Suubi Secondary School Blog

2-10-2015, Excitement At SSVC As Vocational Tools Arrive

There was much excitement at Suubi today as everyone awoke to find that the vocational tools, that have slowly been making their way from the UK since July, had made the final part of the journey to Lubanda Village over night.

Suubi Centre director, Ssemwogerere David, had taken a large truck to the TWAM warehouse, in Kampala, the previous day to collect the many tools that had arrived: Full sets of carpentry, motor mechanic, plumbing, electrician, bicycle and shoe repair kits, as well as an assortment of power tools and sewing and knitting machines were among the long list of items donated. All of these pieces will soon fit out the vocational workshop that is currently under construction at SSVC. How exciting to think that the 2016 school year will now be able to offer so many valuable vocational subjects to the students!

The many boxes of tools for SSVC were firstly sorted from other donated items in the TWAM warehouse in Kampala.

Next they were loaded on to the truck to make the final leg of their long journey to SSVC in Lubanda Village.

SSVC Headmaster, Walugembe Robert and the students (L) were filled with excitement when Ssemwogerere David (R) showed them the many boxes of tools that have arrived.

Equally as important as the tools arriving, it is fabulous to see the progress that has been made on the construction of the workshop. Knowing the tools have now arrived safely at Suubi, it will be even more exciting to watch as the finishing touches are put to the building. It seems like just a blink ago that we were drawing up the first plans for Suubi Secondary & Vocational College, so to think about the positive impact the combination of the tools and workshop will have at SSVC in 2016 is like a dream come true!

Since our last construction update, the verandah poles were the next thing to be added.

Ventilator bricks were then installed in the kitchen area to make sure any excess smoke from the fuel efficient stove can easily escape, making it a far healthier environment for the cooks and students.

Bush poles were then sourced and needed to all be cut with a hand saw so the roofing could begin.

The builders then ventured up high to put the first poles in place.

It wasn't long before all the poles were in place.

The iron sheets were next to follow.

What a difference it makes to the look of the structure with all of the iron sheets are on.

The coming week will see the windows installed and the rendering begin.

What a wonderful sight to see the classroom block and the workshop/kitchen block now standing side by side.

As we write this blog post the many boxes are being unpacked and sorted through so check back in again soon so we can see all the tools for yourself.

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16-9-2015, SSVC Students Appear In National Newspapers

After the students from Suubi Secondary & Vocational College recently appearing in The Herald Sun newspaper in Australia, (see article left) they are now set to also be featured in Uganda's national newspaper, The Daily Monitor.

Today when Micheal Ssali, a prominent agricultural journalist from the Monitor, walked in to Suubi Secondary and Vocational College, he could have been forgiven for thinking he had arrived at a chicken farm, as there were eggs all over the place. He soon found out that the students have an exciting home based chicken project and that is where all the eggs are coming from.

Michael spent time interviewing the students and staff to learn more about this innovative project and will now write an an article that will feature in the national newspaper. He was extremely impressed with SSVC's intention to support these rural based students to acquire an education, but the fact that the project has proved to be such a huge success shows that this isn't just another idea or plan in the making; it's a reality and it working. The chicken project actually earns the students an income to help pay their own school fees, at the same time as training them in farming and personal project management skills for self reliance. Brilliant!

The Daily Monitor article is sure to spread this idea to many other schools and students across Uganda and inspire them to follow SSVC's lead. What wonderful role models our students are for people on both sides of the world. Well done and congratulations to everyone at SSVC!

The SSVC students were excited to read about themselves in Herald Sun newspaper in Australia recently.

So were also eager to tell Michael Ssali, from the Daily Monitor, about the school's home based chicken project and how it is helping their families to pay their school fees.

Michael was hugely impressed to see the number of eggs that the students were registering at SSVC to be sold.

Follow up: The article about the SSVC students chicken project appeared in the national newspaper on September 30th, 2015. Read the Daily Monitor article. How exciting for everyone involve at Suubi Secondary & Vocational College!

SSVC students eggs are now being sold in a number of places, including regular sales to Plot 99 Restaurant in Masaka Town.

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24-8-2015, After Only 1 Month The Building Is Already Taking Shape

The building team at SSVC have been powering along since the construction began on the workshop just a month ago. It is amazing to see the structure taking shape with the veranda and space for windows and doorways now clearly being seen.

The boxing for the verandah was next thing to be added since the last lot of photos we showed you.

A huge amount of back filling was then required so prisoners from the district were once again used to carry out this physically challenging work, just as they did during the construction of the first classroom block.

And as the saying goes, "many hands make light work" and the backfilling was soon complete.

What a wonderful sight to see the classroom block in the background - It wasn't very long ago that we were watching it being constructed.

