Projects for 2013-14

Last Updated: August 2013

Sponsor A Student

The Primary objective is to provide students with the basics they need to learn. One Cause has committed to 80 students providing them with:

• Tuition subsidy
• Medical allowance
• A meal a day
• Uniform
• Basic stationery
• School ID
• Contribution towards teacher salaries

Materials for Tailoring, Bricklaying and Carpentry

As part of the ongoing vocational training provided to the students, One Cause has committed to providing materials such as thread, needles, buttons, zips, garments, timber, nails, glue, cement, sand, bricks, wires etc. This enables the students to practice what they learn from text books and make quality products.

Tools for Tailoring, Bricklaying and Carpentry

In order for the students to produce quality products, One Cause will supply Seam rippers, tracing wheel, scissors for the Tailoring class; saws, claw bars, hand drills, overcoats, safety goggles, gloves, smoothing planes for the carpentry class and rough casting machines, building squares, block axes for the bricklaying class. The big items that will be purchased this year will be industrial sewing machines that will be able to do more advanced stuff and produce quality finished products. We are currently talking to a big employer (currently employing c 300 staff) to see if we can produce their staff uniforms for this year.

Agricultural Sustenance

This project has been very successful as the students all get involved in helping on the land. One Cause will sponsor all the seeds for the basic food that was grown there. This was will drastically reduce the food bill for the year and we will able to feed the students and teachers with a healthy meal. With the land recently re-fertilized, we are expecting a good harvest this year. We have employed an agricultural expert to help teach the students as well. Most students have small pieces of family owned land and they will learn to maximize the yields and produce better crops.

Events

One Cause Sponsored

• 

  The graduating students

  Annual Parents Day and Sports Day – This will be a combined event with the Parents Day taking place during the morning where parents will be introduced to the work that the students do, giving parents a chance to ask questions on how their child is performing and also having a go at some of the tools and equipment that the students use on a daily basis. The afternoon will be taken over by a mini sports day where the students compete with each other on events such as 100 meter run, football, three-legged race, sack race and Rounders. The parents and teachers will also take part giving them all a chance to show their competitive edge and create a bond with the school.

• Graduation Day – This is the school’s trade mark event and One Cause will continue to sponsor this. The event brings together about 400 people which include the grandaunts, their parents, MPs, village heads, past students who share their success stories and the One Cause team with their volunteers. The day involves dances and events (including martial arts, musical instruments) performed by the students who are all wearing graduation gowns and caps, display of some of the things that the students have made during the year, speeches by VIPs, a DJ and of course the handing out of certificates to all the students who have graduated.

Teacher Training

In order to keep the teachers up to date with the latest teaching methodologies, One Cause will continue to invest in all the teachers by sending them on Management training courses in order to provide the teachers with the keys skills to bring about the best in the students.

Student Starter Packs

The aim of this is to provide the top 3 students in each vocational training course a pack containing all the basic things they would need to continue after they leave school. The tailoring pack will consist of a sewing machine, threads, needles, buttons, zips an some garment; the bricklaying pack will consist of water level, spirit level, hammers, plumbing bobs, building squares and some bricks and the carpentry pack will consist of hammers, nails, saws, glue, varnish, tape measure, smoothing plane and some timber. This has been received really well by the past students and gives a purpose for the students to work hard during the year and try being the best.

Income generating sustainable projects

This year, we have looked at various ways of making the school self-sufficient and are keen to introduce some income generating projects that will make the school less reliant on donor money in the future. Although early days, we are in the midst of carrying out a feasibility study on some of the projects that the team feel will achieve the longer term vision of the school. Watch this space and we will update you!

Solar panels

With the new solar panels all installed, we are looking at more efficient ways to maximize the use of the mini solar grid that has been installed. We already have 10 laptops and have paid for internet connection. Our team in Uganda is looking in to solar tools that can be used as well as solar ideas that can be used on the land. Watch this space!!!

Computer learning

Before we engage a full time computer teacher, we are using the knowledge of our German volunteer, who is at the school for a year (sponsored by the European Voluntary Scheme). Our volunteer, Phillipe, is an IT graduate and has been working hard trying to stream line a lot of the admin for the teachers. He is spending a few hours a week teaching the basic computer skills to the teachers and the students. We are planning to introduce a ‘Skype a student’ scheme where our volunteers from around the world will be able to talk to the teachers and students. Watch this space!!!