We extend our deepest gratitude to the extraordinary donors who made the Gibson Projects a reality. Your compassion and generosity have transformed the Bwindi Eco Children Uganda campus into a haven of comfort and opportunity for students and teachers alike.
A Legacy of Care: The Boys’ Dormitory
This remarkable dormitory was built in loving memory of Paul Joseph Wilson, a dedicated professional from ACU in Abilene, Texas, who passed away in July 2022. His sister, Mary Lois Gibson, honored his legacy with a generous donation, resulting in a 4,000 sq ft facility for Bwindi’s boys.
Equipped with sturdy metal bunk beds, clean mattresses, shower facilities, and modern conveniences such as electricity and fresh water, the dormitory now accommodates 60 boys who previously slept in overcrowded classrooms or shared beds. The grand opening on October 25 marked a new chapter of dignity and comfort for these young learners.
Empowering Educators: Bwindi Teachers’ Cottages
Thanks to your unwavering support, a 2,000 sq ft two-story facility with six private apartments now houses Bwindi’s senior teachers. Each apartment is a complete living space, featuring beds, furniture, kitchenettes, and modern amenities such as Wi-Fi, electricity, and even access to educational television channels.
This thoughtful design underscores the value of educators and supports their critical role in shaping young minds.
Mary Lois Gibson’s Continued Generosity
Mary Lois Gibson’s impact on the Gibson Projects has been nothing short of transformative. Recently, she donated $6.50 per orphan—providing 160 orphans with new shoes and two pairs of socks each. This thoughtful gesture ensures that every child feels cared for and equipped for their daily lives.
Looking ahead to 2025, Ms. Gibson has committed an additional $33,000 for the construction of a security fence and a walk-over footbridge, connecting the six new teachers’ cottages and boys’ dormitory to the main portion of the campus. Her generosity and vision for a secure and accessible campus reflect her incredible heart and commitment to these children and educators.
A Growing Community of Hope
Since its inception in 2013, Bwindi Eco Children Uganda has provided Christian-based education for many children who would not otherwise have received any. Today, it serves 550 students, including 175 orphans and highly vulnerable children, thanks to the generosity of donors like you.
Your contributions have brought hope, stability, and progress to this community. Together, we are nurturing the potential of future leaders and honoring those who inspire us.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. You are the light that makes Bwindi shine. 🌟
We are thrilled about our 2024 projects, building on the momentum from last year. We invite you to review our current priorities below and prayerfully consider how you might be able to partner with us.
Lightening arrestors, cameras and security lighting. $15,000
Compound beautification including sidewalks, plants, irrigation system and walkway covers. $16,000
Upgrade for metal classroom desks and dormitory beds. $10,000
New Ugandan curriculum books for grades 1 through 7 for all basic core subjects including English, Math, Science, Geography and History. $12-15,000
Thank you to all who sponsored children, partnered in projects, and supported the mission of Bwindi Children’s Charities. Because of your support, we were able to do so much for the children and even neighboring communities.
On behalf of the directors, administration and the entire fraternity of BECU, I send you warm greetings and thank you for the invaluable support and cooperation you have portrayed in the term. It has been a wonderful term and everyone here enjoyed the caring, teaching and learning.
All the children under our care are doing very well.
Today Friday 18th August 2023, we have closed the term and broken up for the holidays after covering successfully the programmed activities. Children have been sent home for a one month vacation. They will be expected to report back to school on 18th September, 2023.
ACADEMICS
As usual our children have done very well in all the internal and external sets of examinations. Three sets of examinations were done including beginning of term, mid-term and end of term exams and District mock examination for specifically Primary Seven class.
The results are really very promising. Many of our pupils in lower and middle primary presented better skills of reading and writing which led to great improvement in performance.
Primary seven sat for an external mock examination and the results were very promising.
We were again the second best performers in the district having 25 pupils in division one and 33 in division two. We did not register any candidate in division three, four and nine or failure. See the attached general mark record sheet for our primary seven pupils.
HEALTH
We registered some few cases of sickness including fever, flue and cough, ulcers e.t.c but all were managed by our school nurse. With experience of utilization of services at our medical clinic we require a minimum of USD $500 per month to stock the needed medicine to continue providing services to our school children and the neighbouring community.