With foundations complete the walls soon began to rise from every corner.

At the end of each day the everyone could see that great progress had been made.

And now, just one month on, we can very clearly see the verandah, windows and doorways. How exciting!

The workshop will eventually be almost twice the height of the classroom structure, to allow for vehicles and large machinery to be taken inside. With the builders commitment and the pace they work at, it want be long before we are bringing you photos of these gigantic walls and the roof going on. So stay tuned!

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1-8-2015, Foundation Work Begins On The New Workshop

Only a week after the construction began on the new workshop and kitchen at SSVC, we can already see the walls rising up. Nkuke Paul and his team of builders are setting a cracking pace as usual.

The first brick was carefully put in place to make sure everything was perfectly in line.

Paul was responsible for getting the all important first line of bricks in place.

Then it was all hands an deck as the northern wall started to rise.

With the height of the workshop set to be almost double that of the original classroom block, extra metal strengthening is being woven in to the brickwork.

Bricks are also being laid at 90 degrees to the usual method and support pillars are being placed closer together internally and externally; all to help create extra strength.

A congo line of workers passed bricks from outside the construction fence.

Before long the entire structure was starting to shape.

What a wonderful sight to see the classroom block in the background. It wasn't very long ago that we were watching it being constructed and now we have phase 2 well underway. How exciting!

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24-7-2015, Workshop/Kitchen Construction Begins At SSVC

There was much excitement in Lubanda Village, in particular at Suubi Secondary & Vocational College, as work got underway on 2nd stage of construction at the school. The next structure will consist of the all important workshop for the vocational subjects. With a wide variety of tools, which were so generously donated by Tools With A Mission, now currently making there way on a shipping container from the UK, the workshop will be the perfect place to house them. It is extremely exciting to think that, by the beginning of the 2016 school year, we will see SSVC students learning vocational skills such as carpentry, metal fabrication, bicycle and motorbike repairs, tailoring, knitting, hairdressing and baking; all in this purpose built workshop.

And not only that, a permanent kitchen and storeroom is to be built on the northern end of the workshop. This will enable us to tap in to the nearby biogas and a fuel efficient stove will also be installed. Both these methods of cooking will be far better for the environment as they will reduce on the large amount of firewood that is currently required to prepare school lunches.

Check out the exciting first lot of photos:

The first job required was to fence off the area to help keep students and the community out of the construction site.

The foundations were then pegged out and day 2 saw the digging get underway.

Many locals got involved in this, making light work of a big job.

Although the red dirt was rocky and dry this didn't deter the hard working team.

The end of day 2 saw the digging of foundations, for the external walls, completed

and bricks delivered in readiness for the bricklayers to start.

Remember to check back in often because, as were saw when the classrooms were being built, the builders work at a cracking pace!

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24-7-2015, SSVC Students On Agricultural Study Excursion

The students from SSVC, along with their agriculture teacher, Mr Deo, the home based project coordinator, Miss Shanitah and Suubi Centre director Ssemwogerere David spent a fabulous day at the St Jude Family Rural Training Centre today.

The students home based chicken project is what had peaked the schools interest in visiting the training centre but they also came away from the day with a multitude of other skills surrounding integrating crops and livestock on one piece of land.

The excited SSVC students arrived at the St Jude Family Project Training Centre with their agriculture teacher, Mr Deo.

The day began with inspirational talks about the best farming practises that help to make the many various crop and livestock projects at the centre so succesful.

With SSVC students having their own home based chicken project they lapped up every bit of information they could about caring for chickens.

Other livestock such as pigs, goats and cows are also kept at St Jude. Throughout the day it was highlighted to the students about integrated farming, where by on the same piece of land, one can grow a variety of crops and livestock and each aspect can benefit another. For example, chicken manure can be feed to the pigs, which in turn creates further manure that can then be incorporated in to making compost for the crops.

Intercropping is also encouraged at St Jude, as is seen here with the motooke underplanted with vegetables.

The students were happy to learn about how to make compost from, what may otherwise be seen as waste, from the livestock and plants that are grown on the property.

The size of the cabbages at St Jude's gives a great indication of how much of a difference it can make when crops are well cared for and composting is incorporated.

A variety of garden beds, that can be incorporated on even the smallest piece of land, were all clearly doing well at St Jude's.

Even items like old jerry cans were planted out, showing the students what is possible. Every home in Uganda has damaged jerrycans that can no longer be used for collecting water; clearly they should not be thrown away as they can be turned in to a garden.

Small seedlings that have been grown in a nursery bed are protected from the strong sun with banana fibre from the matooke trees. This protects them from the harsh elements and allows them to grow stronger while they are still young.

The students checked out the large dam on the property that is used for fish farming.

