NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP

Meet our oldest student Kasibante

Kasibante is our newest and oldest student to join P6 this year. After requesting permission to join the class, the head teachers decided that School For Life’s ethos of inclusivity and the power of education should be extended to Kasibante.

Kasibante has been working as a cook at Katuuso for the past two years, preparing meals for over 300 people per day. Although Kasibante has a modest beginning with the school, his intention has always been to immerse himself in education and hoped that his daily encounters with teachers would improve his English. He joined the first Adult Literacy Course and excelled to second in the class. Kasibante is determined, outgoing and dedicated.

“I HAVE MY PRIORITIES AND I TRY TO FOCUS ON THEM. THEY THINK I AM VERY OLD AND SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK THAT I AM JOKING, BUT I AM FOR SURE COMING FOR STUDY. I WANT KNOWLEDGE. I WANT TO LEARN. I WANT TO HELP”. 

Kasibante is 28 years old, the eldest of 8 children and was born in Rwanda. His mother and siblings fled to Uganda for safety during the war in the 1990’s, leaving his mother the sole provider. After Year 6, Kasibante left school and started to work at a grocery store to assist his family financially. He continues to send his wages home.

Kasibante’s current daily schedule consists of waking up at 4am to begin food preparation for breakfast and lunch; joining the class until lunch break; fetching 12 jerry-cans of water in preparation for clean up; joining afternoon class; washing dishes after school; and then completing homework. The busy schedule is demanding but he isn’t taking his second chance at an education for granted. He is determined to excel in P6 and all grades moving forwards, striving to one day become a doctor.

“I want to fight against tropical diseases in Uganda because they are very dangerous. Most people in our village suffer from these”. 

Despite his full work and school life, Kasibante’s drive to succeed supersedes his busy schedule. To complement his education, he is hoping to find a local doctor to assist on weekends and holidays to gain practical experience as well.

Kasibante doesn’t mind being the eldest student in the school. He has a plan, and a destination, and we can't wait to help him get there. Help School for Life offer more opportunities to people like Kasibante by donating to our EOFY Tax Appeal.

Donate to offer more opportunities to people like kasibante to fulfil their dreams
Success Stories
Goretti

Sweet and shy Goretti lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins in a small house in the local village. When Goretti was younger, she moved in with her aunt and uncle because her parents could no longer look after her. She was one of our first students at Katuuso Primary, starting in 2011 when she was just 4 years old. Now, Goretti is in Senior One at Mbazzi High School, and is relishing the honour of being a high school student in her community - something that is taken for granted in Australia, but in Uganda, represents freedom and opportunity. Goretti also loves attending School for Life because she hopes to one day become a pilot in Uganda - a dream which she knows can only be reached with the help of a good education.

Violah

Violah has been at School for Life since since she was six years old. Sadly, Violah has experienced hardship no child should ever deal with. Her Dad passed away three years ago, leaving her Mum without the financial means to support her family - so she left Violah and her siblings with their elderly grandmother. Every day, Violah has to wake up at 5am to fetch water, cook meals and make sure that her younger sisters are properly looked after. Then she walks half an hour to get to school. Despite this adversity, Violah has flourished at school and has made many friends. She loves that School for Life is "helping me to build a future". After finishing school, Violah hopes to become a teacher to help other children.

Umar

Umar is one of our best performing students at Mbazzi Riverside High School - but life has not always been easy for Umar. His father abandoned the family in 2015, leaving his mother to struggle to support her five children on her own. School for Life has provided Umar with opportunities that may never else have eventuated for him. Umar begun his journey with School for Life at Katuuso Primary School, where his academic ability was quickly revealed. Now, he is a thriving member of our Senior 1 class and a formidable wing on the football team. With a love for mathematics, Umar is set on studying electronic engineering after finishing his senior studies - a goal which he is the first to admit is now within reach thanks to the skills and resources provided to him by School for Life.

Rose Nambooze

Rose is a 32‐year‐old single mother of one. She started working with SFL in 2013, after taking part in our tailoring training program. Prior to working with us, she was unemployed and living in her father's home helping to care for her father, who had cataracts, and his farm.
Thanks to her full time employment, Rose was able to save enough money to pay for an eye operation and restore her father's sight, allowing him to return to work as a mechanic. Now, Rose has moved into her own home and no longer relies on her father financially. 

Joseph

Joseph is one of our Special Needs teachers at Katuuso. After surviving a severe case of malaria at age four, he was left permanently deaf. He was raised by his single mother and attended a nursery school for the handicapped and later transferred to a school for the Deaf in Kampala. He eventually mastered sign language and pursued a university degree in education. Joseph decided to become a teacher so that he could give the gift of education to others who are hearing impaired.

Teddy Namatovu

Teddy is a participant in the Kumi Tailoring Program and four of her five children attend Katuuso Primary School. She and her husband farm two acres of land, which supplies fluctuating revenue. Participation in the Kumi Tailoring Project has secured income to reliably pay for school fees, nutritious meals and renovations to the family home. Teddy has gained a great deal of self-esteem from her ability to support her family and she takes pride in independently financing the education of all five children. Teddy has also been working on her numeracy and administration skills. She was appointed Treasurer of the tailoring group and will be responsible for keeping records of their savings.

Flaviah Nassaazi

Flaviah Nassaazi started working at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School in 2011. Prior to cooking at the school, she and her husband were subsistence farmers. They worked tirelessly for small yields and minimal income to support their family. Flaviah's cooking job not only enables her to pay school fees for her children, but she has also invested in a local barbershop business. She is now passing her cooking skills onto her eldest son Frank, who has also joined the school's cooking staff. Flaviah and her husband attend the adult literacy classes offered weekly at the school. Her English and reading have improved immensely, as well as her confidence.

Rachel

In 2010, Rachel began as a cleaner at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School. She was working to save money to study to be a teacher at University. Thanks to Barrie and Simone Goldsmith, her dream of studying came true and she is now fully qualified.