Mattresses for older people in the community!
With the support of the Friedrich Pongratz Foundation, we were able to buy blankets, pillows and mattresses for some older people in our community over Christmas, as they often don’t even have the bare necessities. They were very happy. Almost no one in Germany needs to worry about the necessary basic supplies, but in Uganda they do. We would like to give a little help to the people who no one helps and who no longer have the chance to help themselves and make their living conditions a little easier and thus make their own human dignity a little more noticeable again.
Sewing course for the girls at school!
Despite difficult circumstances at school at the moment, we decided to buy sewing machines and organize a sewing course for the girls at our school. As a result, the students learn an important craft at school that can be useful to them after school and could earn them a living. An experienced teacher took over the sewing course and she helps the students learn to use the sewing machines so that they can then make patterns for the dresses, shirts and trousers. The sewing course increases the girls’ self-confidence and lays an important foundation for self-help.
New playground equipment for school!
With the support of the “Merck Family Foundation” we purchased new play equipment for our Deseret Community School in Uganda. The play equipment gives the children fun and exercise during school breaks and in general. In addition to mental activity, children urgently and necessarily need physical balance and exercise. Through active activities in play, children get to know the world in which they live better and, above all, they enjoy it.
Art project at school!
In 2020/2021, with the support of the “BK Kids Foundation”, we organized an acrylic painting course at the Deseret Community School in Uganda to support the children’s development of their potential. The course was very well received and inspired the children artistically and opened up new worlds to them. They have really blossomed and want more of it. Through creativity and artistic activity, the children regain more self-confidence and their love for life grows. The purpose of arts education is not necessarily to produce professional painters or artists. For now, it’s about creating more complete people who can think critically, are curious and can and want to lead a constructive life! Some had great talent and really took to the field. So the children loved the course and we will continue it with the support of the Peter Ustinov Foundation.
New school furniture for Deseret Community School!
In 2020/2021 we purchased new school furniture for our Deseret Community School in Uganda with the support of the “Edith-Haberland-Wagner Foundation”. The new school furniture now significantly improves the school situation, even if not all students can benefit from it at the moment, as school operations have been brought to a standstill due to the Corona measures and only the 6th and 7th grades are allowed to study. We hope that this will change soon. The furniture is very beautiful and was made by hand. Now the students have their own desk and chair, which means they can learn more concentratedly and individually. We have purchased furniture in different colors for the very little ones in order to relieve them of the typically dreary Ugandan everyday life and to give them a little joy. The large tables for the new school library have also become very nice and now give the children the opportunity to read stories or play games together. In general, equipping the school with the new furniture has greatly improved its standard and significantly optimized the learning environment. We hope that by improving the learning environment, children will enjoy learning more.
New school library is ready!
We are pleased to announce that we were able to build a school library with the support of the Georg Krauss Foundation! Due to the Corona measures in 2020, there were significant delays due to a lack of personnel and materials, as well as restrictions. Ultimately, the construction project went ahead without any difficulties or problems during execution. The new school library now houses the first books and, especially in the restrictive Corona period, it ensures that the free time gained is put to good use. Ugandan children have very poor reading skills because they are not taught it properly and there is no reading tradition. We now want to try to break this down slowly and carefully and slowly introduce the children to reading, starting with picture books for the very little ones. We not only want to teach the children how to pronounce the letters, words and sentences, but also talk to them about the meaning of what they have read. After reading a story or fairy tale, the children sit together in small groups and talk about it with the teachers. The children should experience how fascinating it is to lose yourself in a story, how your imagination blossoms and gives wings to your soul. Only when they experience this themselves will they want to learn to read.
We have started cementing the sidewalks!
As you can see in the picture below, the mud situation at school when it rained was unbearable! Because of this, it was impossible to keep both the children and the classrooms clean. It was also easy to slip, which could be dangerous. For this reason, we decided to use the Corona period and cement the sidewalks and started doing it in October. Construction work is currently in full swing.
Deseret Foundation e.V. wishes you a Merry Christmas!
We at Deseret Foundation e.V. wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Thank you to all the wonderful supporters for your loyalty and generosity! It wasn’t an easy year, not even for us. How will everything continue? What are we facing? “But now faith, hope, love remain, these three; but love is the greatest of them.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) And love has the power to counteract the pessimism of the mind with the optimism of the will. Let us move into the new year with this strength in our hearts!
Toys have reached Uganda
The companies Carletto Deutschland GmbH, Schleich GmbH and Molten Europe GmbH gave us a wonderful toy donation last year. The first load was brought to Uganda in January and the children were really happy. Due to the lack of abundance in Uganda, the children there are infinitely happier with the toys. Very few children have any toys in Uganda and when they do get some, they are usually in seventh heaven. Rose Lufafa (director) immediately sewed a school uniform for the doll in the first picture (left)!
New school kitchen
With the support of “A Heart for Children” we built a new school kitchen for our Deseret Community School. The new school kitchen now supplies the approximately 300 students and teachers. For some Deseret students, school lunch is the only real meal of the day. It is all the more important that the necessary infrastructure works and is adequately set up for the constantly growing number of students. The school’s cooks now feel comfortable and can cook with peace of mind without the risk of harm to their health. The cooking process is more efficient and faster and uses far more energy than before because the firewood required burns in an air-protected space and not in an open space as before. The new kitchen also has a small storage room for poscho, corn and firewood, which can now be stored safely and protected from the rain. A small anteroom for serving food was also created so that in the event of heavy rain the children can pick up their food and enjoy it in a dry place.