As winter’s thaw approaches here in the northeastern United States, Engari sub-county in southwestern Uganda is already hot. It’s the dry season, which means dusty streets, water scarcity, and lower crop yields. Because of the water scarcity, and because the water that is available is of poor quality, the prices for cattle decrease as it becomes more costly to care for them. Despite these very real challenges, there are a lot of exciting things happening in Engari.

Students at Bright Future School, Uganda

Catherine Birungi, director of Bright Future School with students

We are excited to share that Joy of Community Foundation now supports 34 students who are part of our sponsorship program! Not only do they receive health care, education, and consistent meals, but their families now have reason to believe there will be a brighter future in store for them. To all who have contributed to this success, we extend a heartfelt thank you! We are humbled to have so many people invested in our cause.

Also, we’ve learned that because of our sponsorship, Bright Future Primary School has been able to make major improvements to their school standards. They have purchased metallic beds for the dormitories, which will replace the wooden ones that are not very durable and which often harbor bed bugs. The school has also been able to add Primary six level to their curriculum, and has plans to add a Primary seven classroom in 2020. That would allow students to remain at one school for their primary education, making them more marketable for selection at university level when the time comes. Catherine Birungi, Director of Bright Future School, has been overjoyed by these improvements to their capacity, and has expressed gratitude to JOCF for our work.

Sincerely,
The Joy of Community Team