clean water.

You are most very welcome to visit, pray and raise funds for these remaining needs.
Next year, the school will open a small demonstration farm (Mixed farming) to train the community and the children on good farming methods. This is to help the community to take up the challenge to fight hunger, poverty and support education for their children.

As you read this now, if you know any partner organisation that would be of support to us in the above areas, please, let us know through the contact below.

June 2010: Our roof is on!!

2010-06-15T00:46:00.000-07:00

Photo of the school building as of June 2010.

Amazing things have happened!!!! It is in June 2010, when the disabled and vulnarable children of Fundo Village had their first time experience in learning under a shelter. This is amazing. A lot of thanks to Tonbridge Methodist Church, St. Margarets Primary school, Oakfield Primary school (all in UK) and the friends of the people of Fundo for your prayers and financial gifts. Thank you also to Gift Asiku's family for beening key is fundraising and suppervising this work here in Uganda.

Photo of grade 2 in their classroom.

One of the children (No name) said, "I never imagined siting in a sheltered classroom before. Now I am in a class."
Now all the four grade are using the shelter though it is not finished yet. A lot is yet to be done at this stage. The floor, wall plaster (cement), windows and doors and painting are not done yet.
There is hope...."WE ARE MOVING FORWARD."

The headteacher Bakole Gregory said, "This long time dream of our departed members has come to pass." Fundo school started in 1942 as a village school where learning was in Ma'di. After three years, the children were then sent to Rhino-camp primary school (15km from Fundo) for grade 4-6.

The builders moving timber on to the roof.

There was a lot of excitment as the children chose their classrooms and brought in chairs to sit on.

The community is looking forward to using the same facility as a centre for clinical services. The nearest health centre in at Rhino-camp (15km) while the nearest hopital in in Arua town (more than 75km). This is the next need to meet among the community.

Please, pary for funding to finish this stage of the project.

Feb 2010- The Wall Work is Finished

2010-02-19T03:36:00.000-08:00

Feb 19th 2010
We want to convey our sincere thanks to all of you who are praying for us daily and supporting our school building project. This is just to give you a picture of activities that have taken place in the past two weeks in the lives of the children and teachers of the school.

On the 2nd Feb 2010, the new term started with the children reporting to school even when they haven’t got a roof on the building.
As before, they are used to studying under trees due to lack of infrastructure.

On 13th Feb Gift Asiku and Belino Akuonzi received a message from Fundo that the school needs some new Block boards as the old ones were damaged by weather and termites during holidays. The volunteer teachers were ready to teach and children ready to learn. However, they still do not have a roof on top of the building.

Grace 4, 3 and 2 turned up to the school on time Above are photos of year 4, 3 and 2 on 1st Feb 2010.

Giving to Fundo Project

2009-11-13T04:40:00.000-08:00

To financially give to this project:
1: In the UK, contact Tonbridge Methodist Church,Higham La
Tonbridge, TN10 4JG or call UK 01732 355620 Daphne (Tonbridge, Kent)

Current status of funding:

Funds received as of July 2010 £15,000
Funds needed as of July 2010 £12,000
Total project funding £27,000

Fund Raise:
£ 5.0 buys 135 bricks
£ 10.0 buys 1 bag of cement
£ 20.0 buys 1 iron sheet for the roof
£ 30.0 pays track load of material
£ 60.0 buys 1 window or door

2: In Uganda, contact:
Gift Asiku P.O.Box 914, Arua, Uganda.
Call: +256-772844140

If you would like further details about this project, feel free to write an e-mail to us on nci.uganda@gmail.com

Volunteer Teacher 2009

2009-11-13T04:21:00.000-08:00

The following is a photo of four of the sevent teachers who volunteers to continue to teach these children in 2009. They are not paid!!!
There are a totla of 207 pupils registered and attending school this year 2009. As we arrived to Fundo in the afternoon, most of them had gone home. These remaining were helping to move bricks for the builders on the site.
They asked me to take their photograph infrom of their classroom block.

Parents Oct 2009

2009-11-13T04:08:00.000-08:00

Parents of Fundo Parents' Primary School.
During the time of work on this project, these parents in the photograph come daily to work with the builders.
They provide the un-skilled labour for the work like move bricks, mix cement, cook for the builders fetch water and mobilise the community. This is a big contribution from them to this project. It also shows their ownership of this project.
Their next plan in 2010 is to start an income generating activity for themselves and also for the school. They have planned an animal husbandry (Goat rearing and poultry)
Most of these parents have never gone beyond secondary education. Therefore, they are not even employed by any body. They are fishermen or subsistent famers. As a contribution from them to the project, they come daily to work.
There faces are very joyful because they can now see at least a classroom wall standing up in their area for their children.
The next target is to raise enough money to finish the wall (£1,200) and put the roof on the house (£4,237).

Posted by GA.

Children in class 2008/9

2009-11-09T02:21:00.000-08:00

God is doing a new thing for these children.
You can be part of it.

This is the current classroom situation in Fundo Parents' Primary School in Arua, Uganda.
These photos were taken in October 2008.
Grade Three in class.
Grade two in class
Grade one in class

"YOUR LOVE FOR THE AFRICAN CHILD"

The wall 2009

2009-11-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome note!

2009-11-02T01:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Fundo, Arua, Uganda (West-Nile).

