It’s been a while since I “went to the well” to start a new campaign. I don’t like to stand around with my hand out…until we really need something. But, in this case, we do.
As so many of you are aware, the only reason I still blog and tap, is the opportunity to do the work we started in Buyijja, Uganda in 2014 when my youngest daughter did an internship there. Alissa offers monetary support for these projects, and I blog. It’s a nice quid-pro-quo agreement. But, most of the money for these projects comes from Tappers like you! And, over the course of the 4 years, TSTO TAPPERS have been the primary source of support, raising almost 70% of all of the gifts offered to this work.
Amazing…and so incredibly difficult to explain to others. “Well yes…we have an NGO in Uganda that is funded primarily through the generosity of a silly Simpsons mobile game…I KNOW…it sounds crazy...but LOOK AT THE WORK WE HAVE DONE!! ”
When I look back at all we have accomplished, I am completely astounded! You have changed lives. You have done more than you could ever imagine to change the lives of a small, forgotten segment of the world…and you have done it unconditionally, with no strings attached…just because you could!
With your help we have raised funds and accomplished:
- Twelve Successive Terms (3 per year) of School Supplies and Books
- Sanitary Bathrooms
- Sanitary Drinking Water
- A Rain Water Storage Tank
- Solar Lighting and charging station for the classrooms
- Shoes for children who have none
- Playground Equipment
- Tools, Seed and Support for Vocational Farming
- Beds for the Teacher’s temporary shelter
- Storage for books and supplies
- Teaching Support and Administration
The last couple of big projects were done with the support of an International Rotary Grant. I am a relatively new member of Rotary, and 
Teacher and Student Dorms and Vocational Farming School
We began fundraising for this project back in 2016, and then, due to concerns with security, and changes in immediate needs brought about by drought, the project was adapted to begin vocational farming, but the building construction were put on hold and the initial funding raised diverted for another well and rain gathering/water storage tank, while starting the farming program.
Adapting and modifying is the benchmark of how the Buyijja Village school has survived through innumerable challenges. And now, we are ready to move forward for our most ambitious project to date.
The school faces three distinct challenges that can be solved with this project.
1. Temporary Boarding for Teachers and Students who come from remote villages or are forced to remain overnight due to inclement weather conditions. Due to the success of the Buyijja Village School since regular support for supplies and books began back in 2014, the number of students has grown substantially, primarily from under-served villages in the surrounding region. As these children make the trip by foot, over miles of jungle and open dirt roads, they often choose to spend the night, rather than walk in darkness in the undeveloped, unsafe roads and trails that surround the school. Temporary boarding, with clean water, sanitary bathrooms, and solar lighting would provide a safe, if temporary alternative.
2. Vocational Education in Farming, with a safe storage area for tools, seed, and processing area.
3. Sustainable Food Source that helps feed students and teachers, while educating a generation of new farmers with responsible and sustainable agriculture practices. This project will be done in three phases, the first of which (Vocational Training and Farming) has already been started. Construction and remodeling of the existing building can be done in phases, with the addition of bathrooms, a well, and rain collection/storage tanks being added in the second stage. Final stage will include Solar lighting, and furnishing the dormitory area with beds, work tables, and food preparation area.
Our hope is to do this in phases… Do the Building with the help of the TSTOTapper Community…then do the extra bathrooms and water/storage through Rotary Grants. But, we need the building first…
These projects are done through a lot of people donating a little…and EVERY DOLLAR helps. We take no administration costs, with every dollar going to the project (outside of nominal charges for GoFundMe and Currency Conversion rates).
Please Help Us in This Project… We Can Do This as a Tapper Community!
DONATE HERE
To learn more about our work…
Go to http://www.friendsofbuyijja.com
Peace, Hope and Love... Something this world truly needs!