Sometimes we all need to get a little perspective, to take a few moments away from the pressures of our own busy lives and remember how important it is to contribute to others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves.

The Clarify Foundation gives our team at Clarify an opportunity to make a contribution beyond the world of business – it is our way of raising money for a good cause, having fun together, and giving something back that delivers a real and lasting impact on the lives of other people. We focus our efforts on volunteering time to support local projects here in the community in which we work, and to raising money to support an international development programme in Uganda.

In today’s world breaking the cycle of poverty isn’t easy, but it is possible. We believe the answer lies for the most part through education. We’ve all heard it, and many of us have said it: You need an education to get on in life. The fact is those with an education by and large do have more choice, earn more money and often avoid the difficulties associated with poverty. Every educated person may not be rich, but almost every educated person has a better chance at getting a job and a way out of poverty. Governments do not have all the solutions and the best solutions do not always come from the top down. Instead, they are sometimes small and when we can all be involved.

In 2011 we entered into a commitment to fund a series of annual building projects to renovate dangerously uninhabitable teacher’s accommodation in 10 rural schools in the Mityana district of Uganda. These buildings are currently inhabited by teachers who are posted with their young children, often far from their families and homes. They live in very difficult conditions, sometimes unable to even get into the schools to teach young children many of whom may have walked for up to 2 hours, on an empty tummy, to reach the school.

By working with local communities our projects can help them improve teacher’s security and quality of life which directly impacts the education and nourishment they can offer to young children. By housing teachers in the school grounds the security of the school improves, teachers have the energy to educate the children and to develop market gardens to teach the children how to grow food and raise animals. These gardens in turn produce maize to feed the children with what may be their only meal of the day.

Clarify Foundation works in partnership with Mityana Projects Trust and it is a privilege to be able to work in closely with the local communities within these schools.