Thank you very much for your partnership with us and your support towards the building and establishment of Fundo Parents' Primary School.

We will be posting updates on this blog for you.

If you would like to contact us directly please, use the address below;

Asiku O Gift (Member of BOD-NCI.Uganda)
P.O.Box 914, Arua, Uganda
e-mail: nci.uganda@gmail.com
Tel: +256-772844140

Or

Anguyo Sunday (Project site supervisor FPPS-Project)
Fundo Parents' Primary School Project
P.O.Box 1139, Arua, Uganda
Tel: +256-774588860

The school building

2009-11-02T01:17:00.000-08:00

Local materials

2009-10-31T00:16:00.000-07:00

Transportation of materials to site:

The Fundo Parents' Development Association committee recieved £ 1,500.00 From Tonbridge Methodist Church (Uk) on 12-Oct-2009.

We thank all our UK friends and churches for their continued prayer and financial support towards Fundo Project.
The committee was able to buy 35 bags of cement, 10,000 bricks and pay for transportation and labour for the work.

The cement was bought from Arua town which is 89km from Funod village where the building project is located.

The bricks were bought locally in Rigbo Sub-count and transported using the truck in this photo.

The bulders at work on the second half of the wall work.
The next stage is to build the beam which will cost £1,200.00.

Your continued prayers and support is welcome.

Posted by Gift A

Stage-1 Children in Class 2008

2009-07-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Education For All
From 2003-2007, Nutricare International ltd, an indigenous Ugandan Organisation work with the communities of Arua started a nutrition and HIV/AIDS sensitisation programme in Fundo Village in Rigbo Sub-county, Ma'di Okollo County, Arua District. This programme was very successful in a number of ways.
- They were able to transport children and families with malnourished children to Arua and Kuluva Hospital with the help of a Germany organisation that was working in Arua. More than 36 children received medical care and their health was restored.
- This project also gave birth to the registration of a community school (Fundo Parents' Primary School) with Arua District Education Office. Since 2003 up to now, the children who come to this school study under nearby trees. This is due to lack of Educational infrastructure and because the nearby schools are still too far for the children to walk 4 miles away or walk across a swamp.
- At least, 90% of the community is aware of the dangers of HIV/AIDS. The rate of immorality among teenagers has reduce, early marriages and teenage pregnancies have reduce. However, more needs to be done in these areas.
- The community is aware of malaria which has been killing most of the children and now they can quickly seek medical help compared to their earlier practice of going to traditional healers or “witch craft” that never had medicines for Malaria. However, the nearest health centre is still too far from them (15km) and the main Hospital is 89 km away (Arua Referral Hospital). This still makes it difficult for help during emergencies.

SOLUTION:- The community cam up with plans to build and establish a primary school (Fundo Parents' Primary School).
- This school premise will be used also for Mobile Clinic Services until a health centre is built and running in the area. The plan now is to establish an Out Patient Health Unit in the area.
- NCI.Uganda may get involved in most of these activities through creating awareness and fund-raising.

Location in Arua

2009-06-12T03:08:00.000-07:00

The Fundo people are found in Uganda, Arua Disrict, 89 km from Arua town in Rigbo Sub-county, Ma'di Okollo County.

Life in Fundo Village:

· The main livelihood is fishing as the people live along the River Nile.
· Some of the population are cattle keepers.
· Others are farmers who grow food crops like sesame, sorghum and cassava.
· Common religions: Christianity and Traditional African Religion.

Funding:

The funding for this project is not regular. All the received funds have been through Tonbridge Methodist Church in the Uk raising money for the school building project is looking. This financial support has enabled the Fundo Parents' Development Association to bring the school building project to 20%. The foundation is partly done (the slab is not yet done), wall work is started.

This is how the school was in 1980s. The shelter was re-built after every year because of damage by termites, heavy rain and storms.

In 2003, the people could not build any temporary structures as grass became scarce and at least their were some schools 4 miles away from the village. These school are also too far away for the children in Fundo to go to daily.

If you would like to get further information about this, please send us an e-mail to the above contact or call.

Introduction

2009-02-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

Fundo Parents’ Primary School is a village school located in North-Western Uganda, about 60 miles from Arua, in the Sub County of Rigbo, The school was started in the 1960’s when classes were begun under the trees. Up to now teaching is still carried out in the same conditions by volunteer teachers. In 2003, the school was officially registered as a village school in Uganda but it has not received any funding nor have any buildings been built.
There are 216 pupils currently registered for 2008 and six unqualified volunteer teachers serving in the school. Pupil attendance is higher during dry season but drops below average during wet season when families are planting crops. Currently, the school has four grade and all the pupils learn under trees. The photos of them learning under tree were taken in October 2008.

The teaching materials are provided by some families and local friends of the school. The Fundo Parents' Association with the help of NCI.Uganda has decided to solve the problem of lack of educational infrastructure, ignorance, disease (HIV/AIDs and malaria), poverty, food insecurity, child about by first building and establishing a school.

With the help of Gift O. Asiku family and their friends and Churches in the UK, the Fundo Parents' Development Association (an indigenous association in Fundo formed in January 2009) has started to build a four class room block for the children. About 20% of the building project is done. However, it is still needing more funding to complete it. We hope this project will be completed at the end of 2010 if the funding needed is available.

These above photos were taken by Gift O. Asiku in Feb 2009