Entebbe Early Learning School – Entebbe

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to educate and groom children who will change the future of this nation through love, and who will excel in all areas of their lives.

Certificate of Registration

LIFE SKILLS

Life skills are skills that we don’t teach in class but that the children learn trough practical experience. These skills will stay with someone their whole life and can be used all the time. These skills can even help to provide someone with little money in difficult times but can also become a full time job. At the Early Learning School we try to introduce our students to these Life skills which can be very helpful in their future.

Tailoring
We were happy to receive a donation of four manual sawing machines. During the last holiday our students had Tailoring classes, where they learnt the basics of using the machines and doing the first steps of sawing. To continue and making more things we would need a full time teacher for sawing and the materials like cloth and thread. The aim of this will be to give the learners the skills they will require in their life time, and also to make items which they can sell and get money from. These leaners also make necklaces, arm bangles, toothbrush holders from recycled materials. for example used shoes, plastic bottles or paper of all types. These items are sold at Love and Care Craft Shop at Island Beach in Entebbe, Uganda.

Animal keeping
We have a lot of goats and some cows. In order for these children to capture the skill of taking care of the animals, every afternoon and on the weekend the students look after them.

There are many lessons from keeping our animals … feed and care for them, they stay healthy and provide milk – but fail to feed and care, and the animals get sick and provide nothing.

We have a Chicken coop as well, and the children care for our flock as part of their daily chores. The eggs are collected and cooked for our breakfast. We now have a surplus of eggs, which we sell to local shops – which adds the very practical lessons of production, distribution and finance for the students handling this part of the “business” …

BACKGROUND

In Africa, a continent wrapped in war, famine and killer diseases, being orphaned and needy is sadly the norm. Unfortunately, the trend is that the least advantaged families are the most vulnerable to these calamities. Because of this the traditional strong African extended family ties do not side-step the “dilemma of the African orphan child”.

As a consequence, these children usually go without even the most humble education.

The Entebbe Early Learning School is registered with the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda. Mrs. Agnes Biryahwaho started the school in 1993 and it is based on Christian principles. As a Director of the school, the plight of the orphans touched her. Most orphans around her could not afford even the most basic education. She therefore brought in some of these children.

But soon the need outstripped her financial capability. The need for more orphan enrolment was alarming. Accordingly, she mooted the idea of the LOVE AND CARE FOR THE CHILD MINISTRIES. The aim was and is to cater for the financially incapacitated children so that they can access education. The orphans benefiting from this scheme were registered with the body. The Charity, therefore is under the auspices of Entebbe Early Learning School.

Most of the financial assistance to the orphans under this ministry has been individual contributions from a few Christians both here in Uganda and from around the world. However, the rate of the orphan enrolment is so high that the ministry alone cannot cater for all of them – and thus we are turning more and more to caring people of all faiths from other countries who find it in their hearts to help us.

The pain of closing the school gates to these impoverished innocent victims of life leaves one sleepless! We wonder what these children will be without a worthwhile education. A burdensome lingering feeling of guilt comes up at the question, how they can ever break the bondage of lack and need? One can only imagine: ‘it could have been me!’

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

•	To bring up children with a firm education and moral foundation which will give them confidence, self discipline and self respect
•	To develop pupils intellectually, emotionally, morally, physically and above all spiritually
•	To encourage each child’s natural abilities and to aid children who have difficulties
•	To provide a safe and a loving atmosphere where children and the staff understand each other