Manjeri Children's Home & School

Manjeri Children's Home & School is a primary school and home for orphans and underprivileged local children. Manjeri was started in 2005 and is located in Nantwala village, Buikwe sub-county, Mukono district. This is approximately 50km East of Kampala. The home cares for local children who have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS, and have been identified by AFFPIN as children requiring more care than their guardians are able to offer.

The main aim of this project is to provide a decent primary education and accommodation where necessary (and able to provide) to the orphans and local underprivileged children. This is achieved through a combined local and international mobilising of resources.

AFFPIN has designed a five year work plan with four major objectives and aims to establish a care centre where all its effort and support could be directed. One of its major concerns is the poor academic performance of rural primary and secondary schools that local children attend. In response to this, AFFPIN has established Manjeri Children's Home & School as a means to provide standard and competitive education. Manjeri Children's Home & School aims to achieve:

[a] standard and competitive primary education for all the children of the area;
[b] establish a long-term care center for orphans and children in need;
[c] develop skills among the community for future sustainability;
[d] develop solutions for the needs of afflicted families and their children.

The majority of people living in the rural areas of Uganda are unable to provide the monetary funds for even the most basic schools. One of AFFPIN's major concerns is that without external aid, the cycle of poverty within the poor rural communities will not end. Education is fundamental to breaking this cycle and is therefore a primary initiative of AFFPIN.

Currently there are 384 children who attend Manjeri Children's Home & School from the local and surrounding poor communities. Many of these children face problems in attending; a large proportion of students must walk great distances to attend school, over 50% of the children are not provided with adequate stationary, books, lunch or uniforms by their parents or guardians. Whilst the school provides as many resources as it can, funding restrictions often mean children are ill equipped to receive a proper education. The school needs regular funding to provide the children with tuition, school supplies, water, food and medicines.

Teachers at Manjeri:

Many teachers at schools such as Manjeri must work for salaries well under national averages or even as volunteers. A consequence of this is that teacher retention becomes very difficult. However, the teachers who are able to remain at the school despite a lack of pay are often the most dedicated and caring. Teachers are fundamental to the education process and are deserving of adequate pay. With this in mind, AFFPIN has set up a designated teacher sponsorship program as well as accepting teaching volunteers at Manjeri Children's Home & School.

For details please contact
African Foundation for People in Need
P.O. Box 230 Lugazi-Uganda
East Africa
info@affpin.org