Our dedication

The landlocked country Uganda in Eastafrica directly on the equator counts to one of the poorest countries in the world. Since October 1962 Uganda is independent but marked from long civil wars through the Lord Resistance Army (LRA). The total average age is 15 years (!), that means most of the human beings there are children who have often no family anymore or  live with relatives who can not afford paying a school fee for them. A Ugandan family has in an average 8 to 12 kids and lives from a daily income of around 1.25 CHF (=1.25 USD) per day. With this small income an average family needs to pay accommodation and food so that it is impossible to afford paying any school fees for their kids.

Based on the high poverty in countryside regions adults are often forced to abandon some of their kids to feed the remaining part of the family. If kids are allowed to live with their families, they are mostly illiterates and farm daily by rain, sun, wind or storm on the small area behind their houses to harvest their food they need for the family.

Hunger, thirst, hard work, sleeping in poorly equipped sleeping places and also domestic violence are no foreign words for them as they are used to these in their lifes.

We would like to stopp this and helping at least few needy kids in Uganda to have a better future and the possibility to learn a great job so that again they could help their families and support other kids in going to school with maintaining our philosophy.

Preferably we would like to support kids for their secondary or professional who have already attended the primary school and showed great school results and a mature behaviour. Secondary or professional schools in Uganda are generally boarding schools where the kids are living, eating and learning there. An average school has around 60 to 80 kids in one school class, sitting near to each other on small benches and listening to a teacher in front writing school stuff on the board. 

The secondary school goes over 6 years, while it is split into 2 parts: Senior 1 to Senior 4 and Senior 5 to Senior 6. Between Senior 4 and 5 there is a public exam that is similar our "General Certificate of Secondary education". Also after Senior 6 there is another public exam which is equal to our "High school graduation".

To learn a great job there is a need of reaching a certificate after attending the exam after Senior 4. If kids would like to go to a University they have to reach the certificate after Senior 6. 

In addition to the school fees parents have to count on additional costs, e.g. school uniform, insurances, exam costs, locker fees, food fees, school stuff as books, booklets, biros, pencils.

We know the youngters we support in person. Katrin has known these youngsters during her one-year stay or during her regular visits in Uganda and researched the background of them very well. Newcomers are well-known and evaluated by our active member Jason. He has recommended new kids to us. 

Our youngsters were abandoned by their parents, have lost them or they have no chance for getting a regular daily income. As there is no regular income and if there is a regular one but only a really small comes into the family income these youngsters can not go to school if we wouldn't support them.

Our youngsters need to show a high willingness to perform greatly in school as they had to show us already with their primary school results. Furthermore they need to bring a great maturity and responsibility in their behavior so that they give us the feeling that it is worth to support them in going to a school. Only children who understand very well that they have a better future with us and show that with good behavior and performance will be supported by us on long term approach. If the behavior and their performance in school is not following our guidelines we are starting to have in depth discussions with them and ask for improvements and give further help if needed to withdraw weak points. If the improvement plan is not gonna work we do not feel shy to finish our commitment for supporting them and choosing different children.

The collected money may it be by purchasing the drawings or the jewelry, activities or by getting a donation from you we will support directly our chosen youngsters by paying their school fees. We pay the complete school fee and also the additional cost which are necessary to attend a school, e.g. transport to and from the school home, school uniform, school stuff as school books, booklets, pencils, sports clothes, regular medical checks as well as few pocket money. We are in regular contact with our youngsters as well as that we are allowed to contact the school director in case of issues or further questions and to interact with the youngsters if needed. The school fee and all additional costs needed to get the education going are directly send to our youngsters as all are adults in the meanwhile and can receive money transfers. Our youngsters have to send us back receipts for the payments they have done with the money we have sent to them.  There is no money transfer to the family of the youngsters, as our goal is that the complete money will go to the youngsters needs and that no middleman will enrich him- or herself by helping these youngsters.  The administrative costs are approx. 2 % at the moment which will be covered from the board of MUKISA. The board as well as all other members of MUKISA are working voluntarily and receiving no salary or incentives.

We are in regular contact with our youngsters and expect after every end of a  term a copy of the results from them. These results won't be published here in detail as we highly respect the privacy of our kids. But if you have a keen interest to see the results you are welcome to contact us and we will show you them personally if needed. You have also the possibility to meet them in person when you are travelling in Uganda. We will make it possible that you will be able to know them if you wish so. 

In case you have donated money to us we offer you to confirm your donation in a donation receipt signed by us and send to you as pdf via email latest every end of the year so that probably you could use it for your tax refund.

Every beginning of the year you receive from us also the end year report of the last year, giving you details about donations, spends and activities, via email. 

We are not sending reports or donation receipts via mail (if not really needed), to save costs as we would like to ensure that your donation is going directly to our youngsters .

For every questions regarding MUKISA, its setup, its activities as well as the status of our children do not hesitate to contact us under info@mukisa.ch or enter it directly under "contact".