To our dear Sponsors, Donors, and Supporters, 

Greetings to you in the name of Christ! We hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the holiday season. 2021 brought many challenges, triumphs, and immense hope to Hands4Uganda (H4U) and Rock of Ages School (ROA)! 

By March of this year, many classes resumed but a sudden spike in COVID caused all schools to close once again and unfortunately they have not yet resumed. To support students during this time, food distributions were organized, and school materials were prepared for individual delivery to the students. Each month, teachers traveled to their pupils’ homes, providing a packet of homework to be completed over the next month. The teachers spent time with each student, explaining material, answering questions, and ensuring basic school supplies were available. This was a massive undertaking by the ROA staff and we are so thankful for their faithful commitment to our students! 

Despite students not being in school, progress continued to be made at the new ROA campus. All finishing touches to the Primary Building were completed and plans for our next project, the Multipurpose Building were drawn. Items like an industrial printer were purchased and an expansion of the school agricultural program which will reduce food costs and increase nutritional intake for student lunches were made. 

We announced our partnership with the Fly Fishing Collaborative who will help set-up an aquaponics farm on the school site in 2022! This project will generate additional income for ROA and will provide educational opportunities for students as they learn about lifecycles and sustainable agriculture. 

We are also thrilled to share that a very generous donor has worked to design a solar power system that will provide ROA with consistent power in 2022 and eventually access to technology in the classroom! This is a major advancement for ROA and we are so appreciative of this donor's dedication and love for the children. 

To date all teachers and staff have been vaccinated and while we have had no losses within the student body, faculty or staff due to COVID, this year's medical bills nearly quadrupled from previous years. Your continued donations during this time ensured that any student, teacher, or staff member needing medical attention was able to receive it free of charge. Thank you for making this possible! 

Lastly, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge former H4U board members. Randy Fowler and Gabe Flicker were part of H4U since the beginning of the organization. As passionate, kind, and educated men of Christ they acted as fearless leaders of the organization for nearly a decade. Finally, it is with great sadness we share that former board chair, Karla Reynolds, passed away this fall. After a long battle with cancer, she now rests peacefully in the loving arms of our Father. Karla was a key player in the development of H4U and worked relentlessly for the betterment of the children. We are forever thankful for Gabe, Randy and Karla and are honored to continue in their good works. 

We look forward to welcoming all students back to ROA in January. We ask for your continued prayers and support as we provide each child with a wholesome education and the means to a better life. 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year! 

Hands4Uganda BOD and Volunteers

In September the Ugandan President announced that students would not be returning to school until January of 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the US, Google Classroom has provided a platform for virtual communications between teachers and students, allowing for continued learning despite "in-person" limitations. However, in Mbiko Uganda where electricity is unreliable (and often absent in most student homes) online/virtual learning is not an option.

With growing concern for student learning, Rock of Ages Community School faculty and staff devised a plan that would allow for more academic engagement throughout the last trimester of this school year despite limitation on in "in-person" classes.

In September ROA teachers put together progressive learning packets for every single ROA student. These paper packets contained 500 questions and activities and were meant to be completed over a one month timeframe. All ROA teachers then hand delivered these packets to each students home by foot or boda-boda (motorcycle taxi), taking the time needed to explain the homework packets and how the student is expected to pace themselves. Teachers are available to answer questions throughout the month and via phone. Teachers then return to each students home at the end of the month in order to review the packet and provide students with new material.

While these packets could never replace "in-person" learning they have been a success! Students have been brushing up on their academic skills, working towards a smoother transition once schools are able to resume in January!

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. 

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

We are so excited to be partnering with the Fly Fishing Collaborative (FFC) to bring an aquaponics farm to ROA!

Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (soil-less agriculture). This project, which we lovingly call the “Fish Farm” will not only provide a major learning opportunity for students, but will lay the groundwork for additional sustainability for ROA.

The fish and vegetables produced from this aquaponics system will be used to support students and families of ROA as well as sold in local markets to generate additional income for ROA. All supplies for this project will be purchased in Uganda. FFC volunteers will be traveling to Mbiko to help ROA oversee the build, which is tentatively planned for spring 2022! This Fish Farm is a major opportunity for ROA and we are thrilled to see this project come to fruition! 

The photo above was taken of the Wasswa family during a tour of a nearby aquaponics operation!

If you would like to donate towards the ROA Fish Farm, you can do so below.

For more information on the FFC and aquaponics check out their website. 

We are so excited to announce the newest addition to the Rock of Ages Community School campus!

The Multipurpose Building is comprised of 3 floors. The first will host the campus kitchen as well as a dining area that may also be used for school events/functions.

The second floor will host all nursery students (children in Pre-K 3 through 5). Previously, nursery classrooms were all located in the main school building. However, with COVID social distancing requirements all classrooms within this building will be required for students in Primary 1 through Primary 7. While all new COVID regulations for Ugandan schools have not yet been released it is our hope that by relocating our youngest students to this new area, Primary students will have the space they need to get back on track with their learning following this turbulent year.

