Education ministry on the Islands
For several years, our team has been dedicated to making education accessible to the children of Kalangala islands. Upon arriving at the school, we were disheartened to find an empty classroom, devoid of both teachers and students. Undeterred, we decided to focus our efforts on Bubembe, one of the islands in Kalangala where no other NGO was present. Gradually, the parents of Bubembe began to place their trust in us and expressed their desire for an education program for their children. It is worth noting that these same parents had previously only wished for their children to learn the art of fishing. While we can never truly comprehend the extent of their transformation, we like to believe that we played a small role in the hands of a higher power, guiding these young lives towards a brighter future.
In January 2011, VKIDS Trust Uganda initiated its activities on one of the 84 islands. With great enthusiasm, we commenced our sponsorship program with a group of 10 children.
In 2009 VTU found a school room void of teachers and students. About a year later, a teacher came to that school alone to start teaching all four classes. The parents organized different ways to raise school fees themselves.
Today VTU were shocked to find an additional building and staff quarters being added to that one solitary school room. We thank God for moving the people in such a way that they now value education for the children of the island. Since 2011 VTU has been getting different teams and well wishers to distribute basic school supplies to the parents and schools. These supplies are part of the items required by the education system. Each child that is not provided with these items to bring to school, are sent home and miss out on the chance for a quality education.
We have recently introduced a youth initiative aimed at transforming and empowering the young individuals within our community. Our primary goal is to guide them towards becoming self-sufficient and productive members of society. Due to various negative influences, such as substance abuse, early marriages, and unproductive behaviors, it has become crucial to intervene and provide them with the necessary tools for personal growth. By involving them in activities such as sports, hairdressing, tailoring, plumbing, and more, we believe they can acquire essential life skills that will contribute to their independence, particularly in terms of financial stability.
Teaching supplies for the islands.
Pretty much anything is hard to come by on the islands, unless it grows there. You can only imagine the costs of the distribution system for the residents of this remote but beautiful place.
This was our first visit to the islands. We had games with the children, and the number was so big. We tried to distribute what ever was bought to them.
The part of the program that year included a short Bible story teaching about the creation. The children that enrolled in Vkids Trust Uganda are young and so starting “in the beginning” was perfectfor their first lesson. They started the school year with the knowledge that God created everything. God created them, and God loves every one he created.
We used a few coloring pages and observed the skill level of each child. Only a few were able to color with any sense of order. So many of the children behaved as though they did not quite know what to do with the pencils and paper. Can you imagine! What child doesn’t even know how to scribble? We had fun trading colors and showing God how thankful we are for his beautiful creation by making these pretty pictures.