They were also showed that this too is possible on a smaller scale at a family home.

The SSVC students, teachers and St Jude staff were happy to take a group photo at the end of the day.

The agricultural study tour to St Jude training centre was definitely a huge success. The students have not only come home with great advise on the ways to care for their chickens but they have also leant many other skills that they are now keen to try out on land at home and/or at school.

An exciting outcome from todays tour is that the founder of St Jude, Kizza Josephine, is more than willing to continue working with Suubi Centre and SSVC in furthering this kind of training. They have a new project that is soon to begin for extension training in schools, and they promised SSVC will be one of only 5 schools to have the opportunity to participate.

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30-6-2015, SSVC Home-based Chicken Project Thriving

With the 2nd term at Suubi Secondary & Vocational College well underway it is fabulous to see the students home-based chicken project going from strength to strength. When SSVC started earlier this year, the home based project was set up to help the rural children surrounding Lubanda Village to raise money for their school fees and scholastic requirements. We started by loaning out 5 adult, local chickens to all of our senior 1 students.

Each student has diligently been caring for their chickens and are now reaping the rewards from their efforts. It is exciting to see the students now bringing in their eggs on a daily basis and the school helping them to find a market for them.

Some of the SSVC students proudly display some of the eggs they have collected from their chickens.

Recently SSVC eggs were even used as part of some of our partnering primary schools' fundraising days. SSVC sold eggs to St Jude and Bright Light Primary Schools for 300UGX each and then the schools on-sold them to parents and their school supporters for a slightly higher amount. This means the eggs have not only made money for the SSVC students but they have also helped both St Jude and Bright Light to raise much needed money to improve their own school. So its a win, win, win for everyone!

Some of the eggs being sorted out for distribution and sale.

A huge thank you goes to all our supporters who helped to kick start this wonderful initiative!

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13-5-2015, Students Enjoying Holiday Vocational Training

Since April 30th the students at Suubi Secondary & Vocational College have been busy, even though it is their holiday break from academic subjects. They have spent the last couple of weeks getting started on one of the four vocational subjects that are now up and running at the school; tailoring, knitting, baking and soap making.

The students were able to select which subject they were most interested in, with numbers participating in each subject ending up surprisingly even. During these holidays each student has concentrated on learning one specific skill but they will have the opportunity to move on to others as the year progress and during future holiday programs. By having the time to learn one skill well, rather than rushing from one to the other during this time, it is envisaged that students will have gained enough skills to help pass them on between each other during after school and weekend vocational opportunities throughout the usual school terms.

It was a busy day when the five new treadle sewing machines, that were donated by an Aussie family, were put together in readiness for tailoring classes to begin.

A knitting machine, donated by a local Ugandan business man, was also set up and added to two from Suubi Centre so that there would be enough machines available for students to share during this initial holiday program.

Students concentrated on perfecting the pedaling and joining small piece of material together during the first week of tailoring sessions.

This week Muwalimu, their instructor, has been busy moving students on to measuring and cutting out items so they can begin joining pieces together to make an actual article.

Knitting students were guided by two of the Suubi ladies, Betty and Kizito, who learnt the skills themselves from Suubi Centre. Fabulous to see them sharing the skills they had gained.

Betty watched closely as Nasiismu tried out moving the needles for herself.

By the end of the first week the students were able to make scarves and had also started to learn how to make school jumpers. Perhaps this years students will be the ones making the uniform for the 2016 students!

Liquid soap making was taught by a group of Ugandan university students that have been doing their internship at Suubi over the past 3 months. Peter, in green, made sure the students were thoroughly stirring all the ingredients together.

The liquid soap was than poured into smaller bottles in readiness for sale or to be used for cleaning at the school.

Baking was also another big hit with the students. They listened intently to Easnest, the facilitator, as he explained how to make various recipes.

Once the ingredients were in tins the boys were keen to get them in to the wood fired oven.

Everyone was very proud to show off the finished muffins and functional cakes.

Donuts and samosas were also soon added to items the students are now able to make.

So as you can see, the first couple of weeks of vocational training have been a huge success. Vocational studies are what drew many of the students to attend SSVC so it is wonderful to see all the students now enthusiastically taking part in these activities!

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24-4-2015, 1st Term Ends With World Malaria Day Event

The last day of first term today was the ideal time for students and staff from Suubi Secondary & Vocational College to join forces with the Suubi medical team to promote World Malaria Day. SSVC students and staff had, earlier in the term, met with the Suubi Clinic staff to learn about the best ways to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria. With the correct information in hand, teachers and students then worked together to write and practise songs, a poem and traditional dances that could pass on this vital information to everyone that attended todays event.

