2023 Third Quarter Update

Reflections from our recent visit to Sitabaale

In August, Friends of TASAAGA spent 2 weeks in Sitabaale with our students and staff. We were reminded of the old adage that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. The young people receiving an education and vocational training at the TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational School are smart, passionate, and kind.

We heard story after story of the individual impact and the difference education and a safe, supportive community is creating for these students. They aren't just attending classes, they're embracing education as a powerful tool for change in their lives.

We spent time with two of our boarding students who had been "street kids" in Kampala from a very young age. One was an orphan and the other had run away from a difficult home environment. We were inspired by their stories; from living on the streets and doing whatever it took to survive, to growing into promising young adults and students who love history, science, music, and sports. Thanks to the work of our staff and teachers, their futures look bright. 

We spent time with another student who graduated from TASAAGA Primary School top of her class. While she still has both of her parents, she comes from a strict and conservative Muslim family and her father was not supportive of her continuing her education. He refused to allow her to attend school beyond primary and instead, wanted to have her married. Our staff, working with the girl's mother, convinced the father to allow her to attend TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational School as long as he did not have to pay for it or hear about it. Now, with a full scholarship and room and board, she continues to be a top student in her class. 

While each of our student's stories is unique, there is a clear trend: our students are curious, talented, have big dreams, and want to build a better future for themselves and their communities. Their growth has been limited due to circumstance, not ability, and they see education as the key to their future. 

One of the most rewarding parts of our trip was seeing how much the school has grown and evolved over 5 years. We started with 18 students in 2018 and today, serve 125. We have confidence in our ability to continue to support these students and are building the infrastructure and capacity to serve up to 300 more students in the future.  

We are returning home energized and inspired by the impact being created in Sitabaale and we are grateful to all of TASAAGA's supporters -- our donors, partners, and especially our staff -- for what they give to these students and their communities every day. We have an ambitious vision for this school  and are excited to build toward the future together. 

IMPACT SPOTLIGHT: New School Building Capital Project

To continue scaling the school's impact, we are currently in the middle of a major capital project to complete a four-story permanent home for the TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational School in Sitabaale.

Having completed the basement level (5 classrooms) in 2021, we are planning to complete the three remaining floors between December 2023 and March 2024. The end result will include the following and be able to support up to 450 students: 

  • 8 Academic Classrooms

  • 5 Vocational Classrooms

  • 2 Science Laboratories 

  • 1 Library

  • 1 School Clinic

  • 2 Boarding Dormitories

  • 3 Offices & 1 Staff Room

We are 50% of the way to our $120,000 fundraising goal to initiate and complete the frame of the remaining floors of the building, which will create a usable facility for our students and staff. We will then complete the finishings in a second phase starting in 2024. 

Investing in this additional space enables TASAAGA to:

  • Scale its mission of supporting the education and empowerment of orphans, vulnerable children, and their communities

  • Support up to 450 students (currently supporting 125)

  • Increase health and safety for students and staff with secured and owned structure and more sanitary dormitory and bathroom facilities

  • Increase quality of academic and vocational programming due to better classrooms and dedicated library and laboratory spaces

  • Move toward long-term sustainability by eliminating annual rental fees and increasing school revenue to offset subsidized orphan and vulnerable students

Completing this construction is critical for the future of our studetns and school. Individual donations are greatly appreciated but we know that to get this done, we will likely need larger contributions as well. If you or others in your network have creative ideas for accessing corporate, philanthropic, or other gifts, please let us know! We invite you to partner with us on this effort.

Students love science!

Science classes are currently held in a makeshift, outdoor laboratory. With the near-term construction of the school building, we are excited to create dedicated space for continued hands-on science learning.

Student Prefectorial Body 

The TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational School has a strong group of student Prefects leaders. Elected by their peers, these student leaders have responsibility over various divisions of the school's daily activities and serve as liasons to staff and role models to the student body.

