The REACH for Uganda is committed to creating healthy, educated, and hope-filled communities in rural eastern Uganda. Our cohesive programs function as building blocks that give both our students and these communities their best chances for sustainable successes.

Through our programs, REACH can be an agent for sustainable transformation. We believe that our dedicated students and these vibrant communities can accomplish amazing things and hope both to inspire and strongly support the brightest vision for their future!

Reach for Uganda Students

Primary Education

Located in the village of Bumwalukani, our Arlington Junior School (AJS) provides a quality primary school education to 450 children. Located in the village of Butinduyi in Namisindwa District, our second school, Matuwa Junior School (MJS) educates 320 students. Our rigorous, traditional curriculum in English (Uganda’s official language) emphasizes science, social studies, reading, and math. Our Ugandan teachers encourage participation, debate, critical thinking, and self-expression. In addition, students learn music, dance, drama, agriculture, domestic care, ecology, sports, and handicrafts.

Secondary Education

REACH’s Secondary School Scholarship Program enables AJS graduates and also scholarship winners from our outreach schools to achieve their dream of attending secondary school, which is equivalent to middle and high school in the U.S. In 2017, 350 village children attended high-quality boarding schools throughout Uganda thanks to REACH scholarships. Throughout their secondary studies, REACH continues to support these students’ academic success and also reinforces their ties to the local communities.

Post-Secondary Education

REACH is committed to helping its students achieve the highest level of education possible, including advanced tertiary and university degrees.  Our post-secondary students study Business Administration, Nursing, Human Resources Management, Medicine and Surgery, Accounting and Finance, Midwifery, Education, Secretarial Studies, Procurement and Logistics Management, Agriculture, Information Technology, Mechanics, Water and Sanitation, Women’s Health, Engineering, Medical Laboratory Science, and much more.

Health

Good health is central to any child’s long-term success. Children in remote, impoverished regions who fall ill due to malaria and other serious but treatable illnesses may have long student absences, and some never return to school.  In 2008, we opened the Beatrice Tierney clinic on the grounds of our school to ensure that our students, our teachers, and members of the community at large have access to quality, reliable health services that keep them on track for educational and life-long successes.

Outreach

Uganda’s public school system is desperately underfunded. Students often receive their education in school buildings that are falling apart with too few latrines, desks, or classrooms to accommodate all pupils. Building on the success of the REACH primary school model, we have expanded our reach to 26 local primary schools to provide training, resources, and materials that these students and schools need to be more successful.

Community Development

REACH’s ripple effect is felt throughout this rural community. REACH Uganda employs teachers, administrators, medical workers, and support staff. With steady employment and better pay, these workers’ standard of living has improved and enabled them to build better homes for their families and put their own children through school. REACH Uganda also positively impacts the local economy and entrepreneurial opportunities through our demand for construction services, school supplies, textbooks, food, transportation, and more.

Volunteering further developed my desire to go into education, international relations. It strengthened my belief about how important education is, and how rewarding it is to help kids learn.

Katharina
Teen Trip alum