Education Support

When a parent is imprisoned, their biggest worry is the families left behind especially their children. Over 90% of the children under our care had dropped out of school or were not in school before joining the organisation. The aim of this program is to provide a holistic curriculum aimed at providing equitable access to quality education for children with incarcerated parents. The children are supported at Wells of Hope Schools (Wells of Hope Junior School and Hope High School) and higher institutions of learning.

PROJECT GOALS:
• To build the capacity of more families of inmates and formerly incarcerated people through education and essential skills training in order to improve economic viability, reduce family disintegration, reduce crime rates and keep children in school.
• To provide children of inmates with quality and affordable education.
• To make an impact on the growing number of vulnerable young people and out of school children who are denied the opportunity to continue their education and develop their fundamental skills, because a parent has been imprisoned.

Since schools in Uganda were closed as a measure to control the spread of COVID-19 in March 2020, the children have been continuing their studies through video lessons and educational material being compiled by their teachers.

Wells of Hope Junior School is a primary school located at Kyajinja village, Nakaseke district, 32 miles away from Kampala. It is a day and boarding school that was started in 2008 to offer free, quality education and implement holistic programs that prevent harmful effects of parental imprisonment on children for example; counseling, sports, dance and drama amongst others.

Hope High school is a secondary school that was started by the organization in 2017; and is located in Semuto village, Wakiso district. The school provides high quality free education to children with parents in prison in secondary level.

The school also incorporates other programs that help children deal with the trauma caused by parental imprisonment to include, counseling, sports and games, Music dance and Drama amongst others.

Tertiary institutions; Wells of Hope supports children in high institutions of learning; vocational and universities. Children get a chance to acquire hands on skills which are to benefit them when they go back to their communities, so that they can support their families back home. The organisation pays tuition fees directly to the institutions and also provides scholastic materials and welfare packages.

School Projects; these projects were developed to sustain the schools as well as for helping children get hands-on experience especially during science lessons. Currently, the projects being run include: piggery, dairy farming, gardening and poultry.

Skilling; children with parents in prison at Wells of Hope schools are equipped with trade skills so that after their education they go back home not only with a national education certificate, but are also awarded a certificate in vocational skilling. So far, the children are being empowered with culinary, sewing, hairdressing, design and graphics skills.

Wells of Hope Ministries supports children of imprisoned parents in Kenya and Tanzania by providing them with free education at schools within their communities.

Currently Wells of Hope is supporting 185 children in Uganda, 7 children in Kenya and 13 children in Tanzania. There has been a great reduction in the vulnerability of children with a parent in prison especially girls. Some of the girls who had dropped out of school were being forced into marriage at a very young age. Fortunately, with the fees contribution, the girl child can now realize the dream of attaining an education. The children are also assured of continuity in education. This has led to a reduction in the rate of school drop outs. Inmates living with HIV/AIDS no longer worry a lot about their children because they are now sure their children are at school. The fees burden that the caregivers had particularly the grandmothers has also been lessened. Besides this, most of the inmates’ families now have a positive attitude towards education.

For more information about Wells of Hope Schools, click here

ACHIEVEMENTS:
Currently Wells of Hope is supporting 158 children in Uganda, 7 children in Kenya and 13 children in Tanzania. There has been a great reduction in the vulnerability of children with a parent in prison especially girls. Some of the girls who had dropped out of school were being forced into marriage at a very young age. Fortunately, with the fees contribution, the girl child can now realize the dream of attaining an education. The children are also assured of continuity in education. This has led to a reduction in the rate of school drop outs. Inmates living with HIV/AIDS no longer worry a lot about their children because they are now sure their children are at school. The fees burden that the caregivers had particularly the grandmothers has also been lessened. Besides this, most of the inmates’ families now have a positive attitude towards education.