But the day certainly wasn't just about malaria; it was a jam packed way to finish off and celebrate the very successful 1st term at SSVC. It also gave us a chance to meet with the parents, to show them classrooms filled with computers, sewing and knitting machines, and to hand out the first term reports.

Parents, students, teachers and the wider community joined together to celebrate the success of first term. Everyone was happy to be entertained by the SSVC students.

Parents and students also took the opportunity to speak about how their home based chicken project is progressing.

A tour of classrooms gave the parents the opportunity so see where their children have been studying from and some of the equipment, such as sewing and knitting machines, that they will be using as part of their vocational training over the coming holidays.

Parents were also impressed to see the computers that their children now have the opportunity to learn on - quite a sight to see in Lubanda village.

The malaria themed entertainment on the day worked perfectly as parents, siblings and wider community were happy to watch the students performances; what a wonderful way to learn about such an important health issue. And of course it gave the Suubi medical team a captive audience to explain even more about the deadly disease that kills between 70,000-110,000 Ugandans every year. Brilliant!

SSVC students performed a poem that told of the best ways to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria.

The Suubi medical team then took the opportunity to pass on important facts about malaria to the captive audience.

The traditional dance, filled with color and energy, was a wonderful way to finish off the day's entertainment.

One of the last things to happen on the day was the handing out of school reports. Everyone was excited to hear that 95% of the students had passed their end of term exams. The five top students were very proud to be presented to parents, teachers and the large crowd.

Vincent, Arnold, Syrus, Joseph and Sylvia were thrilled to top the class and be congratulated on their wonderful exam results by Suubi Centre director, Ssemwogerere David.

What a wonderful way to finish off the hugely successful first term. Students and teachers will have 1 weeks holidays now and are all excitedly looking forward to starting vocational training in sewing, knitting, baking and soap making on April 30th. Be sure to check in for the next blog post to see them in action!

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27-3-2015, Monthly Meeting For Home-based Projects Begin

The home based projects, that are setting Suubi Secondary & Vocational College apart from other schools in Uganda, took another very positive step forward today when the first monthly meeting of parents, students and staff was held. These meeting will not only be used to pass on important information relating to the project from the school, but also to encourage students and families to learn from each others experiences. Whether someone’s chicken are doing exceptionally well, or if someone is having problems; everything will be discussed.

Suubi Centre director, Ssemwogerere David, explained the concept behind the chicken project to the packed classroom; each student has 5 chickens and each of them will lay 1 egg each per day. This means the 42 students, currently involved in the home based project, will each bring 5 eggs to school each day, making 210 per day - a total of 1050 eggs per week! He went on to explain that this many eggs is certainly a marketable number and by everyone working together the project can only prosper.

Ssemwogerere David spoke to the packed classroom about the first home based project of raring chickens to sell their eggs.

It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm in the room and the open discussion that flowed as the meeting progressed. At most schools in Uganda parents are only able to visit their children’s school on one day per semester. At Suubi Secondary College we are establishing a three way partnership between the students, their parents and the school. It was certainly evident at todays meeting that this combined approach will bring out the best outcome for each student and their family.

Both parents and students enthusiastically took part in discussions about working together to make sure the chicken project will succeed.

Namugerwaj Jane, who was the first to have her chickens begin laying eggs was proud to show them to the other students and parents.

She was happy when the parents of other students were keen to ask her about what she is doing differently in her home that has helped her chickens to begin laying.

Ssemwogerere David also took the time to relate a story from an Australian newspaper to the SSCV community. It told of a 14 year old boy, Josh, who had started selling eggs from the chickens he raised. Although he also started off very small, he now sells approximately 1500 cartons of eggs per week to big supermarket chains right across Australia. With Josh being almost the same age as the SSVC students, they were certainly inspired by his story and they are now aiming to be just like him.

Ssemwogerere David shared Josh's story with the SSVC Parents & Students

Jane was inspired by Josh's story and looks forward to seeing her 14 eggs grow in to many more trays in the future.

In fact, if the whole SSVC class and their families work together they may just give Josh a run for his money in the egg selling stakes!

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Suubi Secondary School Blog

2-10-2015, Excitement At SSVC As Vocational Tools Arrive

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16-9-2015, SSVC Students Appear In National Newspapers

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24-8-2015, After Only 1 Month The Building Is Already Taking Shape

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1-8-2015, Foundation Work Begins On The New Workshop

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24-7-2015, Workshop/Kitchen Construction Begins At SSVC

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24-7-2015, SSVC Students On Agricultural Study Excursion

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30-6-2015, SSVC Home-based Chicken Project Thriving

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13-5-2015, Students Enjoying Holiday Vocational Training

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24-4-2015, 1st Term Ends With World Malaria Day Event

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27-3-2015, Monthly Meeting For Home-based Projects Begin

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