We are pleased to share these updates and stories directly from our ROA partners! Kenneth wears many hats at ROA, but one of his biggest jobs is helping us coordinate the sponsorship program and sharing term updates. We are so grateful for Kenneth and happy to pass along all of the exciting things happening at ROA!
On the second day of term 1 2025, the school staff was surprised when student Steven presented a cake to the Head Teacher, Madam Betty Wasswa. Though it may seem small, it brings unimaginable hope and happiness knowing that he treasures every opportunity he gets to be in school.
Little did Teacher Betty know that someone else was also on their way! Billgates, who just completed the secondary program, came with a cock (rooster) to further appreciate his teacher for the support given through his education. He has been under Rock of Ages care since Baby class. Thank you to everyone who has made this achievable. One step at a time! I believe Billgates will make a difference in his home area.
When you read the name, you may wonder, "how it is the greatest meal?".It’s very rare to find a school that can feed its students fresh fish and rice.
Special thanks to Alyson Wells with the Fly Fishing Collaborative, our dear friend Jerry Keely, and the entire team that enabled the construction of the aquaculture farm. From it we managed to feed the children with rice and fish upon their return for the first term of 2025.
The tales and stories of having fish at school are awesome! There are no great words to express the gratitude for making such a reality.
On Sunday, 9th March there was a nationwide marathon organized to raise sickle cell awareness in the country. ROA gladly participated in support of two learners who are suffering from sickle cell, Angel in P4 and Joram in P6. We went to the community to show that we stand with the sickle cell fraternity. Donned in red vests, these children went to the surrounding community, which many are from, to show that they are in support of the cause. Thanks to Tr. Betty and Abdu Wasswa who brought the vests.
On Thursday 6th March there was a meeting with all probation students in the secondary program and with their parents to discuss their way forward. Among those that were summoned are those who were non-compliant with the terms and conditions of the secondary scholarship such as not turning in their report cards or letters to sponsors reporting on their term We encouraged students and reminded parents to communicate with their children to perform harder and follow the standards set forth by the program to get off the probation list.
Tr. Betty was clear as we were addressing the issues at hand. To which they all accepted to take and do their part.
Also during the routine visits to check on the students who have reported to school, I (Kenneth) went to Lords Meade Vocational college and met with the students that are under the program and we discussed how best to improve their performance and the challenges that lead to such dismal performances in term 3 of 2024 as most of the students are on probation from this school.
After the various exploits in the Netball World in Uganda, Rock of Ages is becoming more famous and as a result, we have received various invites to participate in tournaments. Although we don’t honor most of them due to financial constraints, when we do, we always go and deliver our best! We are currently ranked 3 out of 15 teams in the U14 league this year.
Upon acquiring funds, we wish to participate in more sports challenges in support of our young athletes.
Every Thursday all Staff of Rock of Ages (teaching and non-teaching) meet and pray for the children and their families, Hands4Uganda, and the sponsors.
All share their goals and targets, challenges and victories. Dedicate their future endeavors and everything to the Lord.
Some Sponsored children get extra food every month to supplement their foodstuffs at home. This food is so important because it cuts down on the family expenses. This month, they received various portions for the families.
This year there’s a drop in the enrollment of continuing and new students and this has been attributed to the standard Gauge Railway. Though it has not yet been implemented on the school property, rumors circulated that ROA school was no more. It took convincing of various parents to let them know that we are still at the old premises and nothing much has been done to remove the school yet.
This is a program solely for the children in the boarding section. A program was started whereby they are taught making snacks like chapattis, cakes, buns, pancakes and even pizzas to some extent. Here we are skilling them and learning how to make their Sunday morning breakfast snack
Though it’s very early in the year, a lot is expected throughout the year and we are eagerly waiting to see how the Lord does get us through it.
Thank you for the enormous sacrifices you have all made to make the lives of these young ones worthy. We all press on and know that the best may not be reaped tomorrow but with the simple impacts, change will prevail in due course.
Thank you all and may the good Lord bless you.
