2021 April Newsletter
A letter from UKHF Chairperson: Ruby van der Meulen
I hope this letter finds you safe and healthy. Something many of us have learnt not to take for granted anymore. I wanted to start this letter by sharing how much I, and the rest of the UKHF board, appreciate your continued support. It is thanks to this wonderful support that we are able to continue to ensure girls are kept safe in the safehouse, the children are provided with a warm meal every day, the oldest classes are receiving education, and that the school staff are paid.
On top of this we have managed to realise some exciting and important building projects, mainly thanks to the generous donation of the Simon Catchpole Foundation. Firstly, we have now got guttering on all buildings, as well as water tanks that hold all this water that can then be used to cook, wash, and water the crops. Secondly, we now have a fantastic energy saving stove. This allows us to save a significant amount of money by having to buy less firewood.
Funded by a separate donor that Tom found in Canada the school invested in some goats. This project is going well and it has inspired the HFOC and UKHF boards to move towards more food-based sustainability projects. Scroll down to read about the next one and how you can help!
Project Update!
As always we are continuing to ensure HFOC becomes as independent as possible. As mentioned in the chairperson’s report the current goat project is going well. In addition, the tailoring and hairdressing that were already set up are increasing in popularity - and therefore income. It also shows the community is becoming more and more involved in the school!
Our next project to fund is bee keeping. A useful, fun project that will teach the children and the community important life skills, as well as supplement the children’s diet and earn the school money.
According to Esther’s research, the best time of year to start a bee keeping project in Uganda is December. We are hoping to fundraise £2000 by then. If you’d like to support the project you can donate (monthly or a one-off) by clicking here.