Apologies for the length of time since I last updated the blog.
The end of term examination results were
an improvement on last year’s, so we are on course
(unless we rest on our laurels) for a very successful year academically. In August 2017 48% of students passed, this year 54% passed. This is in spite of a very large intake of new students at the beginning of the year, many of whom had never attended school before or had been out of school for a very long time.
Financially things have been tough for
several months, due to the handover from Sean Devereux Children’s Fund to
Opportunity Through Education. This resulted
in serious delays in receiving funds, made considerably worse by the bank
problems of TSB (the bank used by SDCF).
It has been a very difficult patch, making it hard even to pay staff
salaries, let alone do anything else. In
spite of all this, the school kept going and the children are doing well.
However, money is finally coming through
and we are going to be able to do the various things for which donors have been
so generous. These include installing
doors and windows and roofing the unfinished
classrooms as well as paying for day-to-day school necessities. We are also soon going to order school uniforms through the fundraising efforts of Pencils for All.We are also now able to order desks for another classroom through the fundraising project of the London Oratory.
Another challenge is that Far Reaching
Ministries, who I have mentioned in previous posts have been providing school
meals for the children, announced very late in the term that they were unable
to continue to help. They have been so
good and reliable for the last two years so this is going to be very
difficult. A major international NGO who shall be nameless is
supposed to be taking over, but based on their poor record on their feeding
programme at the hospital, we can expect a very
unreliable service. This will be very
detrimental to the children’s well-being, and may even mean that parents remove
their children and send them to the refugee camps. In the meantime we are going to try to provide at least porridge each day.
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| The three children at St Philomena's Primary School from left to right, Alice, Assumpta and Aluma |
At the beginning of September, I left for Uganda to
see the deaf children
at school there and to pay their school fees.
They are all making progress. The
oldest, Alau, is in the first year at secondary school. He passed his end of term exams with flying
colours and the teachers were very complimentary about him. Those at primary school are now becoming very
competent at sign language, which will greatly enhance their lives and school
performance. Alice, the oldest of those
at primary school, who is 16 years old, is radiantly happy as she is able
to communicate with those around her for the first time in her life. It was lovely to see her signing with a great
smile on her face. She has been moved up
two classes because of her excellent progress.
The younger two (both 12 years old) are also getting to grips with sign
language and are making some progress, although more slowly than Alau and Alice. As yet, I have no sponsorship for any of them
and have been paying their fees and living necessities out of my own
pocket. I do not have a salary and am
relying on diminishing savings. If
anyone feels moved to help these children, I would be very grateful if you would email me. There are no resources in South Sudan for
disabled children, which is why it was necessary to find schools in Uganda for
them.
This week we go back to school for the
final term of this academic year. I look
forward very much to a less difficult term now that the final transfer between Sean Devereux to Opportunity Through Education has been made.
If you are able to support either the school or the deaf children, it will be a very great help.
Please let me know if you are able to
help by email so that I can send you a gift aid form for Opportunity Through
Education. Rebeccamallinson1@hotmail.co.uk .
