Think Africa Academy Primary School was founded in 2017 to offer opportunity to Bwindi’s most vulnerable children. As time goes, we are also targeting the most gifted/talented children from Bwindi’s poorest families.
Many of the children who attend Think Africa Academy primary school have no parents, or only one. Often there is only a mother with too many children and no work. It is common that children live with an aging grandparent. Parents die from AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, diabetes and perhaps simply despair. Most of our families make less than $500 per year. Children are often imperiled, education not even near closer to a possibility.
But there is always a catch. The school receives no government assistance, which generally permits the school to keep class size small and the overall quality of education up. However, because Think Africa Academy Primary School takes no government funding, profits made by Interior safaris East Africa, tuition fees and donations must support the school and other projects of Fund a child Centre.
But there’s a catch again. Because most parents live in extreme poverty, many cannot pay the entire amount and default. The school is in a constant and difficult balancing act of deciding who must go home, and who can stay in school is a very big challenge.
Without outside sponsorships and general donations, the school cannot pay its bills. Sustainability is a constant topic of internal conversation, but it is difficult to find a solution.
Today close to 137 pupils attend Think Africa Academy primary school. We do not have any sponsored child yet, but All sponsored pupils will be in boarding. Boarding is considered to be the best way for children to be educated. It provides the best opportunity for consistent academic work, a healthy and positive environment and positive community and much more nutritious food than they would be likely to receive at home.
Primary education lasts for seven years (and, if possible, is preceded by up to three years of nursery school). Although children would typically begin first grade (P1) at six years old, poverty often delays entrance. It is not uncommon that students start one or more years late because of the lack of money for school fees (unless sponsored).
Sponsorships are used to pay for everything from teachers’ salaries, to food, to providing healthy sanitation. All sponsored children receive annual “packages.” Every newly sponsor child receives a mattress, sheets and a blanket among a variety of other things. Each year following, sponsored children receive other supplies, for example, school shoes, clothing, a metallic lock box, personal supplies, school supplies, etc. If there is a little extra money, we may use it to purchase similar items for children whose needs may be as pressing but who are currently unsponsored.
The specifics may vary term to term, year to year and once in a while even child to child, but the goal is always the same: to create a happy, healthy environment in which children can learn.
Many of the school structures are wooden and temporary and very old, they need to be replaced. Teachers are poorly paid and some are volunteering though they work very hard. If you are interested in helping please see “The Children” and “Sponsorship Information” where you can also see some of our other needs.