Support schools for the restart after the lockdown in Uganda

Support us in reopening the schools in Kyaktaama 2021! 
The schools in Uganda were closed with the beginning of the corona crisis. Teachers were not paid in the six-month lockdown and parents of school children did not earn anything. The last semester of this year at the Ugandan schools is only for graduating classes. The school is not expected to reopen to all until January 2021. 

Now in Kyakataama there is the concern that the school fees cannot be paid and so can't be the teachers. And after a long year without income, they will have to look for work elsewhere. So the schools would not be able to open at all. 

In order to enable our children from the project, but also the other village children, to go back to school, we collect money for the teachers' salaries. The goal is to be able to pay for the first semester to facilitate the reopening of the school, to give the parents of school children time to earn money and to secure the jobs of the teachers for at least three months. 

The Schools 
The majority of the children we support attend Rwihamba Advantage Nursery and Primary School and Mahoma Fall Nursery and Primary School Kabata. Both schools offer preschool and elementary school from grade 1-7. In total 28 teachers, 2 secretaries and 2 guards have to be financed. Since there is no support from the government, the staff is only financed by the school fees. Due to the crisis this is now even more difficult for the parents to afford. 

How did "Smart Kyakataama", the project of TOONDA e.V., start?
Rayka (author, ethnologist) and Jonas (artist) were nomads, researchers and artists who are convinced of the necessity of international cultural exchange of creative people. During a trip through Uganda they fell in love with the crater region of Western Uganda. In the village Kyakataama they found the place where they wanted to realize their life's dream. While Jonas and Rayka created a sustainable concept in the middle of nature as an alternative to the social void, fate struck - Jonas died of malaria at the age of 39 in August 2019. Despite the grief, Rayka, with the help of friends, continues to pursue the dream, continues to build the artists' meeting place and meanwhile sends 30 village children to school.

The Kyakataama settlement is located about six hours from Kampala. The inhabitants are hard-working farmers, who try everything to enable their children to go to school. But mostly there is a lack of money. 150€ for a school year - this inspired Rayka and Jonas to ask for sponsorships in their home country. Relatives and friends agreed. And so the idea was born: Smart Kyakataama became an integral part of the non-profit organization Toonda e.V. 

Further information is available at www.smartkidsuganda.org