“If others can, we can!”
- motto at Globalize Action Junior School
House of Hope’s core project, Globalize Action Junior School, provides primary education, a nutritious breakfast and lunch, and needed medical care to 250 students ranging in age of 3 to 14 years. The school serves five rural villages in western Uganda including Kyzanga and Nakateete.
Three levels of pre-school plus Grades P1 through P7 are now operating successfully at Globalize. With an additional class added each year, 2011 marked the culmination of House of Hope’s long-time goal of operating a full primary school with the start of the first P-7 class in February!
On weekends students enjoy fun activities such as singing, dancing, and arts and crafts. Staff members include Jenifer, headmaster, 10 teachers, a cook, a farmer/animal husbandry specialist, a skills teacher, three dormitory caregivers and volunteers who arrive from around the world. Curriculum includes traditional subjects such as reading and writing in English, mathematics, social studies, and art, and is supplemented with plenty of playtime and outdoor group activity. However, it is the love, security and attention Jenifer and her staff provide students that continue to have the greatest impact.
Jenifer and her staff take extra steps to keep the community engaged in House of Hope and the Action School’s essential work, and have been able to count on strong community support. To date, many local residents have donated supplies and volunteered time to help build and develop the school as a true community project. However, additional sources of outside funding are urgently needed to support teachers’ salaries, and food and medical costs.