CREATING CHANGE THAT LASTS

Educating Poverty Out of Existence

We believe that education is the most powerful path to lasting change — and our global community proves it every day.

Together, we’re building a future where education ends poverty.

We believe changing one child’s life can transform a whole community — so we build schools that do both.

Every child deserves the chance to dream — and the skills and resources to achieve those dreams. At School for Life, we provide the foundation for that journey: not just education, but the care and confidence to thrive.

When schools become more than classrooms, they become catalysts for lasting change. And prosperous communities don’t just fight poverty — they end it, for good.

WHY WE EXIST

Group of smiling children in colorful school uniforms inside a classroom, some making peace signs and pointing.

MEASURED IMPACT

4,500+ Lives Changed — and Counting

Education transforms not only individuals, but entire generations.

4,500+ lives impacted
17 years of community-led education
100% of students receive multiple meals a day
3 health clinics staffed with full-time nurses
~150 Ugandans employed across teaching and kitchen staff

See Our Education Model

Two young girls in school uniforms walking barefoot on dirt ground near a building, smiling at the camera.

A young woman wearing a school uniform with a white shirt, dark tie, and navy skirt stands outdoors, smiling and looking to her right. She has her hair in braids and carries a light-colored backpack over her shoulder. In the background, there are trees, a brick wall, and a few children sitting on the ground.

Two children walking along a dirt path outside a school building, smiling. The boy wears a red shirt and blue shorts, the girl wears a yellow shirt and blue shorts. The school has painted decorations on the walls, and greenery lines the path.

This Isn’t Charity. It’s an Impact-Focused Community.

OUR APPROACH

Our work is grounded in three guiding principles that create long-term, scalable change:

Relationships

Real change takes people. Educators, families, local leaders and donors — all working shoulder to shoulder.

Rigour

Every dollar is tracked and used wisely. Backed by independent oversight and top-tier business minds.

Real-World Impact

Our students go on to uplift their families, build businesses, and transform their communities from the inside out.

See the Power of Education in Action

ONE LIFE. A RIPPLE OF CHANGE.

Real people. Real futures. Real change

Ritah’s Story

In parts of East Africa, children like Ritah are growing up in certainty that poverty is life and school will never be more than just a dream.
Ritah grew up in a small home with her mother and two sisters. It was a home shaped by love, not by ease. Her mother worked tirelessly, holding the family together, doing everything she could to keep her daughters in school.
That’s when the School for Life community stepped in to help. She didn’t just find a school. She found a way out of poverty: a scholarship to attend school, a caring community, and a place where people believed in her before she believed in herself.
With that foundation, Ritah thrived. In 2024, she graduated top of her class. Now, she’s on her way to becoming a teacher… ready to uplift others the way she was uplifted.
Cissy’s Story

In today’s world girls like Cissy are still being told they don’t belong in school. That their place is in the kitchen, not the classroom. That their worth begins and ends with hardship.
Cissy grew up in a home without clean water; without electricity; and without safety. Her father believed girls had no value. When her mother fled years of violence, Cissy followed.
That decision changed everything. Because that’s when Cissy walked through the gates at School for Life.
At School for Life, she found safety. She found structure. And she found something she’d never seen before…women leading, girls learning, futures unfolding.
Cissy studied hard. She began to dream. And in 2024, she graduated high school. Now she’s breaking new ground as the first in her family to go to university.
Pauline's Story

At 14 years old, Pauline is breaking barriers — on and off the field.
Born with Down syndrome, Pauline has been part of the School for Life family since she was little. With the right support, she’s grown into a confident, expressive, and joy-filled teenager who now thrives at Mbazzi Riverside High School. Her days are filled with learning, laughter, friendship — and recently, sport.
In 2024, Pauline made history. She represented Mpigi District at Uganda’s National Primary Schools Athletic Championships, competing in the new Special Needs category. She ran, she jumped, she gave it her all — and she proved that children with disabilities don’t just belong, they can lead.
This is what inclusion looks like. And it’s only possible because of a community that believes every child deserves a chance to shine.
Grandmother Margaret's Story

Every morning, long before the sun, Margaret used to walk a kilometre through dense forest just to collect water. At 63, with aching knees and 15 orphaned grandchildren in her care, the daily trek wasn’t just exhausting — it was dangerous. The water was unsafe, and the journey exposed the girls in her home to unimaginable risks.
Then, everything changed.
Through the support of School for Life’s water project, a clean water tap was installed just steps from Margaret’s home. The impact was immediate: no more 4am walks, no more dirty water, no more fear.
Today, Margaret’s grandchildren are healthy, safe, and thriving in school. And with her newfound time and energy, she’s planted a flourishing garden — feeding her family and fuelling their future.
This is what lasting change looks like — clean water, restored dignity, and renewed hope.