DISCIPLINE
Generally our learners are God fearing. They have been well behaved throughout the term. While our children are there with you in a one month vacation, you’re requested to give particular attention and observation to their discipline and continue guiding them.
SCHOOL FEES
We are humbled and appreciate you, our dear parents and sponsors, for prompt payments. The new school policy on fees greatly helped us in collecting the school fees. For term two, we were able to collect 99% of the school fees. We request you to keep it up.
SCHOOL CANTEEN PROJECT
In the last PTA general meeting, parents approved the establishment of a school canteen. Here parents are required to purchase all pupils’ general personal requirements for children strictly from the canteen. The establishment of the school canteen was budgeted at USD $8,500 and parents committed to contribute $3,000 and tasked the school to solicit for $5,500 to have the canteen project done and therefore each of the parents is requested to contribute $10 effective next term for the establishment of the school canteen project.
Once the canteen is in place, it will deal in stationery, children’s drinks, snacks and eats and other children’s needs. The reason behind having the canteen nearby the school is to control movements of parents and children to trading centres to buy the required school needs. Therefore for convenience purposes, the canteen shall be required to stock all the school requirements.
AGRICULTURE
BECU gardens especially farm land II are doing well and yields have been well as per expectations. We believe we have enough food to run the orphanage throughout the year.
The chicken, mushrooms and goat project are also doing well. We currently own 95 goats and they are housed in a new shelter provided with support from BUCC. Our goats are well protected from suns and heavy rains that could cause them to fall ill. We hope our goat herd will continue growing and by next reporting we shall be having more than 100 goats.
The egg-laying chickens are now 500 in number while the broilers (meat chicken) are now 200. In total, we currently rear 700 chickens.
These give us eggs which we feed our children but we also sell some in the local market in the Bwindi area.
We believe if we have irrigation on both agriculture farms and also increase the numbers of goats and chicken, improve vaccination and feeding, we shall reap enough produce in crops, eggs, chicken and goats e.t.c which we shall sell and enhance our income thus leading to self-sustainability in future.
VOCATIONAL LEARNING ROOMS
With support from BUCC, we are constructing two vocational learning rooms in which we intend to provide training in agriculture and tailoring. We are hopeful these two learning rooms will be completed by September.
Our prayer is to raise enough funds to equip the learning rooms with office equipment and sewing machines. We need about $4,000 to equip these rooms to have them ready and process licensing and registration of a vocational school. We hope to open this school in January 2024.
Thanks to BUCC for funding the vocational school construction and promise to pay the instructor/trainer a salary for the first two years of operation.
UTILITIES
The deep borehole provided with funding from BUCC is doing well and is providing sufficient water for the school and the neighbouring community. The current challenge we have is power outages and therefore, there is need for more solar panels to provide additional lights for evening and night time study. We require $2,400 to have more solar panels installed.
EDUCATION SPONSORSHIPS
We are so grateful to BUCC family and more especially Donna, for your tireless efforts to solicit new sponsorships for our OVC’s. God bless you.
CONCLUSION
We wish you the best in all your endeavours during the holidays. Our offices will always be open, parents and visitors feel free to come around in case of any need.
To our donors and sponsors, you are truly the best.
Healing Hands International held a 2-day training seminar for 140 community women! What a wonderful, inspirational, and uplifting time for our local women. They left the training seminar with micro-loans and credit within their village and new skills so they can begin making sellable crafts!
Thank you Healing Hands Intl & Women of Hope USA for helping these women!!
The Bwindi Eco Uganda School is proud to announce that we are breaking ground in June 2023 for a new opportunity for the children of Bwindi to attend a two-year vocational school that will concentrate on Agriculture & Tailoring. Our small plot Production of Family Food Stuffs will equip children with knowledge and hands-on experience to grow a garden to earn a living. The Professional Tailoring degree will focus on clothing for children and adults.
Each child attending will choose their trade (agriculture or tailor) to allow them to have a productive and successful life. Upon completion of classroom studies, an approved Internship, and Graduation Certificate, each child will be given needed tools for their trade, a microloan, and a goat to help them be successful and independent. We strongly believe this Vocational School is a huge need for some children that do not go on to higher education; they are ready to begin working but need this knowledge and degree.
