Information about this school is given in a report written by Eden Quayle in August 2009.

You can read it by clicking here

You can read about the construction of The Rainbow Room in 2009 by clicking here and the new block built in 2010 by clicking here

This picture shows old classrooms which are still being used.

In the background are newer ones.

The school had a partially-built double classroom block. The building was originally funded by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, but has been standing unfinished for some time because the builder went off with the money.

We estimated that it would cost about £4,000 to complete the project, which required outside rendering, provision of windows and doors, plastering and painting.

Thanks to a generous donation in January 2008, we were able to complete the project. Work started in early March.

Since then, Paul and his team of builders have made rapid progress.

The outside of the building was rendered.

Windows were fitted.

By the time David Epidu visited Gitenderi in January 2007 further work had been carried out.

The wall has been built and the brickwork rendered. The doors were being hung whilst David was there.

They came from the north, the south and the west to Gitenderi, each school proceeding down the narrow driveway like a battalion of colourful small soldiers. They spread out like ants across the playing field, each school one to two hundred strong; they had come together to celebrate the end of term and they had come together to celebrate football, volleyball, netball and athletics.

It took a lot of organising and hard work on the part of those involved, but, in the end, it was all worth it as teacher and pupil alike thoroughly enjoyed the day. Five schools - five schools that I had passed through in the last eight weeks, five schools that had changed in so many positive ways, they had all come because they were part of something; they were part of ACE and they were part of a bigger family in Cornwall four thousand miles away.

I did not expect so many people to attend. There must have been one thousand people at the event at a rough estimate. Normally just the sports team would come to an event like this in England but here in Africa when a sporting event takes place most of the school come to support their team. It certainly adds to the atmosphere of the day as children cheer on their schoolmates.

I will illustrate a few highlights of the day:

Netball

Three hard-working teachers and my friend Liz from England supervised netball on the newly constructed court at Gitenderi (including a certain fifty year old Donatta from Nyakabaya - see previous report!). For many of the girls participating it was the first time that they had played so I asked the teachers to run the games like a training session. The girls enjoyed playing so much that every-time they scored they would proceed to do cartwheels across the court.

Liz said to me afterward 'These are the craziest schoolgirls I have ever seen!'

All I could say was 'Yep, welcome to schools in Kisoro!'

Rurembwe School seemed to get the biggest cheer of the day as the netball girls screamed and danced on the grassy court after they beat another team surrounded by an audience of six hundred. Not bad for a team who had never picked up a netball before today.

Teachers

All teachers who were involved thoroughly enjoyed the day and kept asking me when the 'next sports day' was.

They sometimes had trouble controlling their students as a goal produced somersaults and cartwheels by the pupils as the supporting school invaded the football pitch in euphoria. It happens in the adult games as well from what I have seen. It certainly adds to the atmosphere of the game and is a great show to watch.

A good way to summarise the feeling from the teachers that day is this quote from a teacher from Nyakabaya School -

'I have to go, my pupils are playing against Gitenderi School and I have to support them!'

Local Community

It seemed that the local shepherds were also watching the games, as there were a noticeable number of cows and goats mingling with the crowd. I had a feeling though that the cows were there more for the grass than for the volleyball!

Overall

As the songs went up and dancing started at the end of the day's sport, all I could see were smiling kids and happy teachers before me. All who had come had thoroughly enjoyed the day and they all wanted to know when the next 'Sports Day' was. I said it would be next term and that they should train for it, and everyone said that they would.

It was a day to celebrate the end of term, the end of exams, and the end of my time at these schools. I wanted all those who came to go on from this event and regularly play sport on the new facilities at each of their schools. The kids enjoy sport and enjoy playing sport at school. I believe that, if a child enjoys going to school, and doing something like sport it is one more reason for that, the child is more likely to stay in school and not drop out. It is disheartening to see only 20% of pupils complete their seven years in primary school here in Kisoro. I hope that at ACE schools the completion rate is higher than that and with Angela Peake's love and devotion I believe that it will be.

I know that the children here suffer to the full, suffering in the stranglehold of crippling poverty. It is on days like today that the children forget all the hardships of home and just enjoy being a kid for a few hours…

That is a nice thought.

April 28th 2008 Eden Quayle in Kisoro, Uganda

This is the rear view of the building.

We were aiming that everything would be completed in time for the commencement of the new school year in January 2011.

David reported to the ACE trustees -

• The building which was started a month ago, is now at the roofing level, it was costed at about Shs 55million.
• The contractor thinks this building will be finished by the end of this year, ready for use when the schools open their new term next year.
• The money has been paid, but the contractor is asking for more money for putting up the retaining wall to hold the soil from being washed off the verandah.
• Shs 595,000/= (about £170) top up is needed for more sand, bricks, cement and transport. No labour to be added.
• The parents and community are really very happy and thanking Angela and her team for the generous donation of this four-classroom block.
• So far I visited the site and the work is very wonderful.
• The headteacher and his staff are expecting big numbers of pupils to join the school next term, since it's going to be one of the top shining schools in Kisoro District.

This picture was sent by David in early January 2011 and shows the roof on and fascia boards being fitted.

Some of the external rendering is also complete and windows with protective metal grills have been fitted.

..... and this is the view from the back.