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Education
A group of students from the Kamaiba Primary School,
funded by the Bishop Masereka Christian Foundation
In Their Own Words
"We are pupils of Kamaiba Primary School in Kasese town, western Uganda. We are aged between 6-16 and in different classes. We were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS. We very much miss our beloved parents. We very much need prayers. Life is not easy. We think a lot about our future. We think about our education, our medical care and many other things. We pray that Bishop Masereka will continue assisting us with school fees."
Who We Help
Currently BMCF is assisting about 500 HIV/AIDS orphaned children with funds for school fees so that in spite of the loss of parents the children can have education. HIV/AIDS continues to deal devastating blows on many families in Uganda just like in many other parts of the world. In Uganda one sees thousands of orphans, many child-headed families, and many families headed by elderly women and elderly men. BMCF scholarship program is a critical and important response to the serious orphans’ situation prevailing in the country. The prevalence rate of HIV spread in Kasese district is about 12%, much higher than that of the Country of Uganda which is at 6%. BMCF ministry is based in Kasese town that has a population of about 50,000 residents.
The district of Kasese itself has a population of over 600,000 residents. The number of orphans in Kasese district are estimated to be anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000. This is quite a large number of extremely needy young people. Addressing the needs of this large number of young people is essential for the future of Uganda and indeed for the ministry of the Church.
Most of the students on BMCF scholarship program are secondary students. The number of primary school students is also substantial. About 54% of the students are girls, and 46% are boys.
A few years ago the Government introduced universal primary education and in 2007 they introduced the universal secondary education. This policy of universal primary and universal secondary education is very good for the country, but does not take care of all the needs of every child. Our plan is to increase the number of children for assistance from 500 to 600 if get adequate funding for the scholarship program. BMCF also plans to provide students with shoes, books and school bags if funds are available.
A number of children on the BMCF scholarship program are HIV positive, and it is our plan to provide them with treatment with ARVs at BMCF Clinic like any other PLWA in the community.
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