---

COVID-19 & SCHOOLING IN UGANDA 

At the time of writing of this newsletter the world is battling the Corona virus. That’s what we wrote in June 2020. And it is still the case. The reported numbers in Africa are lower than in the western countries. This also applies to Uganda. There are many reasons that could explain this: the average age of the population, limited testing, the fact that life is lived more outside, vitamin D from the sun, a different medical approach, the response of the governments.
However, this does not mean Africa suffers less from COVID, or the measures taken to suppress it. So was the impact on schooling disastrous. Uganda is amongst the countries with the longest shut down of schools worldwide. Schools in Uganda were closed a major part of 2020, and were gradually reopening when 2021 started. To make up for the lost time the school year was extended until mid 2021. But the schools closed down again mid-year.  and are still closed. Fortunately, it was recently announced that the schools will open again in January 2022. However, when schools reopen, not all children will return, some will have married early, become pregnant, or entered child labour. That’s the sad truth. See for instance: news link Aljazeera

HOME SCHOOLING IN KAMPALA 
The new lockdown in Uganda was announced in June, initially for 42 days. In August, when is became clear that the lockdown would last much longer, we decided to shift our approach. During the lockdown in 2020 kids did schoolwork that Kuot (our oldest student and project manager) picked up from the schools. They also followed school TV. But Kuot came up with something better: Why not get the teachers to the house, if the kids couldn’t go to school? And so we did. Kuot turned the Walk On house into a boarding school. He recruited 3 teachers for primary and 4 teachers for secondary school, had basic classroom build on a part of the compound where there was still space, and installed a few computers in another room. The kids love the opportunities they get this way. We pay the teachers and computers from the money we don’t need to use for school fees.

SITUATION ADJUMANI
Our students in Adumani, in the north of Uganda, spent most of the past year in the refugee camps, since also up north the schools were closed most of the year. Some went to their relatives in South Sudan. Life in the camps is hard. Some main challenges in the camps are the availability of water, lack of paid work and insufficient food. We provide some money for them to buy food, as the government/UN rations are not enough. When the lockdown was suspended for a while most of the kids could go back to school, unfortunately for (part of) one term only.

---

SUPPORT FROM INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DELFT 
In November students from the International School in Delft (ISD) raised money for Walk On by running laps in the park. ISD asked if we could give a presentation at the school assembly on Walk On. So Moana went to the school to tell the story of Walk On, and how the situation in Uganda is at the moment. Walk On is now a part of their service in action programme, aimed at helping communities in need.

We’re proud to say that all the money we raise (minus banking costs) goes to our project in Uganda. The boards, in the Netherlands and the US, pay for their own expenses, so does Anuol. We don’t spend money on fundraising, but use the word of mouth. So, please feel free to pass this e-mail on. Also, we would be very grateful if you could help getting some more people to invest in the future of the children of South Sudan.