At the end of August the Foundation shipped 130lb
(59.1 Kg) of school supplies and sports equipment to the Narozari Primary School in Uganda. It is an impoverished rural school
approximately 140 Km from the capital city of Uganda, and has a student population of approximately 680. UPE funds are scarely
enough from the government to keep the school and the students in some kind of academic system. We were contacted by a non-profit
in Uganda, asking if we could help. With research the Board of Directors decided it was within the mission of The Allen Foundation
to supply school supplies and sports equipment. We chose a class of nine year olds to begin with, and we are now anxiously
waiting to hear of the receipt of the 11 boxes and then hopefully will see the photos of the excited children. If this is
successful it is planned to adopt other classes with the donated school supplies, which businesses and donors have been gracious
enough to supply. We feel it is not only important to attend school but to be able to play as children, so the soccer balls
and basket balls will be well used. They currently have one soccer ball and one netball (girls basketball)
for 680 children. Imagine!
It is a very exciting time for us.
In addition the Foundation has provided one year's
worth of schooling to four young children in Lilongwe, Malawi. These children are suffering with the lack of funds to attend
school and take exams, have the mandatory uniforms, provide supplies and all the things our children in the US take for granted.
It takes just $US130 for school for an entire year to provide those things and these children have peace of mind. These children
not only deal with not having breakfast in the mornings, but have ill parents who deal with the stigma of AIDS - a terrible
life when you are just eight or nine to have to deal with.
Also provided in Malawi is a knitting machine, for a poverty stricken mother, so that
she can learn from her sister, how to make school sweaters and sell them, thus improving her daily income.
Imagine just four cups of gourmet coffee in America provides a year's worth of school
supplies.
Please find it in your heart to help us out as we try to make a difference no matter
how little to these people in desperate conditions.
Keep watch as we will be making sure that the
news is updated frequently.
Thank you all for caring.