Thanks to our Academic, Vocational, and Administrative Staff 

It is because of the these leaders and their committment to creating equitable learning and development opportunities for disadvantaged youth that TASAAGA can positively impact over 120 young boys and girls who would otherwise lack access to quality education.

Music and Dance

Music and Dance are a key componant of Ugandan culture. Every Thursday and Saturday the school band practices with a volunteer teacher. The music reverberating through the school compound is enjoyed by all.

2023 First Quarter Update

TASAAGA’s student population doubles over the past year while nationally, Uganda see’s drop in Secondary School Enrollment due to rising poverty and post-covid inflation pressures

National Update: A recent article from Reuters highlights the challenges many Ugandan families are facing when trying to send their kids to school right now: 

“UNICEF said about 1 in 10 children in Uganda did not report back to school in January [2022], while the National Planning Authority (NPA), a government agency, estimated last year that up to 30% of children could drop out due to COVID-19 fallout.

Factors include rising poverty, children taking jobs, early marriages and teenage pregnancies, which have soared during classroom closures.

Increased fees have been a further deterrent for low-income families to send their children back to school, according to the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER).”

TASAAGA’s Reactions: While school enrollment has declined nationally, TASAAGA is proud to report that due to the generous financial support of our donor community, we’ve been able to weather inflationary cost pressures, keeping our school fees well below the national average for those who can afford to pay and continuing to keep tuition and boarding free for orphans and vulnerable children. In 2023, we saw our enrollment double with nearly 60% receiving significantly reduced or free tuition and board. 

More now than ever, the students and families of the communities TASAAGA serves need our support. Thank you to all who have been consistent supporters, we couldn’t do this without you. For those who have not given or have not given in a while, we invite you to join us in supporting the TASAAGA community.  

Capital Project Update: School Building Construction and Fundraising

Friends of TASAAGA is currently in the middle of a major capital project to build a permanent home for the Secondary and Vocational school. 

Historically, we have rented rooms but we are outgrowing our space and know that having our own building for classrooms, dormitories, and offices would create a better environment for our students and staff. This additional space will also enable us to scale significantly, increasing the number of students we can serve and the amount of impact we can have in the community. 

We are working to raise $110K over 3 years to complete this project. In our first year, we raised $30K in addition to our annual operating expenses and purchased the land as well as completed the building's foundation and first set of classrooms. We now need to raise $40K each year for the next 2 years to complete the project.  

Completing the construction of this school is an important milestone on our path to increasing the school’s sustainability. Individual donations are greatly appreciated but we know that to get this done, we will likely need larger contributions as well. If you or others in your network have creative ideas for accessing corporate, philanthropic, or other gifts, please let us know! We invite you to partner with us on this effort. 

Regional Soccer Tournament Debut

For the first time in school history, the TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational School boys team entered into a regional soccer tournament, upsetting the first seed team in early rounds. The school and community were extremely excited for this victory and it brought great attention to our school and mission in the region.

While you may not be able to understand Lugandan, take a moment to see our Executive Director, Bruhan Mubiru, and our coach, Zubair Omutendesi, be interviewed on Ugandan national television here. Footage of our team starts at 1:22 and their interviews start at 1:54. 

Student Exam Results

Despite the world’s longest COVID lockdown and other challenges from the past few years, all of our Senior 4 students sat for the Ordinary Level National Examinations and successfully qualified for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). They all returned to TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational school for Senior 5 this year. 

Local Food Partnership

TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational school has formed a partnership with a local vegetable farm, which has agreed to provide a portion of the school’s monthly produce needs free of charge. Additionally, our students are learning about agriculture and have taken field trips to local farms for some hands-on learning.

Plastering of School Building

Dedicated donations in January allowed us to plaster the entire first floor of the Secondary School - thank you to our donors!

2022 Third Quarter Update

Friends, 

Before we share programming updates on the TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational School, we need to ask for your support. We are seeking donations -- either one-time or recurring -- to help overcome a number of factors contributing to increased costs and reduced revenue for our TASAAGA schools as well as the families and communities we serve. 

