Impacting the Community Inside and Outside the Classroom

In northern Uganda, Irene Gleeson Foundation (IGF) has partnered with Global Development Group for project J747 IGF Community Development Project since 2006. The project and its influence are well known in this region. Education is provided through four schools for more than 3,700 students, a further 432 students are enrolled in vocational training, medical care and information is delivered through school-based clinics and radio programs.

A GDG monitoring team visited the project last year and delivered training on sustainability. Teacher wages and food are major expenses and this year significant steps towards reducing these costs have been made. The Government now contributes to teacher salaries and 300 acres of farmland was recently purchased with the goal of reducing food costs. A ten-acre crop of maize along with five-acres of beans have been planted and harvested. Large scale farming will commence later in 2020 using lessons learned from the pilot crops. It is expected the farm will significantly reduce the cost of food and provide funds for other project activities.

By June 2020, COVID-19 had forced the temporary closure of IGF schools for 3 months so far, but the IGF team has distributed food, soap and transistor radios. With this support, thousands of children continue to learn from home while having more time to support their parents and learn valued traditional chores in the home and garden.