Kids First Child Sponsorship Annual Report 2012

Year 2012 started well with our directors Sunny and Sarah settling in well back in New Zealand, and Joshua the Ugandan Project Coordinator moving to Gaba (Gertrude’s ex-residence). This has been a good move for Joshua and the Kids First family, as they can continue to meet safely and freely in Gertrude’s courtyard.

Main objective and introduction:
Give an education to children, rescuing them from poverty and preparing them to become independent with a hope for employment. We operate from the district of Bbunga, in Kampala, although our secondary school kids attend Highfield High School in Wakiso district. We depend on sponsors who are based in New Zealand, but mostly it’s been Sunny and Sarah our directors plus their family members and friends who have been supporting the project. Sponsored kids are attached to a sponsor who pays mainly school fees and a small lunch at school and, where possible, sending some gifts to the child.  Our sponsored kids are currently in nursery through to secondary school. We hope they will continue to be sponsored for further education once they have graduated from secondary school.  As of this year 2012, we have 11 children on the program going through school: 1 in nursery (pre-primary), 7 in primary, and 3 in secondary. We have also had almost more than 40 kids go through our sports program. More emphasis has been put on supporting girls who are more vulnerable in the community, so 7 of these kids who are being paid school fees are girls and 4 are boys.

This year 2012, two children sat for National Examinations which begun in October. This will lead them in joining secondary education come next year.

Children who sat P.L.E (Primary leaving Examination) and will be joining secondary schools in Senior 1:

1. Maureen Nampeera

2. Catherine Komuhangi

Children who sat their end of year examinations and have been promoted to the next class:

1. Emmnual Muwanga from baby class to middle class (pre-primary)

2. Jane Mukama from primary three to primary four

3. Martin Kitimbo from primary four to primary five

4. Victoria Ileka from primary four to primary five.

5. Annet Badaru from primary six to primary seven.

6. Moses Ssekamate from secondary one to secondary two

7. Pauline Nassali from sevondary two to secondary three

8. Christine Najjuma from secondary two to secondary three

The following child changed school and remained in class:

Mike Kasumba changed schools from Bunga Hill Primary and Nursery School to Gaba Model School, as he was not achieving well in Bunga Primary. At Kids First we do not want to give up on our kids although they may not seem to be doing well. One way we do this is to co-operate with Art at Heart and sports programmes to discover hidden talents and also find out how best we can help our kids reach their potential. I sat with Mike, his mum and his teachers at Bunga Hill, came to a decision to change Mike to Gaba Model, as Mike did not like Bunga Hill because he looked too old for the class  and also his teachers were giving up on him. He likes Gaba Model and although the teachers have recommended he repeat primary six, his performance and attitude towards school has improved and we look forward to better results from him.

The sports program:

The weekend sports programme has been going very well this year thanks to Lameck our sports coach who has worked so hard in training the kids. In the past most kids were inconsistent in attending the programme but this year we were able to meet with some of the parents of these kids to explain to them how important it is to support and develop their kids’ God given talents and creativity, even in sport. I am happy to report that since that meeting there has been a change in kids attendance and parent support. We have had a challenge of lack of enough sports gear which we believe will overcome next year.

Regrets:

Christine’s mum gave birth to a still born baby.

Achievements:

1.     Kids First has paid all necessary school fees on time in the full amount.

2.     A new child, Emmanuel, has started the program and he is going to school now.

3.     Two more children have completed primary school - Maureen and Catherine -  making a total of five kids in secondary come next year.

4.     Kids First managed to get a camera for use in Uganda.

5.     Kids First managed to do a successful project with Art at Heart, with more planned for next year.

6.     Kids First has managed to strengthen its co-operation with other parties involved e.g. with standardized and reduced school fees from both schools that the kids attend.

7.     No child has dropped out of school.

8.     Kids First got more books for its kids and they have been of good help.

9.     Kids First has a friend from the US, Mary, who wishes to support the project and has planned a visit for next year.

Life changing story of the year:

About three years back our directors Sunny and Sarah visited the project in Uganda, and among the so many things they did on their visit was to visit each of the sponsored children in their homes, and among the children I am going to talk about, they visited Maureen.

Maureen was staying with her mum and the step father but this girl was being abused by her step dad, and as we were talking to her she just broke down and cried. At her age the situation was too hard, and it was confusing to the mum who could not give up her marriage due to finances.  At the same time she didn’t know how she could protect her daughter from the abuse she was going through.

Whenever you would look in this young girl’s eyes all you could see was fear, and the situation was severely affecting her performance at school.

Thanks be to God for Kids First because the directors managed to get a sponsor who would support Maureen to go to boarding school where she can be protected from any abuse from the step dad.

Wow what a change if you are to meet Maureen now she has the biggest smile of all sponsored kids and I am happy to report that she has managed to finish primary school, so she will be joining secondary school come next year.

Challenges:

1.     Joshua the project coordinator had an accident this year so visiting and monitoring the kids has been difficult

2.     Low cooperation of  some care givers as in letter collection/feed back

3.     Unstable communication between New Zealand and the Joshua the Project Coordinator due to the accident and limited computer access

4.     Lack of a budget in Uganda to help respond to emergency project associated needs.

5.     Lack of a proper place where Kids First can carry out its work, e.g. kids meetings (they currently meet in the open courtyard where Joshua lives.)

Goals for year 2013.

1.     Number of sponsored children to reach 50 by December 2013

2.     Children’s Christmas gifts to be spent wisely as to benefit the whole family - we intend to emphasize income-generating activities.

3.     Getting more Kids First equipment like a computer to smoothen the coordinator’s work in Uganda and enhance communication with New Zealand directors.

4.     Keep the facebook and website for Kids First up to date.

5.     Proper functioning Kids First offices both in Uganda and New Zealand.

6.     Encouraging more people to sponsor our kids

7.     Registering Kids First in Uganda.

8.     Opening up a Kids First post office box in Kampala, Uganda

Annual report from

JOSHUA KIZITO

Kids First Ugandan Project Coordinator

Kids First Uganda Office wishes you all a merry Christmas and a happy 2013.

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.