Mugalula Community School in Gayaza, Uganda is a very special place where primary education is provided for free to over 200 hundred children in the local community who have very little. Teacher Lillian is an inspirational woman who established her school in 2007 by making and selling soaps and washing up liquids. In addition to providing free education, teacher Lillian also personally looks after 40 of the children between the ages of 5 and 14 who do not have families to go home to at the end of the day. She provides them with food, water and clothing and they all stay with her on the school premises.

While spending time at the school I helped with some teaching of the younger children as well as observing the older classes who are coming up to sitting their national exams. For the older age groups school would start at 6am and finish at 8pm as national exams are extremely competitive and impact their chances on securing a place in secondary school. In the evenings I spent all my time with the younger children that Lillian looked after, singing lots of songs and colouring in the few activity books I was able to bring with me.

My aim is to raise some money to help Teacher Lillian and her staff finish building a classroom that is already underway, as well as helping them provide school supplies and food for the 200 children in the school. After observing many classes it became apparent that all the children in Mugalula Community are very clever and have lots of potential for the future and I wish to help with their school journey in any way that I can.

Mugalula Community School will always hold a very special place in my heart and I hope I will be able help the incredible staff keep providing the necessary free education to the children of their community.