Children Singing, Enjoying Lunch, and Posing for School Photos JUNE 2023
During a visit by Father Robert in June, Children and parents sang, enjoyed school lunch, and posed for photos. Click Join our Vision.
Playground Equipment and Sports Uniforms May 2023
New land acquired to house a playground and athletic field adds playground equipment provided by your donations. Enthusiastic team mates sport new uniforms. Thank you to all! Click Join our Vision.
Nursery Schoool Graduation DeC 2022
In Dececmber, Nursery 2 students (kindergarten) moved up to grade 1 at St. Charles Lwanga as we finished our first year. A proud moment for students, parents and teachers. Click Join our Vision.
GRAND OPENING JUNE-JULY 2022
June and July saw the official Grand Opening of the St. Charles Lwanga Primary and Nursery School with students performing and parents, faculty, teachers, and district officials in attendance. Congratulations to all! Click Join our Vision.
STUDENTS ARRIVE, TEACHERS HIRED, UNIFORMS PurCHASED, WE ARE OPEN! JaN-FEB 2022
We welcome our newest students, teachers and staff! The St. Charles Lwanga Primary and Nursery School officially opened January 10th, eighteen months after we started construction (Scroll down to see progress). In January and February the local team continued to purchase materials, food, uniforms, and finalize curriculum. Note the sharp light blue and brown uniforms with the St. Charles Lwanga logo. Click Join our Vision.
STOVE, SINKS, GATES, TREES, STUDENTS VISIT DECEMBER 2021
WE ARE OPENING!!! 70 students, Primary 1 and Nursery 2 (Kindergarten), are planning to begin January 10, 2022. Five teachers and supporting staff are being hired. The crew of SPACO, our construction engineers, with the guiding hand of ASA, our architects and our local AE team, worked day and night, finishing the kitchen stove and sinks, putting up fencing and gates, adding blackboards and a few trees to allow us to open the school to visits of students, parents, and guardians in December. Click Help us build our school
SOLAR, GLASS, And FINISHING FURNITURE OCT-NOV 2021
As we get closer to school opening October and November were spent installing solar, putting laminate glass in all of the windows, working on kitchen appliances, and filling up classrooms with finished furniture. We are excited to have a completion date of mid December. Click Help us build our school
BUILDIng Furniture, POLISHING FLOORS AUG-SEP 2021
August and September saw us building furniture, installing glass, polishing the floors, and starting our landscaping. Over 100 students are currently on the waiting list to enter. Click Help us build our school
Doors, Windows June-JULY 2021
The months of June and July see us add finishing touches as we think abo\ut desks, materials, curriculum, hiring teachers, final permits, and logistics. We are finishing floors, windows, electrical, and plumbing. Opening will be delayed a bit because Uganda is in lockdown, but we are looking to bring three classrooms of Primary 1 on site as soon as we are able. Click Help us build our school
TrUSSES, BEAMs, ROOF AND FLOORS! MARCH - May 2021
The months of March and April have been filled with adding trusses and beams. As we move into May, the roof is taking shape as well as the floors and windows. We are on schedule to finish by July and first students will enroll beginning August 9th. We are in awe of how this construction has kept proceeding, even during these trying times. It could not have happened without the support, dedication, and tenacity of our architects (ASA) and construction team (SPACO) and the generosity of all who have made this financially possible. Thank you all so much! Click Help Us Build Our School
Getting Ready for ROoF. Jan-Feb 2021
Shored up foundations and retaining walls, finished columns and beams, constructed stairways, added chimney to kitchen, and worked on to do list from architect. Materials for roof will arrive by early March. Click Help Us Build Our School
Brick Walls and Roof POSTS Finished. dec. 2020
The brick walls and roof posts for all of the buildings have been completed!. We eagerly await the start of the roof beams and roofing. Click Help Us Build Our School
POSTS for Roofing Structure Installed. Walls Starting! Nov. 2020
This has been a challenging year; yet our building continues. Congratulations to Robert, Peter, and the crew of SPACO, our construction engineers, and Francesco and ASA our architects, and all of our donors as we creatively work across international boarders to finish our school. In November we see the posts for our roof, and the walls of the classrooms begin to rise. The dream begins to take shape! Click: Help Us Build our School
Remaining Floors Being Completed. BRIcKS FOR WALLS ArrIVING. Sept-Oct 2020
The floors to the kitchen, administration building and lower classrooms are being completed. Bricks are arriving in preparation for the next step of walling the classrooms. After this important milestone, with your help, remaining construction can move quickly. Click: Help Us Build our School
UPPER CLASSROOM FLOORS BEING PREPARED. STONEWORK and VERANDA COMPLETE. jUly - sept 2020
The summer months have been labor intensive as the walls, stonework, and veranda were constructed. View them on the right. SPACO, our construction engineers, are laying down the hardcore layer of the classroom floors. Upper class rooms below. The reinforced cement goes on top of it. See progress below. Once this is completed the frame, walls, and roof will be constructed. But we now need your help more than ever. Please donate if you are able. You CAN make a difference. Click: Help Us Build our School
LOWER CLASSROOM Foundations Finished, Under GROUND Water Tank COMPLETE!
