2018 Hope Lives Elementary School Highlights
National Exams – Hope Lives continues to maintain its standard of excellence. They received a 100% pass rate for the 4th year in a row in 2017. The 2018 P.7 students completed their national exams the first week of November and are awaiting results. This year they are hoping 100% of the students not only pass but also pass in the top tier. Their scores arrive sometime this month! We are in awe of the resiliency and dedication of these students. Their success puts Hope Lives on the map in terms of academic excellence and attracts more and more students to our school. We are immensely proud.
Capital Improvements –
Latrines – The old latrines at the school were full, so new ones were necessary. These were completed in the summer of 2018. They are pump-able, meaning new ones won’t need to be constructed due to filling.
Wi-Fi – The school also had WiFi installed! When the power is on, the administration block and surrounding buildings are connected.
Piped water – Having easy access to water has been a blessing to Hope Lives. We had to replace the pump this year.
Incinerator – Currently being constructed. We rarely need to be concerned about where to dispose of feminine hygiene products in the developed world, however this is a struggle for the female students at Hope Lives. An incinerator will give them somewhere to dispose of these things without the embarrassment of putting them in the trash or leaving them in the latrines, filling them up faster.
Cheyenne Hills Church -
In June 2018, a team from Cheyenne Hills Church and Faith Fellowship Church in Guernsey, WY visited Hope Lives bringing a curriculum and craft projects for the students. The students learned about bravery through the stories of David and Goliath (played by the giant Papa Brad) and Daniel and the Lion’s Den. The kids made bracelets reflecting the message of salvation, lion masks, and other craft projects. In addition, team members led the kids in several fun physical activities including jump rope, drills, playground games, soccer, and parachute activities. The team enjoyed devotions with the teachers and the student-led devotions that occur every Friday at the school. We look forward to welcoming another team next year.
Hope Lives Teachers and Staff -
Hope Lives currently employs 26 teachers and 15 non-teaching staff. Their talents and passion set our students up for success and their dedication to the school continues to amaze us. The support of our sponsors makes it possible for us to continue to pay their salary consistently and on time. This is uncommon in Uganda, and another factor in our excellence.
Hope Lives Students
At the end of the year, 635 students were in attendance. Our Agoni students (those receiving sponsorship) number 300.
Challenges
Dormitories - [male and female] the school boards many students in existing buildings. Upon completion of the current construction projects, we hope to build dormitories. The numbers of boarding students continue to increase, and there is a significant need for dedicated, safe, and secure living and sleeping space. All P.7 and most P.6 students board at the school because their school day continues with evening classes and study sessions in preparation for their exam.
Secondary School Scholarships – We finished our first pilot year of our scholarship program for secondary students. This program is designed to help the most vulnerable students who perform well in elementary school and have no other support for secondary school beyond Hope Lives, continue their education. To date, two graduates of Hope Lives Elementary School completed their first year of secondary school thanks to this program. We hope to continue refining this program in the coming years so it can benefit the growing number of vulnerable children in our program.
Vo-Tech School – Not every vulnerable student will succeed in secondary school. Hope Lives needs to develop an alternative path for these students so they can learn a vocational skill so they can continue to provide for themselves as they continue to grow. We are exploring the reality of this need and hope to have more formal plans for a Vo-Tech school in the near future. Thanks to Homes of Living Hope, we already have two container structures suitable for vocational training. We will need dedicated staff and funds to begin operation. We are looking forward to bringing you more information.
School Fee Payment - Hope Lives continues to face the challenge of motivating parents and caregivers to pay school fees. Many of these adults did not receive an education themselves and don’t necessarily value education. Others misunderstand the support coming from the U.S. and don’t think they need to, or believe they shouldn’t have to pay.
Your Involvement - We need your help to keep this program moving forward. Please consider making a contribution to any of these projects listed here. Contributions made to Hope Lives Aloi are tax deductible. You can donate on our website via PayPal or send your contribution to:
Hope Lives ~ Aloi,
916 Hemlock Ave
Cheyenne, WY 82009.
Thank you for your partnership in changing the future for Ugandan children, one life at a time.
More information is available at www.HopeLivesAloi.org.
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