Bright Stars Nursery & Primary School, Kyetume
 

Left

Before:-

Bright Stars Nursery & Primary School April 2004

3 Classrooms!

 

 

 

 

Below

After:

Bright Stars School April 2006

   

Dormitory   Temporary Classroom   Staff Room             Six Classrooms and Office / Library.

Behind the Staff room is the Kitchen and toilets

For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost,

For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost,

For the want of a horse the rider was lost,

For the want of a rider the battle was lost,

For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
   
This is the story of a very poor school in a village near Masaka that we really wanted to help.

As you read about this school we believe that you will be as impressed by what is happening in this village as we were. It is a village where the people want their children to be educated and where the church is helping this to happen.

Beryl Writes:-

I feel that some explanations about the school would be helpful. For example how can such a school afford to be featured on a web site? Are the head teachers/pastors rich already?

The schools do not even have electricity at present – let alone a computer, but the   head teachers are men of vision whom Alan first met when they came into our Internet Café. Vincent (Bright Stars) came with his friend and colleague Samuel, who is head teacher of the adjacent Parents School. They were and are working together to better their respective schools. They have a strong friendship and are a great support to each other. They are a couple of “characters” who are spurring each other on to greater things.

When they came into the café they were trying to find sponsorship for their schools on the internet. They were also looking for pen-pals for the children, or foreign schools to “twin”.

They are both men of integrity we believe, and as Alan started to help them, he realised that this was a friendship that was being forged by God. Beryl thought Alan was mad because he kept going on about the two schools, and how much he liked the two head teachers. Beryl thought he was mad because we have enough problems of our own without taking on others! Beryl still thinks he is crazy, but has joined him in the Asylum! So….. the café is the sponsor of the high tech side of things.

The schools were both very very poor. Both have problems with lack of facilities, but first let us tell you what we found that so impressed us.

This is an area of extreme poverty, but yet the parents have united to build schools for the children. Many of the parents are struggling to pay for their own children’s fees, but have happily accepted that their payments will be stretched to cover “School dependants”. (This is where the child has no-one at all to cover the fees, and the school has taken the child anyway). Both school was an extremely happy place to visit. Despite the many difficulties the children are well mannered and industrious.

They were not looking for people to “take over”, rather for support that will enable them to do what they were already doing, but more efficiently.

The two head teachers are pastors, and do what they are doing for God, and with His help, and enjoy preaching and teaching the Bible to the children. There is a sense of harmony and acceptance of everyone within the school, where all views are respected.

The schools feed the children at lunchtime, but can only afford porridge. The local porridge is probably what we would call gruel. It is better than nothing, but we would rather pass on it! However for some of the children this porridge will be all that they may eat on a particular day.

We have been well received by the staff and pupils, and by the parents that we have met. Many people from the developed world have said to us “Why are you bothering to help in Africa where the people do not help themselves?” It is good to be able to point to a community that has done so much to help not only their own children but the children who must fall within some of the most needy in the area if not in the world.

We hope you enjoy the photos, but please do not be fooled by them. The uniforms look very good, but if you look closely they have holes and tears. The children in the main look several years younger than they are, and are shorter than you would expect. This is due in no small part to a poor diet, and they are at least 3 cm shorter than our school children because ours wear shoes!

The first time that we visited United High School (the school where Samuel was previously headmaster), the Head’s desk was perched on a pile of hardcore (the floor!) We gave him enough money to cement the floor, and it was stretched to do that, paint the walls, build two steps, and with parental contributions, fit a door also. Samuel could not wait to show us. We were happy to see it, but doubly happy that he had spent the money correctly, stretched it, added to it, and accounted for it! This gave us the courage to continue to try to raise money for them. Many times we have been told that Africans will steal money – Uganda is corrupt etc etc. Well, we want to prove that there are many good people here, and we will endeavour to make sure that any contribution you may send will go where it should and be spent on what it is ear-marked for.

We believe that this community, and especially the two head teachers and their teams (teachers and boards) have the ability to fulfil the old English proverb “Much a mickle makes a muckle”.

This roughly translates into…..

 

A few tiny coins

Weighed in the hands of the faithful

Will grow a School,

Which will build a Youth,

Who will encourage a Village, 

Which will change a Town, 

Which will transform a Nation,

Which is part of your World.

God bless you for taking the time to read about two ordinary men and their dream. May your dreams come true as you consider answering the prayers of the children they love.

“Greater love has no man than this – that he lays down his life for his friends” – The bible.

 Oh yes – and in answer to the question “Are the head teachers rich? Are they paid as pastors?” Let me tell you this, as I sat in the rooms rented by Vincent for his large family he told the stories you will read in the children’s profiles. “This child is very poor” he said. “Terrible living conditions” he said. “So needy” he said. “Just like me” he could have said.

Here is what the Head teacher has to say about Bright Stars School

Bright Stars infant and primary school is found in East Africa, Uganda, Masaka district, Lwego sub – county and particularly is found in Kyawagonya parish Kyetume L.C.I.A.

This school was started in 1999 by some parents of the area and then the whole community led by Pastor Ssekabira Vincent Director and Headmaster.

 

The aims of those parents are:-

 

bullet To Introduce a model school in Kyawagonya parish.
bullet To provide a good example of a rural school.
bullet To assist many orphans, disabled, needy ones in the community by teaching them the word of God, academically, skills, plus economically.
bullet To assist pupils avoid walking long distances for education.
bullet To educate the young citizens of the word.
bullet To chase away ignorance in the community / area.
bullet To train pupils into self reliance.
  Our school is operated on non profitable making basis and we are assisting the children to grow in a good environment and knowing God plus Jesus as their Saviour.
   
Building the School Opening Day