Kids - Profile

Aineomugisha Patience - 4 years - Baby Class

Patience’s father died in a car accident in 2013 leaving behind three sons, two daughters and Patience herself. Her parents were farmers with only a banana plantation and less than 10 goats, all of which are now looked after only by her mother. Her other siblings are in school but their mum faces a big challenge to pay school fees for those in secondary and primary school. Patience is the last born and as such her mother cannot raise money to pay for her fees on top of her other children. Her mother grows enough food for home consumption but only has the goats to sell to cover the family costs.

Patience is good at singing and dancing in class but sometimes escapes class when she spots a tempting ball to play with!

Akanshentsya Sheila  -  6 years  - Middle Class

Sheila is left with her mother only and they live her uncle on a small farm. Her mother has four children including Sheila. Her uncle pays for the school fees for her siblings but with more than five children himself he cannot pay for Sheila as well. Her mother now works at the local clinic earning 50,000 UGX a month. Initially her mother tried to pay for school fees at a discounted rate but could not raise it. Sheila now attends St. Stevens free of charge.

Shelia is a quiet student but very good at handling the younger students in baby class and reports naughty students to teachers!

Aineobyoona Issac - 9 years - Primary 2

Issacs mother died in 2014 from HIV, his father is positive too but Issac is HIV free. He lives with his father’s friend nearby the school. His father, a priest in the Ugandan Church, has seven other children and cannot raise the money for Issac’s fees. Due to his excellent performance at school, St. Stevens decided to allow him to continue with them, waiving the fees. He currently does not have the school uniform or any shoes. He receives lunch from the school.

A very intelligent boy he is always the first in class and is an all round student. He also heads the debating club.

Namara Ashley -  4 years - Baby Class

Ashley’s parents are refugees from Tanzania who moved to the area looking for manual work on farms. The Director of St. Stevens found the kids at home and heard the struggles of the family. It was decided Ashley would attend the school and the school would also provide books and her uniform. Recently his father has requested if Ashley could stay boarding at St. Stevens if he is forced to move away looking for work as he is worried he will not find another school like St. Stevens to take in his daughter.

She is a cheeky girl very much loved by the teachers. She often drinks other peoples milk, failing to identify her own container. She wakes her mother up at 6am in order to get her food and uniform so she can get to school on time, always carrying her banana and protecting it from everyone. If her mother doesn’t manage to provide a banana she finds the school Director once at school and asks for one. If even he can’t find one she can spend the whole day crying!

Kugumaho Benon - 5 years - Baby Class

Benons parents moved with their cows to Tanzania to find pasture. However in Tanzania conflict arose with people trying to push back Ugandan farmers. Both his parents were killed in conflicts in 2012 but they spared their 3 children. Other Ugandans who had managed to escape returned to find the kids still alive and brought them back to Uganda to his grandparents who they now stay with. His grandparents only have a small farm and are almost 80 years, surviving on what they produce on their farm. Initially his grandfather paid fees for Benon but he struggled each term to raise the fees and could not then pay for books or pens. School fees are now waived for Benon and his grandfather provides books, pens, uniform and milk for lunch.

Benon is a very quiet student but very bright in class. He doesn’t like playing but is good at running, always the best in his class.

Nasasira Godwin - 8 years - Primary 2

Godwin has both his parent but they have been living with HIV for the past 10 years. Godwin is HIV free but his little brother does have it and often falls ill. His parents spend most of their money on HIV treatment. His other siblings attend Rurambira school and often spend months at home waiting for their parents to pay school fees. His mother asked St. Stevens for help with Godwin’s education and they school agreed to waive fees. His parents manage to provide books, pens & the uniform.

Godwin is very good at running and even came first in the 5km MCCDF race in May. He is bright in class and doing very well. He also loves playing football.

Amumpaire Queen - 6 years - Middle Class

Queen has both her parents but her father is often distant. Her mother is from Rwanda and her father Ugandan. Her mother owns a shop in the trading centre and pays school fees as often as she can but often fails despite hard work. She always manages to provide books, pens and uniform but really struggles with school fees. She is one of the founding students at the school.

Queen is what her name says, a queen of the school! She is the cleanest of the school in her clothes, bags and books and is smart in class. She loved last year’s school trip to the National Park and constantly asks to go on another one, often waking her mum up to badger her about it!

Ssemaganda Derrick - 5 years - Baby Class

Derrick’s parents brought four children to attend the school and agreed for two children’s fees to be paid. His mother helps out the school and the Director whenever needed while also doing a variety of work from cleaning houses to planting crops to earn money for fees. The school provides books and pens for the children but currently they do not have uniforms.

Derrick is a stubbornly shabby boy, refusing to tuck in his shirt, often walking around with it half hanging off of him. He loves to try and ride bicycles and is always one of the first to the car door when visitors arrive.

Nyamgoma Annette - 5 years  - Baby Class

Annette lives with her stepmother and father but they cannot afford to pay school fees as they support many children. Her father has a plantation of banana with which he supports his two children from his first wife. Her uncle passed away leaving his four children to her father to look after as well. Two of the children attend the school but she does not pay fees.

She is good at athletics and singing. She also has good time management, always attending school early. She often can be found in a group of kids playing.

Owomugisha Brenda - 7 years - Primary 1

Brendas parents both died in 2010 from HIV but Brenda is negative. She stays with her uncle who works on some ones farm and is paid 80,000 UGX a month. Her uncle stays with his grandfather and is married with 5 children but struggles so much to pay for all their costs as he depends only on his monthly salary. Brenda is in real need of support for her education

She participates in all aspects of school life, is very hard working and clever in class. She is very strong and can even play football with the boys without being pushed around! She takes part in athletics liking especially the high jump.

Kabazarwa Grace -  9 years - Primary 3

Grace lost both her parents in 2010 due to HIV. They had a small mixed farm with no source of income apart from selling cattle. They left 10 orphans, Grace is the second youngest, she was one of the first students admitted under the free fee policy at the school. Grace stays with her aunt while some of her other siblings live with their uncle. Her aunt is struggling to look after her brothers orphans and has 5 children of her own to pay fees for. She wrote for support from St. Stevens and they admitted Grace for no fees.

She is clever in class, a good netballer and athlete all around.

Mugisha David -  3 years - Baby Class

Davids mother has 3 children and her father does not take an interest in them. Her mother came to St. Stevens for help as none of her kids had gone to school. She always would be at the pitch when St. Steven’s school went for games and tagged along to the school after. The Director followed up on her story and agreed with the mother to waive school fees and also provide books and pens.

She loves playing you will always find her running after the balls. Her left hand is scared from being burnt when she was younger.