Help Samuel build a better future for young people in Uganda

On a holiday to Uganda we were privileged to meet Samuel Ssabagereka, who invited us to spend a week at a high school and orphanage that he is developing for the young people of his hometown of Kiboga.

Philadelphia Secondary School is only three years old, has very limited facilities but already 350 pupils from S1-S6 study here. The atmosphere was wonderful with a lot of singing, dancing, learning and working together. Among many other shared activities the young people taught us how to harvest, dry and roast coffee, while we introduced them to ceilidh dancing! We made friends and some of them told us their stories of how they became orphans and how incredible it is for them that they nevertheless can gain an education.

Last year, Mark, one of the orphans, achieved the best 'Advanced Higher' result in the entire district, although he had lived in abject poverty without access to schooling until Samuel could offer him a place at Philadelphia. Mark won a scholarship to university and is now training to become a teacher. He wants to return to his old school, which he considers his home.

This community is on a wonderful journey but it needs help to grow and proper.

More and better school buildings would make a real difference. It would allow the school to grow to a size that can make it sustainable when a greater number of fee-paying pupils cover the orphanage costs.

What they really need is a multifunctional main hall for regular teaching, school assemblies, exams, performances, and as a dining hall and boys dormitory.

Building in Uganda is extremely cheap by our standards and the pupils and teachers do much of the building work themselves. But they need the money to buy the building materials, transport it to the site, and to buy in some building expertise.

Can you help Samual put a roof over the heads of his wonderful group of youngsters? Samuel himself is not paid for his work as director but earns his living as a medical technician. He invests any spare penny he has into the school which he built on a piece of land he inherited from his father. If you meet a guy with little do so much to help many orphaned children and young people, how could you not want to support him?

We are very happy to give talks about the school and our trip through Uganda to any group who would like to find out more.

Thanks you!