Help Us Help Butare Town School Uganda,Rocky & Liv

Our group Rocky Roxandich, Mark Drennon,Jane Brydon, Betty McKenna, Michaela Drennon, Linda Cogger, David Habarugira (our guide & new lifelong friend), Olivia Gilinger. 
When David's father died his mom could not raise the kids and chase the cows that ran off the property. She sold the cows,  used the land to start the school and help the community.  Most kids are too poor to even pay tuition so they have to use who pay to help all.

I'm reaching out to ask for help to reopen the Butare Village School in Uganda. They are a very poor village and have no money or resources.  They were providing the bare necessities on a shoestring prior to the pandemic. The quarantine closed the school and there were no alternative sources of income to be made.  Tourism closed. Food was scarce and meals were from the "field to the fire".  As if things weren't bad enough,  there was a frost (in Uganda!) that killed the plants and the banana trees! As I was told "the whole village cried". Even with Covid we always had a roof over our heads, heat, food & clean water so I feel compelled to share my good fortune.
So,  back to the school!
They are supposed to open on the 4th just over a week away.
A big incentive to get the children attendance is the promise of being fed. (Yes, hunger is a real issue).  A corn porridge is the breakfast of the day!
They have many needs and there is nothing in the coffers.
The school has been closed for a year so it's all overgrown. Brush & grass needs to be cleared.  The buildings need to be cleaned out. Bricks  were stored inside cafeteria building & have to be removed & covered until they can be "baked" so they aren't ruined.
Sacks of corn flour are around $30 USD
Firewood needs to be purchased to cook meals and save the bricks.
Teacher's Salary @ $400USD/ year!
Benches need to be made so when they are outside in their clean uniforms they aren't sitting on muddy ground. $18USD/bench.
Teachers need to rent places to live in while in the school village. Most have gone back to their own villages to survive during pandemic lockdown.  Even transportation to get back is an issue as they've had no income for the past year. 
Kids need 2 uniforms that they are required to wash & keep clean - a serious responsibility!
We've donated some sewing machines so they can learn & uniforms can be made right there. We're hoping the machines will help create an "industry" for the village.

Salaries for cook & attendants (teach kids to use toilets, wash hands, basic skills). 

Any and all donations will be put to good use. 
Can you help? Sponsor a teacher? Buy a bag of corn flour $30? Student tuition $25.  Buy a bench $18? Buy sack of beans $40. Material, thread & sewing supplies?
Every $ helps. 

Thank you for everything you do!

Love from Butare & Us.

It takes a village.

❤ Rocky & Olivia


This was the "kitchen". When it rained they couldn't make a fire so no food, no school.
I'll post pictures of the kitchen/ cafeteria we built.  Hasn't been used at all because of Covid. Can't wait to see the first meal  served to the kids.