The January Photo:
EDUCATION IS THE KEY
In this image, you can see our sponsored child Lenia Winnie (with the grey jacket on) along with our other children sitting in their classroom at the Boarding School Hopeland. From left to right the 22STARS girls in the front row are Aneno Irene, Natongo Mercy, Lenia Winnie and Akot Elizabeth.
Sponsored child: LENIA WINNIE
Lenia Winnie was born in May 2011, and is the cherished daughter of our former 22STARS artisan, Ojiri Santina. Tragically, her father passed away when she was just a baby. Winnie has two brothers and three sisters, and she dreams of becoming a teacher. Her mother was married at the young age of 14 and had her first child by 15, which forced her to leave school and seek work. Santina was incredibly thankful that we taught her how to create paper jewelry and welcomed her into our team. Also allowing her to provide food for her children. Currently, Winnie is in Boarding School and living with Susan at the center during holidays, as her stepfather did not accept her. She enjoys English as her favorite subject, loves cooking, and has an open-minded nature. Her favorite color is red, and her preferred dish is meat and rice. Winie is sponsored by 22STARS Since 2016 and has as long-term sponsor our Board Member Romana Oosterbeek. Thanks to going to school she has a bright future ahead.
A few more photographs from that day, shot by Serena Martineau.
Boarding School: SPONSOR SHOUTOUT
As the children in Kampala were living in very cramped houses with their families and were getting older, we saw the need of having them in a boarding school were they can fully flourish. In 2024 we faced the challenge that many of our children who became older over the years, could not longer live at home and needed to go to a boarding school, which is twice the price of the regular primary school. Thanks to our ambassador Maurice Bork from Die Wichtigste Stunde we got more than 150 new sponsors in, so that we could send many of our children to Boarding School. We have now more than 100 kids in Boarding Section at the Hopeland School.
Can you imagine that your child would grow up illiterate?
At our 22STARS projects in Uganda, this is the sad truth for many parents and children. Twenty years of civil war took a heavy toll on the Ugandan people. The parents of the 22STARS children fled from northern Uganda to Kampala, where they sought refuge from the war between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and Joseph Kony. They settled in "Acholi Quarter" and ended up living in an area centred around several stone quarries. Even children as young as 3 years old, have to work, crushing stones, to earn money for food. Although there is now peace in Uganda, the battle against poverty in the Acholi Quarters continues.
In 2020 the literacy rate in Uganda was 76.53%, the lack of education not only limits prospects for the future and has an impact on economic stability and health, but can also put people at risk of trafficking and exploitation. Furthermore, by keeping girls in school, the rates of child marriage and teen pregnancy significantly decrease. We want a better future for these children and their communities, and for that they need education. Once they are doctors, engineers, teachers or whatever their dream is, they will become change-makers and able to give back to their community. Educating children will benefit the whole economy in Uganda. We have a holistic approach to education, and hence on top of sending them to school, we run additional programs that benefit these children and their families.
Education is the key
When a child receives an education, their future is brighter and their dreams become a possibility. When a child goes to school, he will no longer need to beg in the streets for food. An educated child will be better able to find employment to secure a future for them and their family; helping them to break the poverty cycle. An education child can be informed much earlier about their health and wellbeing thus, reducing the chances of child marriage, early pregnancies and HIV/AIDS contraction.
The Education System in Uganda
In Uganda, the educational journey of a little one begins with Nursery School (3 years), then onto Primary School (7 years), followed by Secondary School (minimum 4 years), and a grand finale with a two-year Course. For the academic champions, they might even ace classes 5 and 6 before jetting off to University. And when things get hard at home, some kids will join the Boarding school section, which happens quite a lo
“Education is one thing no one can take away from you.” —Elin Nordegren
Each month, we will publish a blog post exploring the story behind the featured Charity Calendar photograph, offering insightful commentary and additional images. Check here which months we already posted.