Background: The world is in the midst of an unprecedented inflationary environment, increasing geopolitical instability, and continued supply chain challenges. The Ugandan economy is feeling this turmoil particularly acutely as the price of food, fuel, building materials, and other basic necessities skyrocket and overall inflation hit 7.9% in July.

These broader economic dynamics coupled with a few local challenges in Sitabaale are not only increasing school costs but are also affecting our revenue. TASAAGA has historically relied on income sources like school fees and in-kind food donations from less-vulnerable families to supplement philanthropic support from Friends of TASAAGA. With families in our community struggling to afford food and fuel for their own homes, their ability to contribute to the school has been significantly reduced. This has led to an almost complete, near-term reliance on Friends of TASAAGA and the financial support we provide. 

Overview of Economic State Impacting Our Community: 

  • Food costs increase ~30% and fuel costs double since beginning of year: Food prices have been driven in part by the increasing price of imported wheat (nearly 50% of which comes from Russia and Ukraine) and drought in the northeast region of Uganda that has devastated the year's harvest. At the East Africa Secondary and Vocational School, we have seen the cost of food for our students increase ~30% in the past 6 months. Increasing fuel prices, which have nearly doubled across Uganda since the beginning of the year, have been driven by the war in Ukraine and lingering supply chain issues that have slowed the flow of fuel from Kenya.

  • Reduction in financial and in-kind support to the school: These economic dynamics are also having a drastic effect on the communities we serve. Our school operations rely on all of your philanthropic support but also on the school fees and in-kind donations (e.g., donated food from their farms) of families of less-vulnerable children. Given high unemployment and low crop yields, fewer families have been able to provide this support, which has increased budgetary pressure on Friends of TASAAGA.

  • Large local employer lays off workers: The major employer in our community, Sitabaale, is a Dutch-owned flower farm called Xclusive Cuttings. Over the past year, a new owner has taken over this business and has implemented large cost-cutting measures, including laying off many family members of our students. This has further decreased many family's ability to pay school fees or provide in-kind donations.

We continue to be amazed at the selfless dedication and support of this Friends of TASAAGA network. If you feel inclined to support TASAAGA's work, we encourage you to consider a recurring, monthly donation or a one-time gift. There are two ways to donate: 

Friends of TASAAGA is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, which means all donations are 100% tax deductible and you’ll receive a receipt to prove it. Additionally, we guarantee that 100% of your donations directly support TASAAGA's programming -- you won't pay a dime to cover the operational costs of running Friends of TASAAGA-US.

Understanding the Ugandan educational system and supporting 4 students to sit for S4 exams 

In Uganda, secondary school is broken into 2 stages -- S1 through S4 and S5 through S6. At the end of S4, students take what is known as O-level exams. If students pass these exams, they will receive their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and can move on to S5 and S6. At the end of S6, students sit for their A-level exams and, it they successfully complete those exams, receive their Uganda Certificate of Advanced Education and are eligible to enter university. (See this article for more information on the Ugandan education system). 

As we enter our 3rd school year (not counting the 2 years during COVID school was not fully in session), we are starting to send more students to sit for their secondary school exams. As you know, Friends of TASAAGA is dedicated to supporting and nurturing the growth and education of students who would not traditionally have the opportunity to attend or complete secondary school. With over 40% of our student population considered to be orphans or vulnerable children, the financial support we provide is critical in achieving this mission.

This year, we are sponsoring the S4 or O-level exam fees for four vulnerable East Africa Secondary and Vocational School students. They will sit for this exam in October and it will mark a major milestone for their educational journey. If they pass, they will receive their UCE certificate and can either enter the workforce, likely at a higher salary for having this degree, or continue their secondary education for two additional years and be eligible to go on to university. We are proud of these students for their hard work and dedication and are grateful to be able to support their continued education.

To the Friends of TASAAAGA, 

My name is Christine Nakachwo and I am 19 years old, a Ugandan student of East Africa Secondary and Vocational School. 

The Director, Mr. Bruhan Mubiro told me that you have decided to sponsor my registration for the national exams of this year, 2022. 

