Brighten Up Uganda is a fundraising initiative raising money for Bright Academy Nakaswa, a small village secondary school in central Uganda.  Our three main goals are:

    • The renovation of the two main buildings, the dormitory/hall and the classroom block.  There are leaky roofs, glassless windows, unfinished floors, shaky walls and more, which make for an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous working environment.
    • To install electricity, an opportunity that has just arisen this year because of other locals bringing in power lines.  With power and light, the boarding section in particular will be able to study comfortably during evening preps and be more secure.
    • To provide funding to cover the inevitable shortfall between the school's modest income and its running costs.  The incomparable dedication of the staff and students is truly admirable, and they deserve to have at least what they are owed.
My Story
I first came to East Africa with Africa Venture (AV) as a gap year volunteer in 2002.  By the time I was finished teaching in Kitale, Kenya I knew I had made a lifelong connection with the area, and I swore that when I returned one day, I would continue to help and get involved in local communities elsewhere in the region.
So seven years later, in 2009, I found myself at the wedding of my best friends (also AVs!) in the Masai Mara National Reserve, and then took up a short construction project at Bright Academy Nakaswa, Uganda.  I fell in love with the place, and the rest is history.  We - the lone international volunteer with a team of local workers - built a new, hygienic latrine & bathing block.  In 2010 I went back and helped put on a speech day celebration and pay almost a term's worth of salaries to the staff, who had been dutifully working, knowing there wasn't enough in the pot for them.  All of this I could not have done without huge generosity from family and friends who made donations.
The Future
But I realised it just wasn't enough, and the school is not yet self-sustaining.  So Brighten Up Uganda was born.  If we can achieve these goals, students and teachers will be attracted to the school, which will enable it to grow, develop and stand on its own.  To find out more about Bright Academy Nakaswa, please go to http://brightacademy.wordpress.com
So please help to Brighten Up Uganda by donating here through the AV Foundation, who channel the funds right back to the project without any overhead costs, so you can be sure that all money raised will go straight to the work in Uganda.  If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the Gift Aid eligibility box, so your buck can stretch even further.
Thank you so much!  Weebale nnyo!