Uganda education system consists of Primary education of Seven years, followed by four years of secondary education, and then four years of university instruction; the 7 + 4 + 4 system. The primary language at all levels is English. More than 1.3 million children, or over 70 per cent, are out of school in Uganda, putting at risk their futures and the future of the country. Some of the out-of-school children are living in pastoral communities, moving with their cattle and are not able to attend regular classes. The largest group of out-of-school children in Uganda are girls. Poverty, child marriage and cultural and religious views all hinder girls' education.
Over the past decade, the number of orphans and vulnerable children living in Uganda has been escalating at an alarming rate. However, accurate orphan statistics do not yet exist. But, the number of orphaned children was estimated to be 2 million. The vast majority of them have been orphaned as a result of extreme poverty, ethnic conflict and HIV/AIDS. Over one million of those children have lost their parents to ethnic conflict and HIV/AIDS-related complications and suffer the following problems that challenged us to start up a stretching hand to the orphans, vulnerable and needy children in Uganda:
Children’s Development Support Servicer’s Child Sponsorship program works to remove barriers to education and is unique to the communities where it is implemented. The sponsorship takes place through partnering with schools and the villages those schools are connected to. Funding from child sponsorships covers costs such as tuition, uniforms, Exercise books, medical treatment, school shoes, school supplies and Text Books to ensure the child remains in School. The students are selected based upon academic merit, not upon a personal relationship or favoritism. The students are being rated by their internal testing results and final examination which gives us a good view over their academic achievements, their enthusiasm to learn and their high-performance capability. After the national examination during their final year in primary and Secondary schools, the students who have passed the examination will then have the opportunity to be selected in our Child Sponsorship Program.
Once a child is sponsored through our Education Sponsorship Program, we are adamant on providing any needed support such as academic, emotional, and medical and we meet with each child as often as possible. Our sponsored students are spread throughout the district which allows us to meet with our sponsored students weekly, if not monthly. Our meetings with the sponsored students allow us to monitor their academic progress and assist with any other issues. Issues may vary from purchasing a new uniform to seeking medical attention. This provides our students with one-to-one encouragement and a place to study with other participants from the program.
Sponsorships can be made on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
Levels are:Every child enrolled in our sponsorship program goes through a detailed background check by our Education officer and Programme Coordinator beforehand. In general, the families of our students have almost no money available to invest in the education of their children. These children/students need a lot of financial and educational support in order to have a “fair” chance to successfully pass the exams on the secondary school level and university. Therefore, most of our students require a full sponsorship package that comprises sufficient services.
Sponsoring a student allows you to give the amazing gift of education. Through your generosity the student will be able to enhance their academic knowledge and give him/her a fair chance of a brighter future. Throughout your sponsored student’s academic journey, you will receive: a CDSS thank you letter which can be used for tax purposes, an academic report/update or letter 2-3 times a year and Photos of your sponsored child throughout the year.