I am writing to thank you so much for supporting my education. I also promise to study hard in order to pass and do well in the exams. I want to study until I become a nurse or a business woman in Uganda. The fees you have paid for me are the keys to my future, so may the Lord bless you all. 

Yours faithfully,
Christine Nakachwo 

3-27-2022

TASAAGA Student Vaccination Efforts 

Over the past year, TASAAGA has coordinated multiple vaccination clinics in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Bugema University School of Nurses and Midwives. Earlier in the year, many community members as well as all of our students and staff received their first vaccine dose and in late June, all TASAAGA students and staff received their booster shot. 

Carpentry Show Room 

As part of their vocational curriculum, TASAAGA secondary students may take carpentry, tailoring, and hairdressing courses. Executive Director, Bruhan Mubiru, built vocational training into our school programming to ensure that students graduate with employable skills. In addition to those skills, Bruhan and our school leadership are now exploring opportunities to train our students on entrepreneurship by beginning to market and sell what they produce in their vocational courses. This project is teaching students to be entrepreneurial and the proceeds from the sold products and services will go to further support the secondary school. 

In this photo, vocational teacher, Ronald Kayiwa, works with Carpentry students to construct a wooden showroom to display and sell products designed and built in carpentry class.

2022 First Quarter Update

Uganda Reopens Schools After the World’s Longest Covid Shutdown

Friends, 

After being closed for nearly two years, during which we were proud to be one of only two private schools in the country to continue providing financial support to our staff, The East Africa Secondary & Vocational School officially reopened on January 10, 2022. 

While we were thrilled to welcome 77 students and 20 staff back to school in January, it has not been without challenges. A recent article by the New York Times, Uganda Reopens Schools After the World’s Longest Covid Shutdown, categorizes the damage this extended shutdown has had and will continue to have on the Ugandan economy, on schools across the country, and on students and their families. 

Our continued focus on the education of girls, orphans, and other vulnerable children (OVC) has never been more important and we are continuously grateful to our community of donors for your support of our mission.

Read on for updates since school has reopened and as always, thank you for your continued support of Friends of TASAAGA and all that you enable us to accomplish!

Extended Curriculum

One specific challenge as we reopen school is that the Ugandan Ministry of Education is requiring schools to make up for the 2 years of lost education during the pandemic over the next 18 months. This has materialized in the form of extending our school day from 8:00AM-4:30PM to 6:00AM-6:00PM. As you can imagine, this is a sizable increase in hours spent in the classroom by students and teachers alike and our administration is taking many steps to ensure it is both effective and sustainable.

(Right to Left, Top to Bottom)

  1. Buganda Government Visit: TASAAGA East Africa Secondary & Vocational School Students entertaining Buganda government officials at Busukuma subcounty grounds. 

  2. TASAAGA Vaccination Clinic: TASAAGA has coordinated multiple vaccination clinics in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the Bugema University School of Nurses and Midwives. Vaccinations were been provided to all of our teachers, some of our students, and residents of Sitabaale and other nearby communities. All clinics were well attended.

  3. International Women's Day: On March 8, 2022 the students of TASAAGA's Primary School and East Africa Secondary & Vocational School organized a march advocating for the empowerment and education of girls across Uganda and the world. Read more about the televised event in this local article.

  4. Woodworking Classes Resume: In February, all three vocational classes resumed. Students were excited for the opportunity to learn skills like woodworking to augment their traditional learning curriculum. Here, the students are making bookshelves for the primary school.

  5. Hairdressing Classes Resume: Hairdressing is a vocational skill in high demand in Uganda. Boys and girls are encouraged to sign up for any of our vocational training classes.

  6. Tailoring Classes Resume: Students love learning sewing and tailoring, skills they can use both personally and professionally, using machines donated by Friends of TASAAGA-US over the past few years.

  7. TASAAGA Sports Teams Compete Against Local Schools: Students take time out of their busy learning schedule to get some exercise and have some fun!

