Maranatha Uganda

We have lots of joy getting to such moments, when we are dedicating our children to God for the best results that Maranatha would like to harvest after a long period of sowing her seeds. This can be traced from the time when these kids began their first Nursery classes till now, when they are fully prepared to compete with the rest of the pupils in Uganda National Examinations ( Primary Leaving Examinations). Their excellency will oversee their transition to secondary schools or other tertiary institutions. Join us in our prayers. NB This concerns the candidates dedication service. God bless you all. Joseph Gift

Lule Victor sponsored by KU awarded a certificate of being a very disciplined male P.7 candidate.

Dressed-smartly-in-the-uniform-are-the-P.7-candidates-during-their-dedication-service-at-the-Church-on-23rd-October

On 23rd Ocober, different pastors laid their hands upon the Primary seven pupils as they were dedicated to God for Wisdom and mercy during the entire final examinations period.

Pastor Robert Kasaija took the main lead of the prayers for the best results from our pupils.

Patrick and Eve Walusimbi also prayed for the children awaiting their final examinations on 2nd and 3rd of November 2011.

Maranatha schools are organizing an educational trip to Kampala city involving three different activities. The children are going to visit the Uganda Wild life Centre, Crown beverages processing plant (Coca-Cola Uganda) and Wonderworld amusement park.

This is a trip organized with the idea of providing the kids with educational knowledge and exposure. We want the children to have a practical experience of what they study in class and also expose them to the life in an area other than their home district.

We are going to be organizing such trips once every year starting this year on the 25t/July/2011. Many kids at Maranatha have never left Mityana for all their lives as their parents cannot afford such trips because they are seen as very low in the priority order yet as a community at Maranatha we think they are important in the academic and social life of the child.

While we hope that the sponsored children will be cared for by their sponsors, we are looking for donors to sponsor 200 children who cannot afford this trip. This trip is going to cost $12 per child and this will include transport, lunch, entry fees and drinks for the children. You can sponsor a child or more by visiting the kids Uganda website on the donation page www.kidsuganda.com.

Week 10

Week 10

Week 10

Week 10

Week 10

Week 10

Please enjoy the tenth week pictorial news. We have started on item 12 (please see the Boys Dormitory Schedule), fixing the ring beam on top of the wall. This ring is very important since it holds the entire block together. Its made of steel bars and concreted into the wall. We are excited about the speed irrespective of the rain. We promise to keep you posted.

Thank you for your support,

Maranatha family, Nkonya in particular is very excited about the completion of the teachers’ house at Maranatha Nkonya School. Six teachers out of fifteen will finally have accommodation and be saved from hassling it to school every morning. This for years has been a burning challenge since teachers would fail to turn up due to inaccessibility during the rainy season. The children of Maranatha Nkonya will finally benefit from resident teachers through night classes, and the community members from literacy classes. Those who know Uganda will agree when I say that this is one of the most beautiful teachers’ houses in the country. It is solar powered as a result of Solar Light for Africa, a US based non profit and partner organization. There is no electricity in Nkonya and its surrounding fishing villages.  Although we still need two more blocks to have all the teachers accommodated, we are very grateful to our friends Andy and Susie Stewart from Colorado who, together with their friends, financed the building project.

The front view

The front view

The front view

The front view II

The front view

The boys’ dormitory has reached to a stage where we are filling the foundation with marram to level the ground.

Filling the foundation with marram

The lower section in close view

The lower section

Please follow us on face bookhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Maranatha-Integrated-Schools-Project/150761589822?ref=ts

Construction of the boys’ dormitory is steadily progressing. We are about to finish concreting the foundation and expect to start laying it with bricks and hope to complete it in week four. We are very grateful for rain after a very long dry spell irrespective of the fact that it interferes with the construction work most especially when the buildrers have to wheel burrow heavy concrete mixtures through the slippery muddy soil.

Concreted section

Concreting the foundation

Concrete laid foundation

Mixing concrete

Measuring and setting

Mixing of sand

Please check out our facebook page and website for regular updates

This was a big year for Maranatha Schools with plenty of praises and challenges.  As part of our partnership, we want to make sure we keep you our friends and partners informed and involved in our ministry.  Please read past the break for all of the details of what went on in Maranatha in 2009.  As always, please leave us comments at the end of the post so that we can answer any questions and communicate with you more fully.

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From: MARANATHA STUDENTS AND STAFF

To:  OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS

APPRECIATION
We would like to thank our friends and partners for having constructed two much-needed improvements at our Maranatha Kigalama campus from March through May 2009.  It has been a true blessing to the students and staff to have a new borehole from which we can access clean water, and a new school block in support of better teaching and better learning.  Please accept our utmost gratitude as your generous support has helped us overcome many challenges:

CHALLENGES BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BOREHOLE
1.    Meals served late due to lack of water for cooking.
2.    Sometimes pupils did not receive meals.
3.    Classrooms and latrines were constantly dirty.
4.    Nearest water source was very far away.
5.    Cost of purchasing and transporting water to the school was very expensive.

OUTCOMES AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BOREHOLE
1.    Meals are served everyday, on time.
2.    Students are exposed to enough water.
3.    Classrooms and latrines are kept clean.
4.    Pupils in the school, as well as members of the community, benefit from the boreholes.
5.    The school no longer has to purchase water.

New borehole at Maranatha Kigalama

CHALLENGES BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW SCHOOL BLOCK
6.    Small classrooms with too many students per class.
7.    Children breathing much dirt/dust without cemented floors.
8.    Small chalkboards
9.    Leaking roofs.
10.    Overall, classroom environment not well-suited for learning.
11.    No locks on doors – providing no security for learning materials.
12.    Lack of good office space for teachers/administrators.

OUTCOMES AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW SCHOOL BLOCK
6.    Larger classrooms with enough space for each student (and room to grow!).
7.    Clean classrooms with cemented floors.
8.    Larger chalkboards for enhanced teaching.
9.    No leaking roofs.
10.    Overall, classroom environment promotes quality learning.
11.    Good security.
12.    Enough space for a good school office.

Kigalama Headmaster Bogere Godfrey enjoys his new office.

These improvements could not have been possible without your generous support, and the children of Kigalama are especially grateful for your wonderful contribution.

Just so you can see the contrast, below are photos of the new school block as compared with the old building we were using for classes.  Additionally, there are also photos showing the classroom environment in the new school block as compared with the classes currently being held in older structures.

Cornerview of the New Block

Cornerview of the old structure

Sideview of New Block

Sideview of old structure

Students in the New Block

Students in an older classroom

Teaching in the New Block

Teaching in an older classroom

Thank you, again!  May God bless you and keep you!

Patrick Walusimbi, Director, Maranatha Integrated Schools Project

Bogere Godfrey, Headmaster, Maranatha Kigalama