Projects Kiwanuka

The main objective of the Kiwanuka Foundation is to run a scholarship programme which annually allows the best pupils of the primary school from poor families to enter secondary school. Thanks to the support of the Kiwanuka foundation, as of February 1, 2022 49 girls are pursuing education after their primary school at Villa Maria. Forty-two girls have completed their education and became a nurse, teacher or hotel manager/caterer. One girl obtained a bachelor’s degree from a university.

Tuition fee in Uganda

In Uganda these are mostly boarding schools with tuition fees of about € 600 to € 700 per pupil. The costs for a university education can reach up to € 1000 per pupil. The Kiwanuka Foundation aims at finding persons or organisations who want to make it possible for one child to finish secondary school education. During their study time the girls will be actively coached by one of the teachers of the primary school. The foundation also has the intention to financially support continuation courses after secondary school. Since 2005, the first student, Wanyana Prossy is supported in this way during her secondary and university education. She now works as a teacher "food and nutrition" at a high school in Uganda. 

Improving education

Since its establishment the Kiwanuka Foundation has been striving to provide the school with materials stimulating teaching and learning. What we have achieved so far: we have bought school desks and writing materials, we have provided enough school books, the choir has received uniforms, and the theatre and dancing group costumes. We have also provided recorders and other small musical instruments. Playground equipment has been installed and the children of the highest classes can enjoy a yearly school outing which allows them to discover their own beautiful Uganda. There also is a small library in one of the school buildings and the teachers have started additional training programmes.

School buldings

During the last years all the school buildings have been gradually improved. Leaking roofs have been renovated (a number of classes were unusable in the rainy season), floors in the classes repaired, window frames and doors replaced and painted, and stucco applied to the walls. Thanks to the support of the Kiwanuka Foundation the Saint Cecilia School in Villa Maria got a beautiful and solid appearance. ‘Our buildings shine in the sun’. 

An additional school building constructed

Mainly because of the support of Kiwanuka foundation, the number of students at the St. Cecilia school in Villa Maria has risen significantly in recent years. More and more parents are realizing that it is important to send their children – and not only their sons, but also their daughters - to school. Based on the number of pupils, the school had more teachers than classrooms. Especially in the lowest classes there were so many children that the teacher (or two teachers in one room) stood for a class of 80 children. Kiwanuka made this problem smaller through a new construction project that expanded the school by three classrooms in 2020. This project was realized mainly through the support of the ‘Wilde Ganzen’ Foundation (www.wildeganzen.nl) and the ‘Elisabeth Strouven’ Foundation (both in the Netherlands). 

A water tank built 

After the realization of the new school building a large underground water tank was built. Due to longer dry seasons, and heavier monsoon rains, more capacity to collect rain water was needed. Thanks to the bequest of Mr. Alexander Schmetz and a donation by the Lauwerkrans men's choir, Kiwanuka was enabled to have this water tank built.

Foundation Kiwanuka
Hondstraat 8a, 6211 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
T: +31(0) 43 - 32 12 995, E: info@kiwanuka.nl