Hunger keeps hundreds of children out of school around the district. As their parents often have to leave for farm work very early in the mornings, many children in poorest villages have to walk hours to school on an empty stomach. Parents are also worried about their children’s safety if they attempt to cook alone. Many families opt to take their children to the fields with them, where they can be fed, instead of sending them to school.
In response, the Ssamba Foundation launched the School Meals Project, which provided free school lunches to children in the poorest areas and we are now funding initiation of school garden- every school should have a garden. With support from the community, volunteers lead this initiative, using home-grown ingredients to prepare nutritious meals. The schools receive a steady supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers.
This project began in 2009 as a feeding outreach to the destitute orphaned and vulnerable kids in the villages of Mukono District. The project also provides basic needs such as food, medical care and clothing to children in the villages of Kyampisi. These children live in dire poverty and are dying daily from malnutrition and vaccine-preventable diseases. This Project exists to prevent this fate and give the children not just food and education but a future.
Mr. Ssamba said while launching this project in 2009 ” The project’s goal is to provide a comprehensive, nourishing environment to these children. We shall feed them, cloth them, house them, rehabilitate them, educate them, and present them to society as respectable citizens”.
Sustainable Agriculture Program
Recognizing the long-term physical, emotional, social and economic effects of malnutrition, hunger and poverty, Ssamba Foundation places great emphasis on teaching children simple farming – growing organic fruits and vegetables namely, tomatoes, maize, beans, cabbage, onions, carrots, pumpkins, watermelons, mangoes and passion fruits. The children learn sustainable techniques and help seasonal work such as: planting, pruning, weeding, fencing, harvesting, building, and caring for cows, sheep, goats. The farm animals provide children with protein in form of meat, eggs and milk.
School Supplies for Children of Uganda
Through the School Supplies Project, we provide great relief to needy and vulnerable children in rural communities of Mukono District by providing them with scholastic materials to enable them to attend school.
Children in poverty come to our office to receive educational support: pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers, crayons, markers, dictionaries, construction paper, glue, shoes, exercise books, story books, bibles, educational toys, Backpacks etc.
We collect (new and used) pens, pencils, notebooks, erasers, crayons, markers, construction paper, glue, shoes, clothes, books, story books, bibles, dictionaries, educational toys, Backpacks etc. from friends, colleagues, family or whoever donates them and donate them to needy and vulnerable children in Uganda.
As a donor, you will receive regular updates on how your donation has been distributed and how many children have benefitted from it. You can directly post the package to us in Uganda through our address below.
You are always welcome to visit our programs in Uganda. You may also want to volunteer your skills with our child development program or generally our organization.
Posting/Shipping a package to Uganda:
- Notify us through email/phone, that a package is coming.
ssambafoundation@gmail.com or +256-701-391351
- Be sure to clearly mark the box “free-school supplies” to facilitate clearing Ugandan customs.
- On the customs form, list the value as “$0”.
- Ship your donation package!
- It takes 3-6 weeks for a package to travel from abroad to Uganda
- DO NOT send cash in boxes of donation!
If Ugandan customs departments or postal services discover cash in a box marked “free-school supplies” it increases the potential for theft of future packages. For cash donations, please contact us for bank account details.
Ship or post the package to the Postal Address below:
SSAMBA FOUNDATION
P.O Box 423 MUKONO, UGANDA
EAST AFRICA
Tel: +256-701-391351