We were excited to have a team from Barclays Bank Masaka, led by Katushabe Juliet, conduct a financial literacy training for 30 Suubi Secondary School students and teachers today. This training was intended to enhance the ongoing students’ home-based projects and school initiatives. The focus of the workshop was predominately on financial/money skills; looking at instilling the saving and investment culture in our students. With Suubi SS also including vocational skills such is carpentry, metal works, tailoring, knitting and brick laying, in addition to the usual academic subjects, the students have the capacity to earn an income. With this in mind, the financial skills training was intended to expose our students to the best ways to save and invest their money. We believe if the students are introduced to this way of managing their money, from this early age, it will become a life long skill. This will enable them to support themselves even if they don’t go on to reach university education.
The Barclay's team firstly met with Suubi SS teachers to explain how the training would benefit both the students and staff.
Suubi SS head master, Walugembe Robert, then introduced the Barclay's team to students.
Juliet let the students know how the training would proceed before introducing other Barclay's staff who would focus on specific areas of finance and saving.
Ivan made sure the students were understanding by getting their feedback and taking questions as training proceeded.
Emma then went in to more detail; he focused on the difference between wants and needs and the need to work hard and sacrifice short term satisfaction if you want to get ahead.
Suubi SS students and staff gathered at the end of training to thank the Barclay's team for their inspirational workshop.
“SUUBI SECONDARY SCHOOL: INTEGRETAED FOR MEANINGFUL EDUCATION”, our school motto, was certainly at the forefront today.
Our huge thanks to Barclays Bank Masaka Branch for dedicating time to conduct this training. Thanks in particular to Juliet, Precious, Emma, Keith and Ivan for the important skills they passed on to our students and staff today.
Following the introduction of the Rugby sport at Suubi S.S this year (2017) by the Connect to Africa Volunteers and Uganda Marathon Runners, our inspired students have not looked back since. In this same year Suubi S.S was represented by our own Lynette Kemigisha in the Arusha Tanzania rugby tournament, organized and supported by Connect to Africa Uk. Its so exciting to see Uganda Marathon and Connect to Africa supporting this game further to even more schools in Masaka and Lwengo District. The amazing rugby coaches from Rugby Tackling Life did wonderful training work for five secondary schools (both girls and boys teams) over the past week from 6th to 12th, which culminated in competitions held at St.Jude S.S Kyabakuza Masaka.
During these competitions Suubi SS teams (both girls and boys) and a chance to play with Masaka S.S, Kijjabwemi SS and St.Jude SS Kyabakuza. Though St. Jude emerged the overall winner, it was such an exciting moment for us, as Suubi S.S to got to rub shoulders with these old established schools that have been in existence for years. It was also another opportune moment for our students to change environment and get a little bit of exposure to urban schools. It was a big lesson for us and students are now back doing vigorous training preparing for future games, including the 2018 Rwanda Kigali Rugby tournament being organized by Connect to Africa.
Suubi Secondary School boys (in pink) took on Masaka Secondary School, a school that has been in existence for many years.
While Suubi Secondary School (in light green) girls played Kijjawemi girls. The Suubi girls showed great speed
and tackling skills.
Red Cross were on hand to administer treatment to injured players.
Interacting with students from other school was lots of fun for everyone involved.
We thank the Rugby Tackling life Coaches for also passing on life skills in addition to rugby rules.
In preparation for establishing a coffee seedling raising project at Suubi Secondary School, 20 of our students attended a two-day soil preparation and potting skills training at St. Jude Agroforestry Training College in Busense, on September 5th and 6th.
The beginning of the session saw students briefed, by an experienced St Jude staff member, about the skills required to successfully pot seedlings.
The importance of using good quality, composted soil in the pots was highlighted. Students were soon busy collecting the right type of soil.
This was then put through a sieve to make sure the soil is open and aerated so the small seedling can easily establish their roots once potted.
Next, small plastic tubes were filled with soil and a seedling was placed in each tube.
By the end of the training a large quantity of seedlings had been potted by Suubi students. Although this was quite time consuming it will be very satisfying to watch as the seedling grow in readiness for transplanting into the ground.
Earlier in August the Suubi students had worked side by side with Setem volunteers, from Catalonia, to start setting up the coffee seedling shade house at the school.
Setem volunteers and the Suubi students worked side by side to level out the ground where the coffee seedling shade house would be placed.
Although a pick and hoe is not something the Setem girls are used to using back home in Barcelona, they soon got the hang of it.