MAY-JunE 2020
Classroom and administration building foundations finished as well as the underground water tank to hold rain water. Stone masonry now being crafted. Click Help Us Build Our School!
UPPER CLASSROOMFoundations Finished, UnderGROUND Water Tank ALMOST COMPLETE!
March-APRIL 2020
The underground water tank, which will hold 700,000 liters of water from roof run off, is nearly complete. It is located in the central courtyard, between the upper and lower classrooms. Foundations for upper classroom, and administration building are finished. Lower classroom foundations will be completed soon. Click Help Us Build our School
Building Has StarteD! NoVEMBER 2019-February 2020
In November 2019, the building of the St. Charles Lwanga Nursery and Primary School began! Land was cleared and leveled, building foundations were laid out, and the construction crew started building the septic system, water towers and restrooms. Click Help Us Build Our School
FreSH Water WEll Hand dug on School Lot, July 2019
Crystal clear water is currently flowing out of the well built on the school lot. The well currently supporting a manual pump, was dug to 125 feet, lined with fired brick, and capped with a concrete platform. A solar powered electrical pump will be added later.
A young villager fills her Jerrycan with fresh water from the well at the St. Charles Luanga school lot.
Visit to Bucundura FEbruary- March 2019
Dr. Michael Hanrahan, Professor Emeritus at Keene State College, and Father Robert travelled to Bucundura February 26th through March 8 visiting the Bucundura AE team, the children, and discussing the future school plans with the builder and architect.
Visit to Bucundura December 2017
Linda and Dr. Peter Griesbach accompanied Father Robert to Bucundura December 4 through the 15th, Dr. Griesbach provided some much needed dental care while he was there.
KSC Honors Students Visit Bucundura May 2017
In the Spring of 2017, Professor Peter Temple and Dr. Ashley Greene, Assistant Professor of Genocide and Holocaust Studies, taught the Keene State College Honors Global Engagement class about Uganda. On May 18th Peter, adjunct professor, Nell Preedy, and eight honors students, as part of a cross cultural trip, traveled to Bucundura. They spent the day talking with the students in the program and visiting with their families.
They also had some fun with the kids: teaching them to make paper airplanes, teaching them songs; even rope walking! The whole group visited the plot for the school. They also visited the other plot we hope to acquire for the same purpose. A designated donation was used to purchase a luncheon which was cooked by parents and enjoyed by the KSC team, the children, families and friends. One of the students was so moved by the experience that he would like to return to spend a year there.
aNNUAL fALL bENEFIT dINNER October 2016:
Keene State College Students and Faculty VIsit BucunDURA January 2016:
Professors Peter Temple and Dr. Donna Paley and two of their students visited in January 2016 to assess the plot AE purchased to build the first part of the Primary school.
Click Here to view recent Thank You letter from three of our high school students: atuheire Patricia, atukwaTse Abel, & atWEBEMERE Christine
Fall Benefit Dinner- 10/1/2015
AfriCan Educate held a benefit dinner at the Knights of Columbus hall in Keene, NH. We are grateful to the 60 supporters who were able to attend. Many people were generous in donating to our ministry and all enjoyed a delicious dinner provided without cost by The Pub Restaurant in Keene and it’s head chef, Angel Cruz.
Fr. Robert Tumwekwase talked about the needs of the children in Bucundura, Uganda and his own experience growing up there. Many of the children are unable to attend school because of basic expenses which their families are unable afford. Through AfriCan Educate and the generosity of its’ donors, the needy children and orphans are supplied with uniforms, school supplies and soap etc. Tuition required by the government is also supplied for those who need it. We were inspired by Fr. Robert’s words.
Mike Hanrahan, the emcee for the evening, shared about our future goal of building a nursery and early primary grade school for children in the community. AfriCan Educate was able to purchase land in Bucundura with funding by the CMH Foundation. Peter Temple, a professor in the School of Architecture at Keene State College, shared his excitement about working with another professor and two students in a class he teaches to help design the school. They will be traveling to Uganda in January of 2016 to assess the land’s topography and then the students will work on plans for the school during the spring semester. It was emphasized that the funds raised at the dinner will be used for the education of the children alone. The construction of the school will not begin until separate funds have been raised.
I am happy to report that the funds raised by the dinner were over $9,000 including pledges for monthly donations by several generous donors. This increases the stability of AE and the continued education of these children.
We are so grateful for those who support our mission financially as well as with prayer and also for past donations and monthly donors. We are also grateful to Mike Rennie, our chairperson until recently, and his continued work on the website.
The board of AfriCan Educate looks forward to continuing to partner with all of you in the years ahead to give these children a brighter future.
Sincerely yours,
Linda Griesbach
Chairperson
AfriCan Educate
Sara Groves - Benefit Concert for AfriCan Educate - 9/13/2014
AfriCan Educate was blessed that about 260 people came to hear Sara's melodious songs as well as to have raised over $3500 for the children!
Thank you to all who came and especially for their generosity in giving to the children.
