Shakira (on right) lives with her four siblings in a grass thatched hut that her mother rents.

Shakira’s mother earns a living by farming on rented land, growing crops that she can sell to try and support her children.

The Nyakyanika School is the only school that Shakira can reach by foot from home, in her rural community in the Masindi District of Uganda. She makes the journey with her siblings each day.

Unfortunately, the community has been forced to build temporary classroom structures made of mud and grass for children like Shakira to learn in, because – UNTIL NOW – they didn’t have the resources to build permanent classrooms.

These temporary structures were crowded, unsafe, and didn’t protect against wind and rain – which left no choice but to cancel classes during the rainy season.

Also, teacher shortages and lack of standard classroom equipment left older students, girls especially, with a less-than-quality education and very vulnerable to dropping out.

With your gift, you are giving children like Shakira the chance to attend school in safe, new, well-equipped classrooms, with trained teachers. Shakira and hundreds of other students like her will receive a quality education and a healthy meal, so they can chase their dreams!

THANK YOU.