Other Updates

  • COVID19: While school has reopened, the spread of COVID19 remains a threat to students, staff, and community members. The TASAAGA Administration has taken safety precautions to minimize the spread of the virus, but a few cases have emerged within the school since reopening in January. No serious cases have occurred.

  • Malaria: During the rainy season in Uganda, Malaria outbreaks are common given the increase in mosquito breeding. TASAAGA continues to try to provide mosquito nets to all of our students, but there have been a number of Malaria cases in the school. We continue to monitor this closely and have brought in a nurse to teach the school’s matron treatment protocols to reduce the need for clinic visits.

  • Water & Electricity Shortages: In recent months the village of Sitabaale has experienced water shortages along with electricity outages. TASAAGA has taken actions to secure alternative sources of water via repairing a local borehole and trucking in external water. They also installed small solar panels to help with access to electricity in the dormitories at night.

2022 Giving Campaign Announcement

After what has been a tumultuous couple of years, we are preparing to welcome students and faculty back to school in January for the 2022 school year. As we enter the new year, we are once again reaching out to you, our generous followers, to request your support for the efforts and projects of Friends of TASAAGA. 

As we’ve done in the past, we raise a large portion of the funds required to successfully operate the TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational School and projects during our Fall Giving Campaign. 

With that, I'm excited to announce the launch of our 2022 Giving Campaign in which we are seeking to raise $25,000 between now and mid-January. For those interested in donating this year, there are three primary ways to donate:

From the TASAAGA organization and the team here at Friends of TASAAGA, thank you for your continued support. With this community, we are confident we can reach our $25,000 goal.

Read more for updates on 2022 and what we are raising money for this year!

Denver FoT Supporters Kicking Off the Giving Campaign in Style!

The Giving Campaign was officially kicked off this past weekend in Denver, where a dedicated group of supporters hosted a 40+ person (outdoor) halloween-themed bar-crawl on behalf of Friends of TASAAGA, raising over $2,500 in just a few hours! Thank you to the organizers and all who participated in this event, what a great start to the 2022 Giving Campaign!

If you are interested in hosting an event on behalf of Friends of TASAAGA, please contact us at contact@friendsoftasaaga-us.org for assistance in planning. Past events hosted by supporters include chili cook-offs, dinner parties and more!

What The 2022 Giving Campaign Is Supporting  

For those willing and able to provide support this year, your donations will help us execute on our 2022 strategy, which includes 2 primary initiatives: 

  1. Adding the second floor to the new TASAAGA East Africa Secondary and Vocational campus. With incredible support from our donors, in 2020/2021 we purchased land and built the first floor of the new Secondary and Vocational school. This is designed to be a 3-year project, adding one floor each year to the three story structure.  Having our own structure allows us to increase the security of our staff and students as well as improve their learning environment. This investment is putting TASAAGA on a path to sustainability by eliminating rent payments and allowing the secondary and primary schools to share resources like security guards and cooks.

  2. Improve quality and sustainability of school operations. As you may remember, a major 2020 and 2021 priority was to attract and retain high quality teachers and administrators by increasing staff salaries and better supporting their all around needs.

To ensure we can predictably support our staff and broader school operations over the 2022 school year we are working to improve the reliability of school fee collection, raise $15,000 in donations for operating expenses by mid-January, and increase the portion of donations that come from monthly donors.

To date, we are grateful to a number of individuals, who’ve decided to give between $10 and $100 on a monthly basis, and whose generosity currently covers almost 40% of our operating expenses. As we continue to strive for sustainability, we’ve set a goal of recruiting 20 new monthly donors who are willing to contribute any amount on a regular basis. If you would like to sign up for recurring payments, you can do so here.

Lookout For Our Upcoming Virtual Events

In late November and early December we will be hosting two virtual events (via Zoom) to:

  • Provide Friends of TASAAGA Updates 

  • Highlight stories from TASAAGA Students and Teachers

  • Q&A with TASAAGA's Executive Director, Bruhan Mubiro

We will be sending separate invitation details across the coming weeks so be on the lookout and hope you are able to join!