Bevan Community School
Education is the heart of our work. Bevan Community School provides access to nursery and primary education for more than 270 local children. We also support 17 young people to attend secondary school or technical college.
In The Classroom
Bevan Community School is truly a community school with parents paying a modest fee when able and with a number of the children supported by UK sponsors. Even though state education is free in Uganda, many children do not attend as they cannot afford the uniform and materials required. We also support a number of children of particularly high need whilst we look for sponsors for them.
The primary aim of our school is to achieve academic progress within a happy learning environment. Hands on activities and child centred learning are key to this. We are proud that we have had the best Primary Leaving Exam results in the area and many of our children have gone to secondary or technical education
Post Primary Education
The project continues to grow and evolve as the sponsored children get older. As of 2024, we have 17 young people who we support to go to secondary school or technical college. At secondary school they study the ‘O’ Levels and at technical college they study vocational subjects such as garment design and electrical installation.
We are committed to this because education is the only way that young people can escape the grinding poverty and support their families. However, this progression brings challenges for the charity. It means that we have less sponsorship going into Bevan Community School. We now need to raise at least £6000 per year just to top up sponsorship and school fees.
Feeding The Children
Many people in the Rwanyana area suffer from malnutrition. They grow crops on the poor soil to feed their families but there is often not enough to go around. Bevan Community School children get two meals per day when at school, cooked in the school kitchen, which was funded by the charity.
They get a nutritious diet of porridge in the morning and posho (a maize meal paste) and a bean stew at lunchtime. This could be the only food the children get that day.
Music and Sport
Singing and dancing has always been a big part of the school curriculum and indeed the Rwanyana community. The children have made home made shakers and other simple musical instruments to accompany them.
They were thrilled when a donation from the Valley Music Festival allowed them to purchase two large drums to accompany them.
Organised sport is not the norm in most Ugandan schools but a visit from two UK sponsors introduced team football and netball to the great enjoyment of the children