UGANDA DAY
On Sunday 15th May the girls from Ivy House took part in a charity day to help raise awareness and money for Miss BM’s charity in Uganda.
Prior to the day, the girls were busy baking and selling cupcakes to the other boarding houses. The charity day was following a day in the life of a girl in Uganda. The Ivy girls woke up at 6am, and then walked for 3 miles, before returning to the house for a bowl of porridge for breakfast. After that, the girls hand washed their dirty dishes and clothes outside, as the girls in St Michaels’s School in Uganda would do.
During chapel, Miss BM spoke to the rest of the boarding community about the charity day in Ivy House. She explained that the girls in Uganda are always smiling and happy, despite having very little, and they never complain about anything. She hoped that the day would remind all Ivy girls how lucky they are, and to appreciate all that they have in their lives.
On returning from church, it was time to prepare lunch. This was rice, cabbage and kidney beans. After lunch, the girls enjoyed arts and crafts, making necklaces and bracelets out of paper beads that they made by rolling up pages from magazines. They also made some balls full of rice, and had a game of skittles using recycled batteries for the pins, just as the girls in Uganda would.
The day finished at 4pm with a delicious barbecue to celebrate managing a day with no mobile phones, Ipads or any electricity. The girls were delighted to have their phones back!
During the day Ava Dempsey said “It’s great to have a day without our electronics as we are getting creative and having lots of fun playing”.
Mrs Crinion and Miss Beach-MacGeagh are very proud of their girls in Ivy, for all their hard work in making the charity day such a great success. Miss BM said “I am delighted that the girls enjoyed the day and threw themselves into each activity and managed to raise a total of £127.40 for their efforts. Well done girls!”
Tia Smye (Year 5) and Madison Dempsey (Year 6)
Fiona Beach-MacGeagh, Ivy House Tutor and our Deputy Head of Admissions spends her summer holidays supporting a primary school in Uganda. Fiona, a founding member of the charity 'Friends of St. Michael's Girls Primary School, Busembatia, Uganda' helped set up the charity whilst volunteering at the school during her gap year 14 years ago.
St. Michael’s Primary School, Busembatia, Uganda is a government aided school about 88 miles from Kampala and situated in a remote and rural area. There are about 600 girls and 12 boys, both boarding and day scholars. Most come from desperately poor backgrounds and some are orphans who are given food and shelter by the school.
The charity is committed to not only looking after 50 orphans, but also feeding the children a bowl of porridge each day, to enable them to have the energy to continue learning and empowering the girls by giving them skills for when they leave school, rather than getting married at the age of 15.
If you would like more information about the charity please contact Fiona Beach-MacGeagh.