About the Project
The project consisted of building classrooms and desks to provide more space for students at Better Standard Nursery & Primary School.
Location
Katabalanga Ward, South Division of Mubende Municipality, Uganda
Quick Project Stats
| Funding Date | March 2025 |
| Luena Investment | $1,000 |
| CBO Partner | Arise Katabalanga Foundation (AKF) |
| Village | Katabalanga Ward |
| Country | Uganda |
| # of Children Impacted | 156 |
| Community Contribution | manual labor; AKF contributed 25% of the total cost (equivalent to $357.40) while the community contributed 5% (equivalent to $71.45) |
Fledgling School Works to Develop Facilities and Services for Vulnerable Children
Better Standard Nursery and Primary school was started in 2019 to promote the right to education for vulnerable children in the community. The education standard in this area is low, and the poor communities and families from refugee camps around Katabalanga Ward can not afford to pay for the more expensive, higher quality education. The school therefore helps such refugees when they come to the community with their children.
In its early stages, the school was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, the school was being run in rented facilities. During 2020, there was closure of all schools in the country, and by the time schools re-opened, AKF could no longer afford the rental fees for those buildings.
The organization purchased a small portion of land for the school, but these new premises had no permanent buildings. Some classes used to be conducted from under the jackfruit tree, and there were no desks to enable children to study well. Many children sat on the dusty floor during lessons or sat on mats when possible to protect them from the dust. The perimeter fence for the property was weak, and there was no security door at the gate among other challenges like lack of water, uniforms, lunch, and teachers.
Constructing wooden classrooms and providing desks was critical for improving the school learning environment for the children. As a young organization, AKF has had no big funding to build a bigger modern school and usually has to prioritize donations for implementing other programs.
Expanded Facilities Improve Educational Experience
The donation from Luena Foundation was used to make 25 desks that are now serving 125 children, to construct two new wooden classrooms that accommodate 47 children, and to repair one classroom block that is now serving 31 children. The new classrooms and desks have provided comfortable and organized space for pupils to learn, which has improved their focus and engagement. The additional classrooms have also helped to reduce overcrowding; for instance, in the Nursery section there is now a more manageable teacher to pupil ratio. The P.6 class, which originally used to study from under the jackfruit tree, has also gotten its own classroom.
Meet our Partner Community-Based Organization
At Arise Katabalanga Foundation, we are driven by a single goal: to do our part in making the world a better place for all. Our decision making process is informed by comprehensive empirical studies and high quality data evaluation. We strive to empower a community that acts as a fountain of sustainable economic transformation for its development.
To learn more about our partner organization, click here.
