KIROMBE PROJECT
Nursery and primary school & Vocational School
ABOUT THE NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
Right in time for the official start of the new school year in Uganda, February 2016, our school ‘God is able’ opened its doors in the slum of Kirombe. Kirombe is situated about two kilometers from Kampala. It is also one of the slums where we actively engage with our program since 2014. The people living in this slum are very poor and unemployed. In this area, there are around 10.000 children. Because the slum is close to the hospital and the busy streets of the city center, many of these children try to earn money for their families by selling food and sometimes even drugs.
When our team went there for the first time, we immediately saw the need. We started a program where children could come to play games and have fun, but also where they could get a warm meal and hear the gospel. The number of children continuously grew and the idea emerged to provide good school education for these less privileged children. And that is what we did! Because of the school the needy children from the slum are able to attend good and quality education. It is an absolute privilege to invest in education of children. We are certain that this is a way to give children a perspective and a way out of the vicious cycle of the ghetto. Through education parents can hope again and children’s eyes sparkle.
The first week we started out with 50 students, meanwhile we extended to 184 students. It is nice to see the children, normally wearing dirty and torn clothes, now playing neatly dressed in school uniforms on our school premises. Part of the daily routine for the children is the collective breakfast. Besides the lessons and the pretty classrooms, children are happy to play on our small playground.
ABOUT THE NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
Provide good and solid education for children who have either lost their parents or grew up poor, so they cannot afford school fees for private or public schools.
Show them how they can take responsibility in society. Keeping their
surroundings clean is a learning area for most of these children.
Guide parents when it comes to educational issues at home. It is really important for us to sensitize parents so that they see how their children orientate themselves towards them. Only then the parents can see how important their choices for the future of their children are.
Support these children growing up. They learn how to cohabitate with others in a good way and to love and respect them even though they grew up with so much sadness and cruelty.
ABOUT THE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
In July 2017 the vocational school opened its doors to especially the street youths and other marginalized groups of people with quality and practical skills in Kivulu. The institute was founded on humanitarian basis to offer training to young adult street boys, orphans and other vulnerable groups of people like young and unemployed mothers and jobless men within the undeserved communities and ghettos of Kivulu and Kirombe. Often these people did not have the chance to go to school. It is also very likely that they dropped out half way, because there was no money to pay their school fees. This practical learning enables the students to achieve gainful employment as a way of becoming self-employed as local entrepreneurs by creating their own jobs. Since January 2019 the school moved to Kirombe, close to our nursery and primary school. In our vocational institute the students can choose to learn about computers, tailoring, hair dressing, business management and the English language. We empower these youths so they can break the vicious cycle of poverty and shine again!
The first week we started out with 11 students, ten boys and one girl. Meanwhile we extended to 25 students. It is amazing that half of these students, even though they missed a lot of school in their younger years, will graduate this year and have a fair chance on a bright future!
ABOUT THE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
Envision the less privileged youths from communities equipped with practical education and skills to enable them to be job creators.
Produce students who will undertake research geared towards innovation and improvement of already existing products on the market.
Train and produce competent students who match with job market requirements.
Partner with other tertiary institutions who share our vision and values.
HELP US CREATE CHANGE
In the lives of the street children of Uganda!
Saving Arms International
Saving Arms International is a faith based organization working with underserved communities to improve the lives of underprivileged children in Uganda, through promoting children’s welfare in slums, ghettos, streets and villages, we reach out to homeless children staying and living on streets, towards getting the off and be reconciled with their relatives.