By the end of the day the ground was level and holes had been dug to put the support poles for the structure into the ground.
Shortly after this the Setem volunteers left and the students broke off for second semester holidays. With students recently returning to school this project is now expected to kick on.
Students have been busy completing the structure and covering it with palm fronds so the seedling will be protected from the sunlight.
The next step with be for papyrus mats to be added for exterior walls before potting gets underway in ernest.
Teachers and students, with guidance from Deo who is part of the original Suubi Centre Coffee project, will be steering this project. Once it is properly established, it will not only be a great resource where coffee seedling raising skills can be passed on to participating students, but it will also become one of the sources of income to sustain Suubi Secondary School in the future.
We were enormously proud to have one of our Suubi Secondary School students, Kemigisha Lynet, selected to represent Uganda in the East African Youth Rugby 7s Tournament.
Kemigisha Lynet proudly represented both Suubi Secondary School and Uganda in the East African Rugby 7s tournament in Tanzania.
Rugby was only recently introduced to Suubi SS by Thomas and Freddie from Connect Africa, a UK based organisation, together with Saidi, a Ugandan rugby coach from Jinja.
After returning to Suubi to see how students were progressing, the decision was made to include Lynet in the Ugandan representative team that they were organising for the East African tournament.
Lynet and her teammates excited to set off to Tanzania on the bus for the tournament. The whole trip was a huge adventure for them all, but the highlight was definitely when both the boys and girl under 14 teams returned home as the tournament champions! Lynet was part of this girls winning team. What an amazing effort for someone who only began playing rugby a little over two months earlier!
Lynet, (in pink) was part of the championship team in Tanzania.
Celebrating with her teammates. Huge congratulations to everyone!
Not only was this experience a wonderful opportunity for Lynet but it has also proven to be a huge inspiration to other Suubi SS students to strive for their best in everything they undertake.
We don't even know how to begin to write this blog in a way that can adequately express the excitement and sheer joy of the first books arriving at Suubi Secondary School. As many of you will know, HUG had created a virtual library on the home page of the website. Thanks to the many people's generosity we have been now able to purchase the first group of actual books to kick start the Suubi Secondary School library!
While the number of books we have started with may seem very small for a school to have by western standards, the reality is that most schools in Uganda have very few or no books for students to access. For the past two and half years the teachers at Suubi SS have been making do with one book per subject so they could use it for class planning purposes. So when we were able finally to ask the teachers to make a list of the text books they thought would be most useful for each of the subjects they are teaching, they thought it somewhat like Christmas. They all carefully selected the most important books that are required for the Ugandan syllabus, across the 15 subjects that are being taught. Then, thanks to the wonderful support from people who had bought books in the virtual library, David was able to organise to purchase 3 copies of each of these books. This means the students will be now be able access these books to read during their study times; no longer will they have to solely rely on the notes they have been able to take either from the blackboard or from dictation during class.
While our aim is certainly to continue to add to the school library, everyone was beside themselves with excitement when the first lot of books were bought and distributed last week. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who helped to make this possible. The book/s you purchased may not have seemed like a big deal at the time but you will continue to positively touch the lives of students at Suubi SS for years to come.
David and Helen were so excited when the first lot of books were delivered to them in Entebbe.
The following day at Elite Backpackers (EBS) the boxes were sorted through and cross checked to make sure we had received all the books we had ordered. Little Dalvin was a great help with this!
Even the staff and patrons of EBS were excited to see all the books and spent time reading through them all.
The following day we headed out to Suubi with our Aussie volunteers, Loretta, Cate, Karin and Florence, an intern from the UK. They were all blown away when we arrived at the school to see the students lined up to form a guard of honour to welcome them to their school.
The dancers and drummers lead the way as the new volunteers were welcomed in to the school.
Then they put on a spectacular performance of traditional dance
and singing of the school and national anthem
which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
But it was definitely the arrival of the new books that bought the most excitement. Although the teachers had put in their wish list, they certainly didn't know that the books would be arriving so soon and the students had absolutely no idea they were coming. To see the genuine excitement and joy on their faces is something that will be etched in to our hearts forever! To know that something relatively small, that westerns take for granted, could be so cherished and appreciated bought a flood of tears of happiness.
Teachers and students alike were thrilled to get their hands on the new books.
Although this may look a set up photo, we absolutely promise it was not... the students were devouring the words on the pages!
If we could attached sound to this photo you hear the cheering and genuine excitement of students and teachers at Suubi SS.
