Support St Paul KAASO Primary School today
St Paul KAASO is a primary school in southern Uganda that provides education and mentorship to orphans and disadvantaged children in one of the areas hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis. Donate now >
Unity is Strength supports
St Paul KAASO
KAASO, the Kabira Adult Attention and School for Orphans, is a unique community project in Uganda that provides education and mentorship to orphans and disadvantaged children in one of the areas hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis.
KAASO is first and foremost a primary school, but relies on an interconnected network of community initiatives to keep the school running and the level of education high.
Unity is Strength supports
St Paul KAASO
KAASO, the Kabira Adult Attention and School for Orphans, is a unique community project in Uganda that provides education and mentorship to orphans and disadvantaged children in one of the areas hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis.
KAASO is first and foremost a primary school, but relies on an interconnected network of community initiatives to keep the school running and the level of education high.
Latest News
The microloan project is helping to retain teachers at KAASO
The microloan project is helping to retain teachers at KAASOMicroloan initiative - a great success! Earlier this year, the teachers and staff members at KAASO set up a new project called the KAASO Staff Development Association (or KAASO-Dep for short) following the...
Our visit to KAASO! 😀
Our visit to KAASO! 😀We hope you are doing well. This newsletter is written by Lizzie. She and her boyfriend, Rob, have recently spent a week at KAASO visiting the projects supported by Unity is Strength and discussing future plans with the founders and Directors of...
Happy New Year 🎉
Happy New Year 🎉 Happy New Year! We hope 2023 is going well for you so far. This is a short email to let you know about our upcoming plans for the year and when we'll be in touch. As ever, if you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us....
St Paul KAASO Primary School
Dominic & Rose’s story
In 1999, Dominic and Rose Mukwaya opened their home as a school. The village of Kabira where they live was severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and many children were not going to school. It was an incredibly difficult time for the community losing friends, family and relatives; Dominic and Rose wanted to offer a solution and provide a fantastic education for children in the area. And this is exactly what they did.
OUR IMPACT
Projects supported
Unity is Strength was established in January 2020. We were founded to help KAASO find ways to sustainably pay the teachers and staff as this has always been a big challenge for the school. Our plans were of course disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but projects established during this time helped us to address this initial challenge and find sustainable solutions.
When the pandemic struck, we, along with other supporters of KAASO, raised enough seed funds for the school to set up small income-generating projects for the staff and teachers to get involved in during the national lockdowns. These included a piggery, a nursery-bed, a flock of goats, and a brick-making project. This proved hugely successful and brought about many benefits.
The success of this initiative attracted national attention and has been visited and endorsed by the Commissioner of the Ministry of Education in Uganda. It has been heralded as a national example of self-sufficiency and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Developing the idea of income-generating activities, the teachers and staff members at KAASO set up a new project (totally independently of Unity is Strength and other outside support) called the KAASO Staff Development Association (or KAASO-Dep for short). KAASO-Dep issues microloans to individuals and groups working on projects such as those set up during the pandemic, or similar ones that have since been established.
KAASO-Dep
The KAASO Staff Development Association (KAASO-Dep) was set up by the teachers and staff members to issue microloans to individuals and groups working at KAASO to run small businesses to supplement their salaries. Since KAASO-Dep started, we have heard that staff members are happier, and they want to stay and work at KAASO.
Piggery project
In July 2021, a piece of land was allocated to a group of teachers; they built a pigsty and were able to purchase two pigs. The teachers cared for the animals and learned animal husbandry skills, diversifying their own employment skills. Caring for the animals gave the teachers purpose and an activity to focus on…
Brick-making project
The brick-making project offered an alternative activity for teachers to diversify their skills, support local infrastructure development, and generate an income. In the initial stages, four teachers worked with Dominic to build a brick kiln on the school grounds.
Chair hire business
This is a project that Dominic has wanted to run for a long time. Community events are popular and there’s always a need for chairs. We provided the funds to buy 200 chairs which they can rent out to bring in additional income for KAASO.
How you can help to
MAKE A DIFFERENCEWe are incredibly grateful for any support you can offer. It is your time, energy and donations that make it possible for Unity is Strength to support the brilliant work at KAASO. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you.
You can help to
Make a difference
We are incredibly grateful for any support you can offer. It is your time, energy and donations that make it possible for Unity is Strength to support the brilliant work at KAASO. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you.
About Unity is Strength
Who we are
Unity is Strength was started by Lizzie Hulton-Harrop and her family in 2019. It was officially registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the England and Wales Charity Commission in January 2020. The idea to start a UK-registered charity to support KAASO came out of discussions Lizzie had with Dominic and Rose during her visit in 2019.
Our Partners & Friends
It is incredible to have other people and initiatives around the world supporting KAASO. Two key examples are Emma Outteridge, the KAASO Volunteer Coordinator, who has done a huge amount with KAASO since her first visit in 2009, including publishing a book! And Share Uganda, a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare organisation, working in the Kyotera District of Uganda.
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