Bishop Comboni College (High School)
Bishop Comboni College is one of the best, (nipping at the heels of the top) secondary schools in kanungu District. It is about a 3 – 3 ½ -hour drive from Bwindi. Of the 550 students at Comboni, approximately 20-30 are from the Think Africa Academy Primary School.
While the school was founded by a Catholic order, it is non-denominational and welcomes students of all faiths. Funding comes from a combination of school fees paid by families (or, in our case, sponsors), government funding and funding from the Church. The Head of the school has also been superb at finding grants for infrastructure, including a new dormitory for girls, a new science building and a computer lab.
The school is run by a Board of Governors. A voluntary PTA meets once a year and sends a member to the Board of Governors meeting once a term.
This is our first choice for secondary education for the highest performers, defined very roughly as the top 5-6 pupils in the Think Africa Academy graduating class. The academic quality, the quality of food and sanitation, the facilities and campus – even the extra-curricular activities are all excellent.
When discussing education in Uganda, it is important to understand that all education in rural Uganda is significantly weaker, as well as less expensive than what is found in Urban centers like kabale,Mbarara Kampala and others . Academic averages are much lower, even for bright students. In general, pupils ranked below 6th in their last year of primary school at Think Africa Academy are often unable to maintain an academic average of 50% – 55% (these are national averages). Receiving averages in the 60’s and 70’s puts a pupil in the top of the class. Those who receive less than 50% in their third year, may be asked to repeat. Sponsors should not be discouraged, but rather proud of a student receiving an average in the 60’s!
Please see www.fundachildcentre.org for further information.
SAN GIOVANNI (HIGH) SCHOOL-MAKIRO
In 2019, we added San Giovanni school-makiro as an option for secondary education.
To date, most students sent to secondary are very bright. These students should attend Comboni if at all possible, since they offer one of the top secondary educations in the District.
We hope that working with San Giovanni opens up the door to more secondary sponsorships for children who care about school and work hard, but may not be academically strong or for sponsors who may not be able to afford the cost of Comboni. San Giovanni offers a solid academic environment and is significantly less expense than Comboni. This is also our director’s school where he attended Advanced level of education.
It also offers a good alternative for students who, without secondary school, might be in danger of early marriage, malnutrition, abuse or neglect when still very young.
San Giovanni is only a little more than 1 and a half to two hours drive from Bwindi, and the students will be under the watchful eye of the Primary Headmaster and the Fund a child centre Sponsorship Coordinator who will visit often.