We are asking for your help as we work to grow! Because of you we now sponsor 230 kids and there are at least 147 more who need sponsorship. Our school is growing, our kids are graduating and doing well.
Today we are asking you to help us reach more contacts and tell them about the great things we’ve done. We have a private donor who will give us a $1 for every newsletter sign-up or social media share or tag we make happen on GivingTuesdayNow. $1 may not seem like much, but in Uganda $1 will buy enough corn to feed 5-6 children, enough pencils or pens for a student for a school year, enough chalk for a teacher for a school term, or even a nice pencil sharpener for a classroom.
Here are two ways you can help us today - at no cost to you:
Following the first confirmed positive case, the president put the country on complete shutdown including all public transit. As a result, the entire country - including our students, staff, and their families - are scrambling to adjust.
We launched a campaign to raise funds for food and our donor base generously responded. We will be able to provide eggs and milk to the families of students for the next four weeks and are working on additional plans to help.
Pictured above: Rock of Ages students promote hand washing during the COVID-19 crisis.
For those of you have followed along through our social media sites (Facebook and Instagram), thank you! We were so excited to be able to share real time updates about their trip and the progress they were able to make at the new school facility.
Over the next few posts, here on the H4U blog, we will be sharing specific stories that warrant a little more space for words and pictures!
Last week the H4U Mens Team visited a nearby Secondary School called St. Noah. Many ROA graduates who continue to be supported through our secondary program attend St. Noah, including Rose, a student sponsored by Board Member Gabe Flicker.
Below is an email he shared with us recounting his experience .
"The coolest God thing happened yesterday. We wanted to visit some high schools but due to a national holiday, Martyr’s Day, most were closed. But St. Noah, near ROA, was open. This is where many of the ROA students attend following graduation. My child, Rose, is a student there.
The head teacher gave us a super tour. He said ROA kids excel at self discipline and basic knowledge. He said that most find it difficult the first year, as most students do, because this is a boarding school and they are new. It takes a little while to navigate a new school, especially a boarding school.
Also this is a full tuition school and most of the other students come from families with some means. ROA kids come from much tougher situations, often with little to no support from home. However, the head teacher told me that based on how well ROA students perform, they have “climbed farther” than most because they started with such a lower level of family support.
ROA is well respected here. The graduates are prepared for higher learning and we were shown that today. "
Blessings,
Gabe
While supporting students through their primary education has always been at the core of H4U's mission, as we continue to grow, we will be placing more focus on expanding our secondary program which includes academic and trade school options for ROA graduates. Without the continued support of sponsors and donors our students will most likely never have an opportunity to attend secondary school. Most secondary programs are boarding schools and can cost between $800 and $1,000 per year.
In order to stay true to our mission as an organization - to make a positive difference in the lives of the children and youth of Uganda by assisting them in achieving their highest potential through a faith-based education - we must help all ROA graduates continue in their education through secondary school. We truly believe that ensuring all ROA graduates are able to complete their education is vital to them achieving their highest potential. We look forward to seeing where these studious and driven students head as they move into their future!
We ask if you are able, that may you consider sponsoring a secondary student, even if it is not for the full amount, or making a one time donation. For more information on our secondary program follow this link.
