THE WELL OF HOPE FOUNDATION is a 501c3 US Charity that gives 100% of the donated funds to pay for school fees. We dont take a wage, nor travel expenses, nor advertise. I am living here in Gulu and volunteering my time and resources to help change a few lives. In the process, I am changing my own life and destiny.
Acen Susan Louis
I am here in Uganda paying school fees for about 35+ kids. I have $10,000 to work with. The Well of Hope Foundation raised $5,000 and the African Promise Foundation raised another $5,000+ for school fees for me to pay. The first year of recruiting kids is the easiest; it’s a matter of picking kids who are vulnerable, who have at least average grades, and kids who have a desire to excel and complete a year of studies. I rely on Jackie and Ronald, social workers from St Jude Orphanage, to assist me in this. They actually go and see their homes. Everyone is financially challenged here, so it is important to identify the really vulnerable ones. The following years are challenging because problems always arise.
Akera Stella
I had to set some definitive parameters. If they don’t pass the school year, for any reason, they are not selected again. It’s important to do this or I would be making very hard choices year after year that are difficult and it hurts my heart. There are many kids waiting for sponsorship and want this opportunity for education.
Akwero Nancy
Last year, one of my girls was not promoted. She insisted the head teacher had feelings for her and she said he tried to make advances toward her. When she didn’t respond to him, he failed her. Something didn’t ring true though. She couldn’t answer how the head teacher got all of her other teachers on board to give her bad grades in every class. After a lot of tears and frustration for both of us, she was let go. I found out later that she had forged her good grades on her initial report card to me in her first year.
Layet Gloria
A boy last year received all F9’s on his report card, so he was let go. He didn’t fuss about it though. He was not interested in school anymore. I didn’t go through Jackie and Ronald for him. Sometimes I do pick up a neighborhood boy or girl or a friend of a friend. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.
Ocen Patrick
This year we have several stories. We lost one girl to Gonorrhea. Yes, it is true. She was dismissed from the school when they found out about her condition the last term. She actually came to me for medication. I learned that the medication is given out free at the clinic, so I counseled her to go to the clinic for treatment. She was not promoted, so was not picked up for 2012.
Piloya Simple
The next story is the hardest story; the story that I counseled with 4 other people about to help make a decision. This girl was living with her aunt during the school break. There was only three days left until she could return to her very fine boarding school. Unfortunately, the aunt beat her (leaving marks still visible on her back). The girl ran away to the bus stop and caught a bus with a stranger to Jinja (very far away). She missed the entire third term and was not promoted. She has returned to Gulu and is now living with her uncle and wants to repeat the year. We all decided that she could have made better choices. She could have come to St Jude for those final 3 nights for shelter. She could have gone to the uncle’s house where she is currently living. We felt she had better options to choose from instead of fleeing to Jinja with a stranger. Something wasn’t right about her story. The four of us, as hard as it was, voted not to let her repeat the grade; especially since she was attending a high end school. Her desire to complete her education did not take priority in her decision making.
Lawino Janet
One of our boys had so many family responsibilities that he wasn’t able to attend enough classes so he didn’t pass. Another young man begged us to continue paying into his higher education years because 2012 was his last year of his current vocational school. These are some of the VERY tough choices we have to make.
Atimango Susan
Almost all of the kids are successful. Out of 45 kids, we only lost about 4; I’m not done contacting all of the kids, so my figures are not final. My very first St Jude girl, Gladys, was promoted from a day school to a nice boarding school. Her grades have been excellent and she is a hard worker. I have Janet, a partially blind girl, who will be moved from a lower end primary boarding school to a high end boarding school for the blind. Her grades are excellent (aggregate of 16; Division II). She is a very fast runner. Several other day school kids were moved to boarding if they had been performing well. It is especially important and in some cases mandatory for the upper grades of S4-S6 to board so that they have more study time and can be serious. School is very hard here; especially A level S5 and S6 (equivalent to 12th and 13th grade or the first year of college in the US).
Gladys Alimogum
I never ask the student “how much are your fees?”!! I require the official parent letter from the school which will have the actual school fees on it (not the mazungu price). Last year AND this year, I had a studens bring me a hand-written note requesting a larger than expected amount for her school fees. When compared to the parent letter, the price was inflated. This year, I sat down at the desk of one of the head teachers and asked how much I owed for all three terms. He said 83K, 83K, and 83K for a total of 249K. I pulled out my parent letter and said, “Your parent letter says that the term fees are 72K, 72K and 72K for a total of 216K.” He was embarrassed.
A toy car made of a water bottle
If you don’t investigate the living situation of the child, you might find that he/she was on a government scholarship already and that your funds will be used by the school for other purposes. I pay the school fees directly to the bank. The child never sees the money. I give the child and the school a copy of the bank slips. I keep a copy for our records and the donor, if they are interested. Also, I only pay school fees. The child is expected to pay for the school requirements. At this age, they can dig or work for a little money between breaks.I believe it is important to make the child pay a small part of their education.
Jackie and Ronald are the social workers with St Jude who help me find vulnerable kids. I couldn't do this without all of their hard work.
This is my 3rd year. It is sustainable, and I will see to it that every child I have in my program will have funding every year until they graduate. Education is the foundation of progress and the only way to get Northern Uganda out of this horrible level of poverty and corruption. I feel very blessed to be dong this at this point in my life :)
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