Umoyo Community Project (UCP) update

in September and October 2024, I visited Mkama chool accompanied by UCP Trustee Geoff Waterhouse and his wife Allison.

As usual, this visit was at our own expense. We were very warmly welcomed by the whole village and school community. We

saw at first hand the current status of the many projects we have completed there and the positive impact they have made.

During 2024, we were able to carry out much needed repairs and refurbishment to the various buildings we have constructe at the school. however, there is still a lot to be done. This is one of those things we aim to do on an ongoing basis.

In the last two years, we paid for a feeding programme at the school. This involved providing the 400 students with one meal a day, three days a week for four months, December to April. This was a very welcome project as it meant the students were able to come to school continuously during the period when food is very scarse in the area. The students were also very attentive and alert in class when they had ben fed. Most of them would normally be lucky to have a good meal a day otherwise! This year, it cost us approximately 25p to provide one meal for one child per day. The village ladies took it in turn to cook the meals at no cost, this is viewed as their contribution to the project. Whatever project we undertake, the village community contributes their labour for free which enhances togetherness.

We also funded a farm cooperative for 41 people. his meant they idntified an appropriate piece of land to grow maize and we provided financial assitance to purchase seeds and fertiliser. Last year. they managed to harvest75 bags of maize (50 kg each) which they will share among themselves to help them feed their families and sell some to put the money towards this year’s farming. We helped them again this year and they expect a better harvest. hopefully they can now continue by themselves and diversify to cash crop production.

We were able to spend a few hours with Stela Phiri, our medical student. She is a very ambitiious andintelligent young lady who wehave supported throughout her secondary school education and we continue to do so while she is doing her medical degree, a huge commitment on our part.

This year, we had 3 students who finishe their primary techer training course. One of our former students just graduate with a degree in pharmacology. Congratulation to them!

Looking forward to the future, we would like to:

1. Continue sponsoring students to go to secondary school, college or university.

2. Continue with maintenance og buildings and water wells.

3. Construst new toilets at the school.

4. Build more teachers’ houses.

5. Build one more school block.

6. Furnish the clinic.

7. Provide additional water wells in the surrounding villages.

8. Provide uniforms for the primary school.

   Provide some sports equipment and kits, e.g. for football and netbll.

The above list is not exhaustive as projects are identified on an ongoing basis.

Once again, I would like to convey my and the other Trustees, continued gratitude to all our supporters. You have all helped us on this journey through one-off donation, tnding orders nd other means of fundrising.