Harambee Centre

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ST ANDREWS DORMITORY UPDATE

Progress at St Andrews Girl’s Dormitory in Matale, Uganda

Over the last couple years, we have seen friends and family give to the Girls dormitory work in ways we never imagined. We thank all of you and the team at the Nike Ever Higher Fund for the grant that made all this possible.
  
They say that a photo speaks a thousand words.  As such, the photos above document the stage of construction as of November 2019. The 400+ girls dormitory on the first floor is ready, including bunk beds thanks to a generous gift from the Brink family in partnership with Nike. The girls will start using this space come January 2020! 
      
Ms. Kelly Lyon travelled to Matale in November this year. She was very much impressed by what the community continues to do in partnering with us to finish this work. When finished, around 400 girls will have a safe-haven to live and concentrate on school on the first floor, 5-6 teachers will have a place to live in the basement, and classrooms will be on the top floor. This will make a huge impact in this community, allowing for the education of the next generation of women leaders.
  
As you go through the festive season, we kindly request that you consider including the Girls’ Dorm Project in your 2019 end of year giving. Together we continue to change lives and make an impact that will last for generations! 

Challenge

Rakai District in Southern Uganda is the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in this country, resulting in large numbers of orphans, including young girls. Many young girls walk 3-6 miles to and from school every day, which creates exposure to Gender Based Violence (GBV) safety risk. When they arrive home they typically have many chores to finish before they can settle down to studies, and if chores are finished late, the lack of electricity in most homes poses an additional challenge to finishing homework.

Solution

The building of a dormitory on the school campus at St. Andrews S.S.S Matale will reduce the safety risks of walking to and from school, allow young girls the opportunity to focus on their studies and academic success, and cultivate leadership potential in them, which will be beneficial to them, their families and the community. Living in the dorm will give the girls of Matale a chance to compete with students from more privileged families and help set them on a path to success in their lives.

Long-Term Impact

The 400 girls living in the dormitory will study and learn in a safe and nurturing environment, focus on their academic success, improve academic performance, enhance their chances of pursuing higher education, cultivate leadership skills, and ultimately unleash their potential by participating in the economic and civic affairs of the community at large.