We hope this is only the beginning of what will eventually become the Suubi Secondary School Library. Now we have the first lot of books we will continue to work hard to keep adding to them and eventually construct a purpose built library. Exciting times ahead!
We were thrilled to recently hold a three day permaculture training at Suubi Secondary School. The local team from Scope, which is connected to The St Jude Farming Institute that our students visited last year, were on hand to co-ordinate the activity. Students, teachers and parents spent the first day learning about the philosophy behind permaculture and the following two days planning and planting out the school compound with fruits trees and vegetables. It is exciting to think about what the compound will look like next year when I return; I am sure to see the students and teachers enjoying the food from all their hard work this week.
The vocational training hall was the ideal place to hold the theoretical component of the training. Mugagga, from Scope, was inspirational as he explained the permaculture principals to students, teachers and parents all together.
The students and teachers were very keen once the practically component got underway. Firstly the paths leading in to each of the class rooms were set out so they will be easy accessible once the gardens become established.
The students and teachers were then broken in to various groups to work in different areas of the school compound. This made the two days of practicals like a competition to see who could develop the best gardens. What a great idea.
Small gardens were developed outside the dormitory where vegetables were planted for easy access for those staying in the dorm.
A mixture of fruit trees, pineapples and yams were planted at the front of the classroom structure.
Head master, Robert, planted a jack fruit tree and mangoes, paw paws and oranges will also be enjoyed by the students in the future.
One group of students worked together to develop a mandela garden.
Manure from the Suubi goat project was used on all of the garden beds to add nutrients to the soil.
Garden beds were then mulched and small water bottles added to make sure the newly planted seedlings don’t dry out.
And finally the students enjoyed watering in all the plants as the parents watched on.
The only challenge now will be to have enough water to make sure the plants can be well cared for while they are still young. Hopefully the ground water tank, which was donated by the 2017 Uganda marathon, will be finished sooner rather than later. After having dug to over 110 feet (by hand!) the team is finally bringing up damp soil, which they tell us means they are getting close to the water table.
The team of 4 men have been taking it in turns down the hole digging, while the others remain on top to wind up the soil. It is truly frightening to look down the hole; pitch black dark and they are also having to pump oxygen down to the person at the bottom.
As we set off for our third school year at Suubi Secondary & Vocational College, the past 2 weeks has seen students settling in for 2017. We are very excited to have 50 new Senior 1 students joining our Senior 2 and 3 cohort. We wish them well as they begin, not only their secondary schooling, but also their journey through the unique style of education that SSVC offers. Like other classes before them, the Senior 1 class will combine their academic education with learning a variety of vocational skills that can be used as a means to support themselves in future.
The new Senior 1 students are happy to be joining their SSVC peers to start their secondary education.
Although they are yet to receive their uniforms, the Senior 1 students already feel very much a part of SSVC. They are working hard in their academic classes and were happy to be introduced to microscopes, that had recently been delivered from Australia, during their biology class.
But the Senior 1s won't be waiting long for their uniforms - Senior students, who have been learning tailoring and knitting skills as part of their vocational studies in previous years, are currently busy making them. How exciting!
While all three class levels will undertake both academic and vocational studies throughout this year, our Senior 3 students will focus more on their academic subjects as they head towards their 'O' level examinations. Having reached the point where they have had to make subject selections, that will support their chosen career paths, they will need to spend more time studying their books this year.
Academic subjects become more intensive as students move in to Senior 3 level.
We were also thrilled to see our new girls dormitory completed in time for the start of the school year. As we had envisaged, this has enabled students from further away to join SSVC in 2017. We now have students staying in the dorm from villages such as Kyssonko, Kiwangala, Nakawanga and Kinoni. We are especially happy to see one of our Smiling heARTs special needs students, from last years Kakunyu group, now being able to stay in the new dormitory so she too can attend SSVC. How wonderful to realise that through the sale of art pieces, that Namayanja Justine learnt to produce last year, she is now able to pay for her own secondary education!
The addition of the new dormitory, beside the vocational training hall, certainly fits in well with the impressive structures in the SSVC compound .
Head master, Walugembe Robert, (C) and the dormitory matron, Namujju ,(far right) were happy to help the girls settle in to the new dormitory.
The girls busily worked together to set up their mattresses and mosquito nets inside.
The smile onNamayanja Justine's face shows she is very happy to be staying in the dormitory and studying at SSVC. When she first become part of our Smiling heARTs group last year she very rarely smiled. Being involved in the project has very obviously had a profound impact on her.
