Mission
Changing Fear to Hope
Bootstraps Education is an NGO, not-for-profit program, working in cooperation with Future for Refugee (www.futureforrefugee), and other NGOs teaching English, Math, and Computer Literacy. This school is provided free of charge to refugee children. The program is designed to help these students develop knowledge and skills which will enable them to be agents of their own change, as they move beyond basic subsistence, and beyond reliance on prostitution for basic necessities; to full employment and participation in society, when they come of age, whether that is in their host country, country of origin, or another country.
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Agents of Their own Change
Most children in refugee camps throughout Uganda are not receiving any formal education. 81.9% of children (ages 7-12) are not enrolled in a school, and 85% of children (ages 13-17), are not enrolled in a school. Not being able to go to school was rated as a primary stressor of children, according to a Save the Children, Needs Assessment Report on Child Protection and Education, among Ugandan refugees. Too many refugee children have been forced into the red-light (prostitution), due to the lack of money for basic necessities. Most youth in the world’s refugee settlements, and those living as Urban Refugees, do not believe that a bright future is possible for them, due to vulnerabilities, poverty, trauma, and stigma.
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Inclusive Population
By current definitions in first-world educational systems, most of our students qualify as having special needs due to the level of physical and psychological trauma they have experienced and continue to experience, including forced migration, poverty, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, and being unable to attend school, according to a UNESCO report. In order for these children to get an education, the school needs to be a safe haven in their community, with adult role models who are aware of their daily struggles. All of our instructors are multi-lingual Ugandan refugees who understand the importance of treating our students with compassion and respect.
Learn MoreGoals
At Bootstraps Education, our goal is to improve life-style outcomes for refugee children, by increasing their knowledge of English, Mathematics, and Computer Literacy; enabling them to be agents of change in their own futures, giving them real hope for furthering their education, leading to future gainful employment. Many of the children speak only regional languages from their country of origin, which will not help them in relocating outside their country of origin. (Conditions in their countries of origin often make returning there, impossible.) With this in mind, our top goal is to teach these students to read and write in English.
Through participation in the classroom, students will also be learning key life-skills of memorization, and self-discipline, as well as, being part of a group with a common goal. All these skills can noticeably increase self-esteem, which is often lowered through a variety of traumatic events experienced by these children. All children in our program live well-below the poverty line. Other essential goals of our program, include teaching these children Mathematics and Computer Literacy, the concepts of which are international. In addition to the goals listed above, our school will also provide the children with a mid-day meal on school days. (Most students would not get this extra nutrition, if they were not at school.)
NEWS AND NEWSLETTERS
BOOTSTRAPS EDUCATION:
Building a Brighter Future for Refugee Children
FALL 2020 NEWSLETTER
Bootstraps Education is an NGO (not for profit) program, working in cooperation with other NGOs. This school is provided free of charge, to teach English, Math, and Computer Literacy, to refugee children. The program is designed to help these students develop basic skills and knowledge, which will enable them to be agents of their own change, as they move from basic subsistence, and beyond reliance on prostitution for basic necessities; to full employment and participation in society, when they come of age, whether that is in their host country, country of origin, or another country.
83% of refugee children in some areas, (including Kampala, Uganda, where our first school is located,) are not receiving any formal schooling. Other NGOs in the area have expressed a desire to provide education for these children, but have not been able to do so, due to budgetary constraints. It is our hope that these other NGOs will be able to provide some of the funding towards education for these children, with Bootstraps Education as the actual school.
Most youth in Uganda's refugee camps do not believe a bright future is possible for them, due to continuing hunger (One meal of cornmeal porridge a day, is all that most of these children get to eat.), continuing extreme poverty, trauma, and lack of educational opportunities.
WHY DO THE STUDENTS IN THE PICTURE ABOVE LOOK SO HAPPY? They are happy because they love going to school to learn, to be safe, to get positive reinforcement, and to get fed 2 meals a day.
U.S. Contact: Marla McGhee, Uganda Contact: Irenge Mbwiriza, Executive Director, Co-founder, Curriculum Director Country Director, Co-founder, Lead Teacher
93 Greymont Lane #208, Asheville, NC 28806 (704)496-0747 Semakeriko Road, Kampala, Uganda, 256-777-739-763 bootstrapsforeducation@gmail.com bootstrapsforeducation@gmail.com
History
After a lot of leg work from Irenge and a lot of data-mining by Marla, Bootstraps Education was born! Mr. Mbwiriza will serve as the lead teacher and country director for Uganda. Mrs. McGhee will continue to provide educational guidance, serve as the organization's administrator, and seek sources of funding to continue the program.
Irenge, Marla, our additional teachers (who will be introduced in future blogs), and the excited families of the children who have registered for our first term ever, to begin in August 2020, thank you for taking an interest in Bootstraps Education!
"IF YOUR DREAMS DON'T SCARE YOU, THEY'RE NOT BIG ENOUGH," Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, Liberian President
Budget
WILL YOU PLEASE BE PART OF THE SOLUTION?
Our 2021 budget below will allow us to educate 80 students. (This is double our 2020 enrollment.)
One Time Donations
10 notebook-style computers* (10-inch screens) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Price TBD
A small copier/printer*>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 400. USD
*Note to Donors: If you wish to donate items, such as computers or copiers, to the school, it is suggested to buy them from retailers in Kampala, as international shipping fees are extremely high.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN BECOMING PART OF THE SOLUTION!
Donation options appear on the next page.
Donate
As soon as we can afford it, we will apply for non-profit status in the U.S., to make your donations tax-deductible. At this time, we are a not-for-profit, NGO (non-governmental organization), operating with permission of the Ugandan government.
Your donations will help us continue growing our school and building a brighter future for refugee children.
Thank you from all of us at Bootstraps Education!
NOTE:
You can use a credit or debit card through the Pay Pal portal above.
You can also donate via our GoFundMe page.
Click link: Go Fund Me
YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION IS KEPT PRIVATE AND NEVER SHARED WITH OTHERS.
Future Plans
We opened our first school during August 2020, in Kampala, Uganda, in and our first class consists of 38 urban-refugee children, taught by 2 teachers. We are expanding our Kapala location to accomodate 80 students starting January 2021. Once this school is well-established, we plan to open our next location in the Kayaka 2 refugee settlement, near Kamapla. From there we plan to expand to all refugee settlements in Uganda, then to refugee settlements in other African countries; then to refugee settlements on other continents.
Our plan for Uganda, is to educate the students through the Primary (K-6th grade) levels, so they will be prepared to take the Primary School Exit tests, to be eligible for Secondary School. When the time comes, we plan to cover the costs of uniforms and school supplies for those students wishing to enroll in Secondary School. Similar arrangements will be made for our schools/students in other countries.
THEIR FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS...
Contact
- Bootstraps Education, Semakeriko Rd., Kampala, Uganda
- Visitors are welcome by appointment.
- bootstrapsforeducation@gmail.com
- School Open: Monday - Friday in Kampala U.S. & Uganda offices: Please use contact form on this page.
Volunteer
PLEASE LET US KNOW OF YOUR INTEREST AND AREA OF EXPERTISE.
If your experience and expertise match our needs, we will contact you for further information.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Lawyer - U.S.
Accountant - U.S.
Accountant/Bookkeeper - Kampala, Uganda
Grant Writers - Worldwide