Ekissa Model School Opens

School Bells Ring: In January 2016 a proposal was written and accepted for an Ekissa Educational Outreach Initiative. The purpose of this initiative was to establish an educational center to begin a pilot program that would springboard into a fully registered institution in Uganda.

The mission was to decrease the level of vulnerability of children in poverty living in Bweya Village and surrounding area, with the purpose of providing basic educational instruction in reading, writing and mathematics, and to teach practical application in agricultural development.

In March 2016, after establishing a staff of 7 and selecting 20 students, the initiative was realized and Ekissa Model School opened it’s doors.

Behind The Scenes: There was a buzz in Bweya Village as word of a new school had begun to circulate. Applications were being accepted and interviews were in procress. Only twenty students would be chosen. The excitement grew and thoughts of your child being chosen would be equal to someone in the US winning the lottery.

This pilot program was offering twenty ‘would-be’ students an opportunity of education that was unlike anything the local people had experienced. Ekissa Model School with a motto of “Serve to bless, Blessed to serve” was searching for vulnerable young children in the area who had either no (or limited) educational experience.

Interviews were conducted by teachers and staff from Ekissa, Ekissa Model School and Ekissa Mercy Ministries. It was important to interview not only the potential student, but their family as well. Full scholarships are being provided through individual donors from the US. However, requirements of the student and their caregiver(s) were in place. The education, school supplies, and partial uniforms (shoes, socks and shirts) would be included in the scholarships, but students would have to understand/ appreciate the value of the opportunity. Additionally, caregiver(s) had to agree to engage in their child’s educational experience through providing the required uniform school pants (for boys), skirts (for girls), get their child to/ from school, ensure homework was completed, attend student/ teacher conferences, as well as attend periodic community educational workshops.

The individual students were selected based on their level of vulnerability, lack of exposure to educational experiences, and caregiver’s willingness to commit. Twenty students were selected; 13 boys and 7 girls.

While the purpose of this initiative is already being recognized, and the future of these children is looking brighter, it will take some time to measure the success of its’ mission to decrease the level of vulnerability of children in this village.

Update One Year Later: It’s humbling to see the growth God has brought in a period of 12 months. Our student population has increased from 20 full scholarship students, to a total of 33 students (19 full scholarship students/ 14 private pay students), and our staff has increased, adding 2 additional teachers.

Thanks to the amazing teaching staff, Ekissa Model School is gaining quite a reputation for itself. The student population has nearly double by accepting private pay students, which is assisting the school in working towards self-sustainability.

The school has entered into its second term while being in the newly constructed 4 room school and already has a waiting list. The school board could decide to increase the student/ teacher ratio, but is not able to add higher grades since the number of available classrooms are currently occupied by students. While this has seemingly been an “over-night” blessing, we will soon need to address this challenge and begin planning phase 2 of construction.

Prayerfully consider making a donation towards our phase 2 of the school construction.