With even more students indicating they wish to move in to the new dormitory, the senior boys are currently busy making additional bunks during their welding classes.
What a wonderful scenario that the skills senior students have learnt during their previous years of vocational training are now being utilised. Throughout the construction of the dormitory, brick laying and welding students were involved in the actual construction and now we are seeing the tailoring, knitting and welding students also making uniforms and bunks. Previously these jobs would have needed to be outsourced but instead students are now gaining practical real life experience and being paid for their work. This of course not only gives them enormous pride, it will also enable them help pay for their own education. This is a perfect outcome and certainly lives up to the schools motto of a meaningful education!
Our huge thanks goes to everyone that has helped us reach this point; it takes teamwork and hard work from many, many people and we are enormously grateful to each and every one of you. We are sure 2017 is going to be yet another step forward for Suubi Secondary & Vocational College and we look forward to keeping you up to date as we move on.
Even with the Christmas and New Year festivities going on, there has been great progress made on the SSVC dormitory building. The construction team have been going at a cracking pace to ensure that it will be ready in time for the start of the 2017 school year, at the end of January. SSVC brick laying students have been working along side the construction team to see the structure reach the point where the roofing could begin. At the same time the SSVC welding students have been busy making the windows and doors which have now started to be installed.
SSVC bricklaying students, Issac, Jude and Richard, gained great real life experience as the construction reached the level where scaffolding was required. Their trainer, Paul, always close by to oversee and guide them.
As the builders worked to get the structure high enough, other students made the steel ring beam that helps to form the area over the windows and door.
At the same time the welding team worked hard to manufacture the windows and doors.
With the ring beam in place, boxing was made above the window and door openings so that concrete could be poured in.
As this was given time to dry, the poles were formed for the front of the verandah,
which were then filled with concrete so the brickwork could continue above it.
Today the rendering has now began on internal walls
as the poles for the roofing are being put in place outside.
So as you can see, the third structure at SSVC is quickly taking shape; it looks set to be another impressive building to match the classroom and vocational training blocks. The construction of the dormitory is certainly creating a lot of interest from prospective students who live further away from SSVC. This is the time of year, as primary level results are about to be distributed, that families seriously consider where to enrol their children who are about to begin secondary school. With this in mind, the SSVC staff put together a brochure to highlight all the advantages of them choosing to send their child to Suubi Secondary and Vocational College.
How exciting, that before the end of this month, the dormitory will be finished and we will soon have yet another group of senior one students starting out their secondary education at SSVC.
With the reputation of Suubi Secondary & Vocational College's academic and vocational achievements steadily growing in stature throughout this year, we have been receiving an increasing number of inquiries, from villages further away, about the possibility of their students joining SSVC in 2017. Taking this in to account, a decision was recently made to construct a dormitory so that students from distant villages will be able stay on the school compound, enabling them to also be part of SSVC's unique style of education. Seeing the construction actually kicking off on Thursday has created a real buzz about the place, no more so than for the SSVC vocational students who have been studying building and bricklaying - they are now putting their new skills to work on the new structure!
Bricks arriving on site on Thursday signalled to everyone that the dormitory, that had so often been discussed throughout the year, was now becoming a reality.
SSVC students were right on hand as their vocational trainer and builder of all SSVC structures, Paul, guided them through how to mark out the foundations.
They then helped to peg out the next corner,
before getting stuck in to helping to dig the foundations.
On Friday morning, SSVC student, Tiigo Richard, very proudly laid the first brick in place.
Paul watched closely over the boys and guided them as they set the first corner in place and continued on with one side of the foundation.
Today was yet another hugely successful day at SSVC as an exhibition and talents show was held for parents, representatives from our partner primary schools, district officials and the wider community. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the school year and showcase all that had been achieved throughout 2016. Everyone in attendance was throughly impressed with what they saw.
The day began with a talent show that the large crowd thoroughly enjoyed. Students like Alex showed off their diverse talents; everything from singing, dancing, acrobatics....
right through to a fashion parade of clothing made from bark cloth.
With the talent show complete, it was time for everyone to tour the school and most importantly check out the exhibition of vocational items the students made throughout the year.
Headmaster, Walugembe Robert, addressed the large crowd, including the inspector of schools, Mulumba Matius, before setting off to check out the students vocational work.
