Over 400 children from less privileged families benefit from back-to-school drive

Staff members of BaNgaAfayo Initiative Uganda giving out scholastic materials to school-going children in Kayunga District.

What you need to know:

  • BaNgaAfayo Initiative Uganda is a Christian based ministry providing critical assistance to former street children, orphans and families struggling in terrible poverty in Kayunga, Uganda.

Six year-old Rebecca Mulungi is a pupil of Wankyayiraki Top Care Nursery and primary school in Kayunga District. However, every term, her grandmother, fondly known as Jaja Gladys worries about her granddaughter’s survival at school without scholastic materials.
“I would love her to study and become an important person in future but I am always worried about her education since I cannot afford all her school needs,” Jaja Gladys pondered.

However, it is children like Rebecca and others who inspired Joseph Ddiba to venture into charity work.
As we write this, Rebecca is one of the 450 children from less privileged families who got the opportunity to own a new backpack and a host of other scholastic materials required for the new term.

Through his charity organization, BaNgaAfayo Initiative Uganda, Ddiba and other people who share his dream yesterday had a community outreach where a total of 450 children
from ecumenically families each received one backpack filled with scholastic materials like Exercise books, pens, pencils and mathematical sets for those in senior four and senior six.

The children are mostly from villages of Kirabira, Nakaziba, Wankyairaki, Nakaseeta and Wakatayi. They received the scholastic materials for be used for this terms stay in school.
Ddiba who is the team leader of the Initiative says that the programme is aimed at encouraging and offering assistance to parents and guardians who cannot take care of their children because of financial challenges.
“We do the back to school every term and we ensure that all these children under our programme go back to school with all the necessities,” Ddiba said.

“It is not only the children we are helping but also the school staff. In many ways having stable students not disturbed by lack of school requirements is an advantage. The teachers’ work is made easier and they don’t have to get worried about sending the children away and when these children perform better, the school gains prestige. Not forgetting that we would be doing these children’s parents and guardians a big favour by easing their pains,” he added.

According to him, the back to school outreach started in 2015 in with about 50 children who received school bags with all necessities and by this year, the number has increased to 500 and during this year’s outreach, only 450 children managed to get everything.
“The other 50 atleast also got something to help them through school this term. This year, over 2500 back packs fool of school supplies have been distributed,” he said.

“I am thankful to BaNgaAfayo Intitiative for always running to my rescue because they have helped Rebecca go to school,” Jaja Gladys said.
“Poverty can have a huge and potentially lifelong impact on a child’s life. For now if we can help a poor child comfortably attain education with them not in lack of any school requirements then we are convinced they will pay more attention in class. Maximum concentration in class comes with the good grades by which they can attain a better future,” explains the organisation’s child sponsorship manager, Mr Norman K. Kushaba.


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