Orum Primary School - Uganda - The Rotary Club of Reading

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Orum Primary School - Uganda

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The Nick van der Borgh school was completed in 2020 providing 7 classrooms and toilet accommodation initially for 350 pupils. This has expanded and 600 pupils are curently registered! The cost was £54,000. There is a management committee in place.

The construction of a primary school in Orum north east Uganda was the International team's major project of 2018/2019. The school was sponsored by the club and was built in memory of Nick van der Borgh a great friend of a club member. Nick was a trustee of The charity Missio (red boxes). Fr Boniface, the resident priest in Orum, gave a presentation to the club. He managed the project in Uganda and classes have now moved from the temporary school in the church to the new building on 20 May 2020. The Corvid virus has made fundraising challenging since March 2020 although recognising this, people have been generous to move the project along
 
The school was self financing with 165 pupils and as older pupils register, fee income will increase and it will enable the teachers to be paid closer to the government rate
Pupils walk up to 10 kilometres to get to the school and they are given breakfast before lessons start. Grants have been applied for Solar Power text books and furniture. The school is currently closed because of virus lockdown which is an opportunity to complete block 2.

The school will cost £54,000 and so far £36,800 has been raised. The club has contributed £7,100 and family and friends of Nick £14,600. It took 4 months to raise the funds for Block 1 and 12 months to raise the funds for Block 2 due to Coronavirus. Some parents cannot afford school fees and if any member wants to sponsor a pupil through Fr Boniface the terms fees are £10 or £30 per annum. Approximately 55% the pupils are boys and 45% are girls and pupils are accepted from all religous denominations.

The school was officially opened on 20 July 2019 by the Bishop of Lira, watch the video here>
Donations are still very much welcome via the family's JustGiving page here>
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