It's easy to take education for granted - for so many of us, the right to go to school seems like a basic need. But for many children in Uganda, making it to secondary school is a privilege. Through KAASO's Kiwi Sponsorships programme, you can sponsor a child through their secondary & vocational education, enabling them to continue their studies beyond primary school. We welcome sponsors from around the world to get behind KAASO's students finishing their final year of primary school, giving them the chance to further their studies and graduate as independent, self-reliant professionals.
It was July 2009 and Emma Outteridge had been volunteering at KAASO for two months when one of the top pupils from the Primary Seven class came to her with a letter explaining that his father had died and his mother would be unable to afford to send him to secondary school the following year. Without help, his education would soon be ending. With a hopeful smile and a shaking hand, he delivered a letter asking Emma to sponsor him. His name was Henry.
Henry at KAASO in 2009
A government school in Uganda
EDUCATION IN UGANDA
In Uganda there is 'Universal Primary & Secondary Education' which means that, in theory, education is free for all children. The reality however, is not so simple and most government schools face real challenges, resulting in high drop out rates. KAASO is a primary school that runs an incredible system whereby children who cannot afford to pay school fees are covered by the school and still given the right to a first-class education. However, there are no nearby secondary schools that operate in this way, so children finishing KAASO who have no parents to pay school fees either attend the very basic government secondary schools or drop out. Dreams of future careers and the financial stability they represent quickly dissolve.
HENRY WASN'T THE ONLY ONE NEEDING HELP
As the 2009 school year came to a close in November, Emma looked around the classroom of 49 students finishing their last year of primary school, and her heart broke at the realisation that many of them would be ending their education here as their parents or guardians could not afford secondary school fees. She agreed to sponsor Henry and spoke to Rose to see if there were more students like Henry needing assistance. Rose came back with a list of 18 names.
Emma with some of the students from the Kiwi Sponsorships at KAASO in 2013
THE KIWI SPONSORSHIPS WAS BORN
With Rose's list in hand, Emma contacted everyone she knew and by the beginning of 2010, there were seven sponsored students attending secondary school. Leaving Uganda, Emma continued to talk about the children of KAASO to friends around the world and support grew. Each year she would return to visit the current sponsor students and match new sponsors with children finishing primary school.
HE KIWI SPONSORSHIPS TODAY
Today, the Kiwi Sponsorships has supported over 70 students. As of late 2020, 22 students have graduated from the programme and 51 are actively studying. The Kiwi Sponsorships graduates are now out in the workforce, using their qualifications to start earning money to support themselves - and their families
Emma with some of the students from the Kiwi Sponsorships at KAASO in 2013
WHY IS IT CALLED THE KIWI SPONSORSHIPS?
Emma originally volunteered at KAASO with two fellow New Zealanders, Cherie Broome and Kirsty Pelenur, and the girls were known throughout the school and community as the 'Kiwi Girls'. The new dormitory they fundraised for was named Kiwi House, so it was only a matter of time before this new sponsorship programme was named the 'Kiwi Sponsorships'. While most of the sponsors were from New Zealand in the early days, today we have sponsors from all over the world, from Bermuda to Australia, from Canada to Greece.