Over the past month, we’ve been raising money for the Kasese Humanist School in Uganda. All in all, we’ve raised just over $2000 so far. For the students at Kasese, this is enough money to make a massive difference in their lives. Your selflessness has paid for the tuition for many of these eager learners. You’ve bought them textbooks and science equipment and ensured they get access to the medical care at the school’s clinic. Thanks to you, the future is looking more and more promising for all the students at KHS.
To wrap up this month of fundraising for KHS, though, we want to tell you about their latest project. When we launched this campaign at the beginning of January, we learned that Robert Bwambale, who founded and currently runs this evidence-based, humanist school, was building a new classroom.
The new classroom will be in use come February, and Robert has named it the Nelson Mandela classroom. Yes, we are all aware that Mandela was a believer, but he stood for human rights, just as Atheist Alliance International stands for human rights and just as Robert Bwambale stands for human rights. The education that students will get inside the completed Nelson Mandela classroom will still be secular, evidence-based and instill humanist values in the hearts and minds of the KHS students.
The Nelson Mandela classroom under construction at Kasese Humanist School.
Robert is building the Nelson Mandela classroom for grade 6 at the Kahendero campus. Initial fundraising gave the school enough to start the project, but they are short the money to build a door and shutters. They also need to purchase four windows. A coat of paint is required as well as a concrete floor. Robert suggested just $500 would enable him to finish this classroom. I told him that ought to be an easy goal to reach if your previous generosity towards this school is any indication.
We’ve set the goal at $500. You can donate here:
The Nelson Mandela classroom with an unfinished floor.
There is so much more than a secular humanist education that makes this school worthy of our support. Robert, who seems to live by the school’s motto, “with science, we can progress,” has implemented programs that I wish I could find at my own kids’ schools here in Canada. There is a vocational skills workshop, where high school students work in an auto shop on campus to learn to fix vehicles.
A student at KHS works on a vehicle in the auto shop.
From used tires, instructors teach the students to build eco stoves that are more durable, portable and use less charcoal than other stoves commonly used in the area. These items are then sold at the market to supplement the school’s income.
Robert Bwambale poses with the eco stoves his students built.
In several locations, the Kasese Humanist School has gardens where they grow cassava, bananas, tomatoes, coffee, mangos, corn, peanuts, cotton, avocados, jack fruits, and acacia trees. The idea is eventual self-sufficiency, and so far, they’ve made a lot of use of the vegetables, livening up and enriching the meals for the students.
Robert harvesting corn in one of the gardens at KHS.
One recent Sunday, while many Ugandans were in church, Robert and his team planted 1000 eucalyptus trees at one of the campuses of KHS. Robert said,
“The trees planted are for poles, timber, and as they grow, they are helping in modifying climate, providing oxygen to animals, shelter to some birds, soil catchment, windbreakers and adding beautiful scenery to Kasese Humanist School.”
Baby eucalyptus trees, ready to plant.
I think we can all agree that Robert, his staff, and this school are remarkable and deserve all the support they can get. Please consider donating to help Robert finish his Nelson Mandela classroom.
We would also like to highlight some of the students at Kasese Humanist School who did not get as many donations as the others. If you could find it in your heart to give to these studious kiddos, donate here:
Francis Maweje
Francis Maweje only has $5 in donations. Click here to donate to his education fund.
Kirabo Susa
Kirabo Susan only has $10 in donations. Click here to donate to her education fund.
Birungi Joan
Birungi Joan only has $5 in donations. Click here to donate to her education fund.
Tusemererwa Mercy
Tusemererwa Mercy only has $11 in donations. Click here to donate to her education fund.
Karamagi Wilson
Karamagi Wilson only has $5 in donations. Click here to donate to his education fund.
As January comes to an end, so will our feature of the Kasese Humanist School. That doesn’t mean you can’t follow what new things they’re doing. We will share updates regularly on our Facebook page. You can also follow the school’s Facebook page here.
We want to thank you for making the fundraisers for KHS such a booming success, and we can’t wait to post new photos of the children enjoying the textbooks and equipment you bought them. Thank you, atheists, for being generous for the sake of generosity, no promise of paradise required.
