At the end of March, the board of our small charitable organisation — Stefanie, Karin and Stefan — visited HOREMI in Uganda for around a week. We still have to sort out the impressions, experiences (and photos) we gathered, but here is a first brief update for all those interested. Detailed information, pictures and videos will follow in the next few weeks.
- Our short summary: Wow. What the founder Naume and Kenneth, her former protégé and current head of the facility, have achieved with their team has far exceeded our expectations.
- Kenneth and Naume are working systematically and purposefully towards their vision for HOREMI: giving children a chance. By giving them a dignified start in life and a good education according to their individual abilities.
- This plan is pursued with incredible energy, confidence, tenacity, competence and joy. Our sponsorships and donations work every day and fulfill their purpose 100%.
- The expansion of the school is progressing pragmatically and every euro donated is quickly put to good use. The classrooms are currently being plastered on the inside at the weekend, while work continues on the outside during the week (at school time).
- Lessons in six class levels (three pre-school, three elementary school) are underway. Around 80 children, including 10 from the HOREMI orphanage, are already sitting on the self-made school desks.
- The educational goals are ambitious and the curricula for the various classes are developed with high standards and great care. Kenneth in particular knows from his own experience how important a good education is and does everything he can to bring the school up to a top level.
- Thanks to our sponsorships, the orphanage, the nucleus of HOREMI, can offer the 30 or so kids a dignified and child-friendly life by Ugandan standards. Even if we often had to adjust our Western ideas in the face of reality. There is no electricity on site, no running water, beds are shared. And the diet (lots of maize, a little rice, some beans or cabbage and sometimes 10 grams of meat) is aimed solely to fill the belly. So there is still a lot to do.
- The most important thing is that the children are doing well. They are safe, cared for, healthy, social, active, interested, friendly and usually very happy!
Ossibi otya — Hello HOREMI!
Discipline and attention prevail in the classroom. Unless a “mzungu” (white person) turns up with his camera.
Homework done?
The children had never heard of frisbees before. Good thing we had ten of them in our luggage.
The skipping rope we brought was tested extensively straight away.
Good fellowship between young and old, boys and girls, Muslims and Christians.
Little wheelchair user Bumali is looked after by his HOREMI siblings.
The notebooks brought along are put to use immediately.
Queuing for a simple meal: even the kids from the surrounding area who can’t afford school fees or lunch at least get a cup of porridge.
Some of the water fetching is done by the children. The borehole is around 200 meters away from HOREMI and is used by the whole community.
Drinking water dispenser in Uganda: anyone who is thirsty scoops a cup from the large clay jug.
Fresh fruit from the market: a welcome but rare variation for the children.
Lunch together with the friends from Germany: rice with cabbage and an extra piece of sweet potato for the guests — and a fork.
Good advice is not always expensive.
This is the HOREMI spirit: from zero to school in three months. Construction starts at the end of October, school starts at the end of January. Go, HOREMI!
Successes and Challenges
Three more sponsorships were taken on during our stay alone. One of our most important goals — to provide every child with a sponsorship and thus the foundation for a start in life — has therefore almost been achieved. Zamu, Samuel, Olivia, Ajan and Shukran do not yet have a sponsor.
A major challenge for HOREMI is financing the day-to-day running of the school: teachers’ salaries, school materials, examination fees, lunch, support staff such as the “water man” and much more need to be paid every month. Currently, school fees only cover part of these fixed costs. One reason for this is that HOREMI also enables very poor families to attend school. They pay no or only very low fees. Secondly, the school is still brand new and families with better financial means still have to be won over by the high quality of the school and the corresponding word-of-mouth advertising. This will take time and our support.
The Ugandan HOREMI team would like to say a huge thank you to all our supporters, friends, donors and sponsors. We have experienced much joy and gratitude every day in Uganda and are happy to pass this on here. Thank you very much!
Please help now so that HOREMI can ensure the basic care of their protégés. Your donation helps, thank you!
May we inform you about life at HOREMI from time to time? Then please send us a short e‑mail to hello@horemi.org.