First we would like to take a moment to recognize our long time Board Member, Mackenzie Gotham, as she steps away from her Director role with H4U to pursue other life passions. Mackenzie has been a part of the Hands4Uganda leadership since 2016. She has taken various trips to ROA through the years, most recently visiting in 2022. Mackenzie has a big heart for these students and we are so grateful for the time and talents she has dedicated to this team and organization! Thank you Mackenzie- you will be missed!
Throughout the year all grades participate in school gardening and farming projects that coincide with a particular academic focus for their level. Students helped tend to the on-site chickens, dairy cows, and the newly completed fish farm. They also aided in planting, tending to, and harvesting various on-site fruits and vegetables. At the end of each term (or season) the school as a whole would celebrate their hard work and dedication with special meals and snacks prepared with their harvest!
The ROA sports program gained recognition following their National Championship Netball win this summer! In December they received an invitation to a national tournament hosted by Africa’s Talent Project in Kampala and were able to participate! This event provided invaluable exposure for the ROA children! We look forward to further developing the ROA sports teams talents in the new year!
This year brought significant developments for the ROA campus:
As mentioned in our Christmas card the current ROA property is being taken, by imminent domain, for the Eastern Standard Gauge Railway. They will not be taking the entire school property, only the area where the new school currently stands. This means ROA has no other choice but to move to a new location. We do not have many details at this time, but have been notified that the estimated value of the land and any improvements will be reimbursed. Once that estimate is paid out to our ROA partners, we will have 2 years to rebuild and relocate. With this said, our ROA team has already begun the hunt for a new parcel of land to rebuild a new school building for the 350+ students ROA currently serves. While very difficult to process, as we have just completed the current building in 2020, we are choosing to look at this as an opportunity to improve the learning environment for our beloved students even further. The next school building will not only boast a full kitchen, but we pray that it will also provide space for a small, combined library and computer lab. We ask for your prayers and if possible, your financial help to make this new project a reality!
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
We are excited to announce a small team will be heading to Uganda in support of Rock of Ages for the first time since 2019! We would love for you to take this opportunity to send your sponsored child some words of encouragement.
The team will be able to take one #10 business size envelope (4.125 in. x 9.5 in.) per student. If you would like to send a letter to your child feel free to include any items that will fit within this size envelope including letters, pictures, stickers, etc.
All letters must be received by July 7.
Please send to:
Ariane Shaver
Box 194
2608 N Main St. B
Belton, TX 76513
In addition, the team will be taking books for the ROA library. A list of books can be found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1JEJFIDRMDM4T?ref_=wl_share . We will be happy to include a “Donated by” or “In Honor of” or etc. note on the first page of any donated book. Please indicate your request at Amazon checkout under “Review items and shipping” where you can choose “Add gift options” and create a note with the message you would like to have included.
Thank you again for all of your support,
The Hands4Uganda Team
I greet you in the name of our lord Jesus Christ and hope this finds you well as we continue serving and fulfilling the Lord's work. Allow me to pass my sincere gratitude as I appreciate the support and sponsorship that you have given to Hands4Uganda for Rock of Ages School.
May the Lord richly bless you. Webale Nnyo and Mukama akuwe O’mukisa
At the beginning of this year i.e. January 10th 2022, the government officially opened schools. It was joyful and exciting but the road wasn’t smooth. With your prayers and support, we have pushed and came to the end of the first Trimester.
Among the various things that have transpired in this term, below are the challenges and how we have managed to cover and work around them with a way forward.
First and foremost, there was a loss of interest in education. Depending on most of the learners' settings, the community where they live, one could say it takes courage for a child to stay home and not indulge in peer pressure. The prolonged stay out of school led to formation of many groups which didn’t have a good influence on young children and some lost the love for being in school and didn’t want to return.
This also came about when learners outgrew their classes after two years of staying home. Some students felt they were too big for some classes considering their body sizes and had to be convinced and counseled to be in those respective grade levels.
There is also a challenge of increased prices in the market for most of the scholastic and food items that are key to the feeding of the learners at the school. There is fluctuation of food prices which has also been a challenge to the school as we try to sustain on the amount of funding that has until this point been enough for support.
