Kiyunga Village Primary School: November 2016

Robina Serwanga Burton was born and raised in Kiyunga Uganda and now lives in Sacramento California. In 2008 Robina was introduced to Geri Beck and two of her teacher friends, Kathy Laret and Naomi Harper. When the women learned more about Kiyunga they discovered that the villagers were very poor and did not even have a school for their children.

The small group of women decided to help the villagers build a primary school. Robina's family donated the land, and the villagers constructed the brick walls.

A fundraiser was held in Fair Oaks, California to raise money for a tin roof. The school is a simple structure, with no doors or windows, and originally had a dirt floor. The brick structure was the first permanent structure in the Village. Since 2009 the brick building has been used not only as a school but has become a multi-purpose facility for the whole community's use.

Eight teachers and a principal were hired whose monthly salaries are paid for by a few dedicated individual donors. The eight teachers are being sponsored to attend a local university for teacher training.

Teachers

Principal Mirembe, who is disabled with her two grandchildren that she is raising

Since children in Africa wear school uniforms, as soon as the school was completed the next task was to provide the children with school uniforms. Funds were donated to purchase fabric for the uniforms and then a local seamstress in Uganda made the uniforms.

The enrollment quickly reached over 200 students

The children were so eager to learn.

The villagers added temporary classrooms to accommodate the secondary students.

The children love attending school and participating in music, drama, and field sports.

Homemade Musical Instruments

Barefoot Soccer

Field Sports

Donated Vests

In 2016 with the help of the Griffin family and Take Heart International, a new project was developed to build permanent classrooms in addition to the existing main structure.