UPDATE! We are happy to announce, that after two years and a major vandalism setback, the dormitory was successfully completed in November 2009! Story goes as…
As is common in Uganda, most elders in the Masaka district have taken in children orphaned by AIDS or other illnesses. But not all children are receiving adult care; of the 100 children currently attending the Action School under scholarship, 15 come from child-run households where the caregiver is 14 years old or younger. Further, another 30 children have been indentified by the Nakateete village chief as in need of a safe home.
In 2007, together with village elders, Jenifer decided to build a small dormitory to provide needed adult supervision, guidance and security for 45 children. Funds were raised almost exclusively from a generous family located in Montana, USA, and construction began on the dorm in fall 2007.
House of Hope children stand in front of their brand new dormitory, raising signs of thank you to those instrumental in the rebuild.
After a year of rising prices and rough weather, the project took significantly longer to build than expected. However, it was in April 2009, when the building was near completion that serious tragedy struck. One night a fire was set at the school in two temporary classrooms and sledgehammers were used to destroy the dormitory building. Damage was estimated at about $12,000 USD and an entire year’s worth of work were lost.
Although the perpetrators of this act were never caught, investigations indicated it was meant as an act to intimidate
Jenifer, a woman who is exhibiting strong, independent leadership and directing a successful community project that has attracted both local political and western financial support. Such a break with traditional power structures and community status quo can at times be met with acts of intimidation.
Since the fire, Jenifer has received a flood of support from the community who came out in droves the following day and pledged volunteer time and financial support to help rebuild what was damaged. We believe these community members represent the vast majority and that the perpetrators of the fire were merely a disgruntled few.
Over summer 2009, the incredible community in Montana once again pulled together resources to rebuild the dormitory, and with the help of Raising the Village, a local NGO specializing in building schools, the building was rebuilt in 2 ½ months! The children are scheduled to move in this December, in time to spend the Christmas holiday in their new home.
World Action is continuing to raise resources for the dorm project to provide salaries to the house parents who will live in the dorm and care for the children.