The third and final floor of the Multipurpose Building will be a convertible space, depending on the needs of the school. Currently we anticipate the third floor will act as a dormitory space for the older students as we move forward into unknown territory following the COVID school closures and re-openings. Once dormitories are no longer needed the third floor can be easily converted into office/workspace for administrators and teachers as well as an official library space for all students to enjoy!

The permits for this build have been secured and the estimations for the first floor are complete. We anticipate the completion of the foundation and first floor (aside from plumbing and painting needs) will cost an estimated $118,000. If you would like to donate towards the building of the multipurpose building please follow this link.

Hi members,

Our Primary five and six students had a small garden at school before the second lockdown (effective June 7). They had planted kale, onions and tomatoes using old sacks and buckets unfortunately schools were closed before the harvest.

We contacted the students to come and pick them up and take to their families to supplement their home meals.

As a school we have been encouraging students to have small back yard gardens at home so they may help their parents to save some money from buying vegetables, greens and fruits.

We are so grateful to all the donors/sponsors for their support. Thank you.

Betty Wasswa
Founder and Director
Rock of Ages Community School

For more photos check out our Facebook page and don't forget to give us a "follow" for more updates and photos!

Hello Members,

Merry  Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thank you for sticking with us all this time. A lot has happened since the year began, good and bad, but still we appreciate all your resources invested in H4U. Especially your time. Thanks to all for organizing the Angel Tree Drive; it was amazing and made a difference!

This year our gratitude has gone ever deeper. Especially during Covid -19 when we had no hope, but with your generosity you made ROA a better place in Mbiko. Because of you, we managed to pay all the school expenses and tuition for High School students and others who have returned to campus. Thank God for all the provisions!

All schools had a break for Christmas and New Year Holidays on December 18 and are resuming January 18, 2021 after our presidential elections on January 14th. Please pray for a peaceful election- a lot is happening.
Once again I truly appreciate all your support during 2020 and can't wait for what God has in store for us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021!

Betty Wasswa
Founder and Director
Rock of Ages Community Scool

As of October 16 all Primary 7 and Senior 4 student have returned to school under the Ugandan governments guidance and recommendations. We are still waiting more information concerning the Senior 4 students but do know that all who were enrolled prior to school closures due to COVID-19 have reported in order to return to their studies.

ROA teachers and staff have spent a considerable amount of time preparing the school for re-opening in accordance with the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These included guidelines surrounding social distancing and the availability of handing washing facilities as well as other precautions. Prior to reopening  ROA received a compliance certificate from the health and education officials.

Typically, students in the 7^th grade spend the entire year preparing for the Primary Leaving Exam (PLE). This is a high stakes test with the outcome determining which secondary programs the students might be able to apply to. As school has been out since March preparation time for the PLE has been significantly decreased. Therefore ROA will operate as a boarding school for these students allowing for extra study time. Boarding the Primary 7 students will also help prevent the spread of coronavirus as students will remain at school full-time. Visitors, including parents, will not be allowed per the government mandate.

Preparing to board the 7^th graders presented many challenges. In addition to ensuring more hand-washing facilities, masks, sanitizer, and thermometers for daily use, providing enough beds for the 30 students and the additional staff who must act as caretakers was quite a change. ROA has now converted 5 of 14 classrooms into dormitories for the P7 students and thanks to your support has been able to provide beds for each student.

Boarding for the P7 students will continue through March 2021 when they will sit for their PLE. We ask for your continued prayers for the health and safety of the ROA staff and students and for all the sponsors and donors who, like yourself, have made the distribution of food and the availability of medical support possible for all the students of ROA during this difficult time. And finally, we ask for your prayers for the P7 and S4 students who have returned to school for the first time since March, who are under extreme pressure to study for their exams and who will be away from family (perhaps for the first time for some of the P7 students) as they are boarded at ROA and their respective schools.

Some may remember posts from earlier in the year concerning finishing touches on the new Rock of Ages Community School.

Our focus was on completing the exterior of the school. When COVID-19 hit this project was put on hold as the country underwent lockdown.

We are pleased to announce that with the partial lifting of the COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda, work on the building has resumed! In order to prepare the outermost layer of the exterior, all of the walls had to be sanded. Once this was complete a primer (pictured here) was used to cover the walls. Next up is the exterior paint and we cannot wait to share the results!

Christmas in...September? Why not?!

This month students receiving supplemental food took home a full chicken! Chicken (meat in general) is rather expensive for most ROA families. Usually reserved for special holidays such as Christmas or Easter, it is a special meal.

Uganda remains in pretty restrictive lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To boost moral, ROA faculty decided that providing chicken with this months supplemental food would be a an exciting treat!

Thank you for making this possible for these students and their families! If you sponsor a child and would like to learn more about providing them and their families with supplemental food reach out to our sponsorship coordinator, Tamera here: tamera@hands4uganda.org