The Bwindi Eco Vocational School will begin to take applications for enrollment in the Fall of 2023 for classes to begin in January 2024. Every applicant must have completed 7 years of Primary School to be considered.
Year one will have an enrollment of 30 students and year two will add an additional 30 students for a total of 60 students by 2025.
Enrollment is to include orphans, pregnant teenage mothers, and other children from the general Bwindi area.
It is our hope and prayer that this school will uplift the community of Bwindi. Cost per child is $504 annually.
YOU can help by giving today, for tomorrow – please consider sponsoring a child to improve their life and the economy of the Bwindi community.
We are excited about our 2023 projects, some of which have carried on into 2024. We invite you to review these priorities below and prayerfully consider how you might be able to partner with us.
We had a great year in 2022 at BUCC for the BECU school and orphanage in Bwindi, Uganda. Take a look at what was accomplished thanks to your help and support. Without you these accomplishments would not be possible. The children of Bwindi thank you!!
Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Bwindi children,
Thank you again for all that you do to support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) of Uganda all year along!.
Many of you, our sponsors and friends, have greatly contributed towards our Christmas drive and we need to extend our thanks to you all. Our special thanks go to the following:
Ryan and Karen Audrey for donating $2,500 for gifts to OVC’s.
Raymond Snisky for donating $2,000 for Christmas celebrations (This will go towards goats for orphans).
BUCC various givers for donating ($2,000 for Christmas party for OVC’S)
BUCC for donating $2,500 for bonas pay for teachers and staff.
BUCC for donating $100 bonus for teacher of the year.
Ken Johnston for donating Sawyer filters.
All our children’s sponsors for sending Christmas gifts for specific children they sponsor.
With your help, on December 20th, we held very successful Christmas celebrations at Bwindi Junior school and we were able to feed 226 children and 100 older persons on a special meal and each of the 106 orphans and vulnerable children received a wonderful surprise and beautiful gift. The gifts included clothes, shoes, drinking water bottles, beddings and hygiene supplies.
Again, thank you to many of you our dear sponsors for renewing education sponsorships for the next year. Only two sponsors have reported that they will not be able to renew their sponsorships next year due to financial hard ships.
Urban S.1, Miracle S.2, and Anita P.1 have lost sponsorships for next year.
Thanks to you all for being awesome!.
GOAT DAY
Bwindi Eco Children Uganda board has chosen January,1st, of every year to be”? Goat day”. This day is meant for celebrating end of year with give a Goat.
On this day orphans, widows, people with disabilities and families in need are brought together on a round table discussion to share challenges affecting them and opportunities in goat rearing.
Each of the invited is then given a female goat to go and rear at home. This is meant to give orphans, widows, people with disabilities and families in need an ability to begin raising a small herd of goats that will provide them with a source of income that will enable them meet their basic needs and scholastic materials for their children.
With donations of $2,000 from Raymond Snisky on January 1st, 2023, we shall hold our first “goat day” at our Bwindi Junior school campus.
We have selected 100 people for this first “goat day” meeting.
We encourage any interested friends, sponsors or well-wishers to donate towards this cause. One may give one goat or more. The cost per young female goat is $60.
Please also kindly receive our Christmas wishes, photos and videos of Bwindi Children Christmas celebrations attached below.
To our supporters of the Bwindi Uganda School and Orphanage,
A severe thunderstorm and hailstorm has struck the Bwindi area. Four people had to be taken to the hospital as a result of the storm although none were a part of the orphanage and school. We thank God for his mercy. However, the storm did kill 13 goats that belonged to the school and destroyed the housing of the goats. Pictures below show the damage done to the goat shed. Could you please help out the orphanage and school? You can go to our website www.childrenuganda.com and donate to the school to replace the shed and goats. Or you can mail a check to:
Bwindi Uganda Children Charities, Inc. Attn: Ken Johnston 1326 Asher Drive Keller, TX 76248
Thank you for your support.
Deryl Beakley For the Board of Directors Bwindi Uganda Children Charities, Inc.