He and others were suitably impressed when they saw the desks that the metal work and carpentry students had made during this term, in preparation for the next intake of students at the beginning of 2017.
Once inside the vocational training hall the tailoring and knitting students work was put under the spot light. Once again everyone was very impressed by what they saw; even more so when it was explained that this group of students now have the skills required to produce the uniforms and sweaters for next years intake.
Heading out to the building and bricklaying exhibit found a mini structure that the students had been learning on.
But the highlight of the day was definitely seeing that the building students are now part of a real construction team; they are actually putting their skills to work on the new dormitory. The metal work students will also leave their mark on the new structure when they soon begin making the windows and doors.
So as you can see, the vocational skills that the students have learnt throughout this year have already given them the ability to make something truly meaningful and useful. This years group of vocational students will be able to see their work on display for years to come in the future - in the dormitory, windows, doors, classroom desks, uniforms and sweaters. Now that's what we call meaningful education! Well done everyone!
By the end of today the dormitory foundations looked like this. Make sure to check back in regularly because at this pace it will soon be completed!
Last Saturday a hugely successfully primary seven leavers party that was held at Suubi Secondary & Vocational College. All students who are currently in primary seven in Uganda will sit their final exams on November 3rd and 4th so their individual school usually organises a leavers party for them to celebrate completing their primary education. This year, as part of our marketing plan, we decided to invite all of Suubi's partner primary schools to join together for their leavers party at SSVC. This gave us an opportunity to showcase everything that our school has to offer and to highlight the things that set us apart from other secondary schools.
We were thrilled to have 16 primary schools turn up on the day, bringing with them a representative teacher and 262 primary school leavers. Each of these students and teachers were able to see with their own eyes, not only the impressive standard of the buildings but more importantly what the current SSVC students have been able to produce. Each of our five vocational subjects were on display. This certainly inspired everyone; students were talking about wanting to join SSVC in 2017 and teachers were planning to return to their respective schools to tell parents and future leavers about all the positive opportunities on offer at the school.
Our current SSVC students were also excited to be part of the day. They proudly set up displays to show the progress they have made in each of their chosen vocational subjects.
Tailoring students displayed the first items they made from cement bags, right through to shirts, dresses, skirts and gomezi that they are now able to produce.
Knitting students displayed the front, back and sleeves of jumpers, which had lead to them producing whole jumpers and scarves.
The welding team showed different stages of the desks they are currently producing. These will actually be used by 2017 intake on students.
The carpentry boys showed the seats and tops for the desk they have been making and also tables they had produced for the vocational training hall.
SSVC students preparing their displays
While many of the schools that attended were within walking distance, a number of them travelled from quite far away. Teachers from these schools explained that some of their students are very keen to join SSVC but were inquiring when we planned to add a dormitory section for boarding student as it is simply too far for them to walk each day. This certainly solidified our belief that we have made the right decision to be currently fundraising to construct a dormitory as the next phase of construction.
Some students from one of the distant schools arrived for the party in the back of a truck.
The day began with an assembly of schools who attended and the singing of the national anthem.
Proudly singing the Ugandan national anthem
Each school lined up for the assembly to create a colourful sight.
Then all students and teachers from the visiting schools had the opportunity to look at the vocational display. Representatives from each subject manned their respective exhibition and explained to the primary leavers, their teachers and other guests about their work.
The guest filed along the verandah of the main classroom block to check out the vocational display.
SSVC knitting students were happy to show the primary students their work and explain how it is done.
The tailoring group explained they are now capable of producing school uniforms for next years intake of students.
The primary students were impressed with the welding work, especially when SSVC student, Vincent ,showed them how the grinder works.
Teachers and the local chairman were suitable impressed by the items the wood work team were displaying.
As was the case when they visited the bricklaying and construction display.
With the vocational exhibition complete, students headed to the vocational training hall, that had been completely cleared out in preparation for dancing. It was now their time to really celebrate!
Each school lined up and every primary seven student was given a stamp to be allowed to enter.
Once inside each school was presented with a card to say thank you for coming and wishing them luck for their up coming exams.
Then it was time for the real party to begin. The music doomed throughout the afternoon; the primary students were joined by SSVC students - they all had a great time dancing right up until the last note was played!
What a party!
As we mentioned at the beginning, this really was a hugely successful day. It was amazing to see how far the current group of SSVC students have come and it was wonderful to see all of the students having such fun.
I am very sure everyone who attended will be talking positively about SSVC for a long time to come. What perfect word of mouth marketing!
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