During the Covid -19 lockdown period, most of the parents lost their jobs and resorted to personal small businesses (i.e. selling vegetables or second hand goods). This made most of them move to places that are cheap in terms of renting, yet they want their children to still attend Rock of Ages.
The quickest and cheapest means of transport is boda-boda which in turn is the most dangerous and not recommended for ferrying school children. In that way we greatly fear we may lose many learners. We have realized there is a great need for a school bus to help maintain the children who turn out to be coming from farther than walking distance.
As a school we have mobilized and started career guidance and counseling sessions that help motivate and inspire learners to actively stay in schools. We have a program that is family based with the purpose of mentoring learners with the parent's love and participation in education.
We are adjusting and empowering our learners to a holistic education whereby we are skilling all the learners for a better and complete education to run concurrently with the national curriculum and among these are:
We are integrating our learners in income generating activities that will help in ensuring that they have skills to support their families and among these are:
While we have a long way to go, we have come so far. Once again we do appreciate all our dear Sponsors for the support.
May the almighty bless you,
Betty Wasswa
2020 was a year like no other! For Hands4Uganda (H4U), this meant major leadership changes and a critical review of our functional organization. At the end of 2020 the Board of Directors and volunteers met for three days to evaluate H4U operations and our strategic plan. Our goal was to ensure best practices and the long-term sustainability of Rock of Ages Community School (ROA) despite uncertainties such as the COVID-19 pandemic. I am pleased to share with you the next few stories listed in this blog and featured in our July newsletter - each article a story, a prayer answered, and a testament to how our God always provides.
Sponsorship is the lifeblood of H4U. It is through this funding - your continued monetary support of these students - that we are able to do what we do. We greatly feared a decline in sponsorship as the pandemic created financial uncertainty for so many. While we continue to strive for 100% sponsorship of the students at ROA, I am pleased to share that we not only maintained but grew our sponsor support over the past year.
Many have asked where their sponsorship funding has been going throughout the COVID-19 pandemic while the students have not been attending school. Through your continued contributions we have been able to ensure ongoing salaries for all faculty and staff. Medical visits by students and staff to the nearby Health Clinic have increased by about 50% since the beginning of the pandemic, many reporting COVID-like symptoms and seeking a COVID test. Healthcare for all students, faculty, and staff are covered through sponsorship dollars. In addition, food has been periodically delivered to all students and families with the aid of local officials ensuring COVID-19 protocols are followed. Thank you for making these things possible!
Finishing touches at the new school facility were completed so that when students are able to return all areas of the building are fully functional. Additionally, a two-story chicken coop, hosting 300 egg laying hens, was built in order to supplement the student food program. This coop will be tended by the 6th grade class as they explore agriculture and animal studies throughout their education.
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We were able to bring the Primary 7 students on campus in October of 2020, provide them with all the necessary school and living materials needed to create an environment in which they were able to safely continue through their last year of primary education. These students lived at the new ROA site until March when they took their final national exams. We are so pleased to share another Primary 7 class has passed the PLE and all students are eligible to join Secondary School in the coming year. We are incredibly proud of the dedication and bravery it took on the part of both the students and staff to get these graduates where they are today!
With the secondary COVID lockdown beginning in June, due to increased transmissions of COVID-19, students have been forced to once again stay home. We continue to work with our Ugandan team to do what we can for the students and their families during this difficult time and to push forward towards a hopeful reopening in January, accorinding to the most recent government press release.
The last thing I want to share with you is a change in the way we reserve funding for continued support of ROA and overhead costs of H4U. With our sights set on how to provide continuous and stable financial support to ROA, despite the ever-changing times, we have initiated a 20% reserve of each donation. This percentage is then broken down to 10% saved directly into a fund entirely for ROA and the remaining 10% is used for the overhead costs of H4U. While we are a volunteer-based organization, the 10% overhead holdback helps us with day to day operations, such as software, mailings, and wire transfer fees, along with other services necessary to maintain the organization.
It is my hope and prayer that you can truly see the difference you have made in the lives of the students, teachers, and faculty at ROA - especially throughout this past year. Thank you for your continued dedication to them and allowing us the opportunity to serve in the best way possible.
Ariane Shaver
Board Chair
