BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM

I had lost hope of going back to school but when I joined RWO I gained hope. They helped me

Pauline

14 years old girl

FOR THE GIRLS...

Who come
from poor families

At risk/ already
dropped out of school

Exposed to Sexual or
Gender based violence

WHY

In Uganda, families can’t often afford to pay the school fees because of poverty. Education is not free from the beginning levels and many Can not afford it, yet it is the most sure medium of girls and women empowerment.

Sometimes, the parents don’t believe in educating a girl, because of gender inequalities.

A girl who dropped out of school will eventually end up becoming a victim of teenage pregnancies or child marriages because she has to find a way to survive. Our Back-to-School Program is in place to give girls a chance to achieve their dream and to grow while obtaining an education.

how it works

A vulnerable girl asks us for help

We engage her through our community and in school clubs and offer her guidance & counselling

We search for and pair her with a Sponsor: a donor who cares about her, covering the school fees (+ feeding and medical care, depending on the chosen sponsorship pack)

When we find a sponsor, the girl is enrolled into school and provided with school materials, continued guidance and mentorship

The girls continue with her education and has a chance to realize her dreams and full potential

OUR CHANGE STORIES

Olivia was 15 years old and run away from home, determined not to be married off when her path crossed ours. 34% of the girls in Uganda are married before their 18th birthday, but Olivia had a dream of becoming a surgeon.

Her resilient journey begun when she refused a suitor for her hand in marriage, ran away from her village home and sought refuge with an older sister.

Unfortunately, her sister had no room for her and insisted she gets married just like she and their mother had done before her: “15 years is old enough”, she was told.

Our team found Olivia in the Kigungu village square, during a community sensitization outreach.  When we started speaking passionately about the relevance of girls’ dreams, and why child marriages and teenage pregnancies should be outlawed, Olivia came forward to share her fears. It was 2017.

Fast forward to 2021: Olivia has already completed her Primary Leaving Examinations and is now in Senior One of secondary School, after receiving RWO’s shelter protection and becoming a very happy recipient of sponsorship under the Back to School Program. Her dream to become a surgeon one day is still alive.

latest girls back to school

JANET

13 years old, returned at school in 2021

Dream: become a teacher.

BRENDA

13 years old, returned at school in March 2021

Dream: become a teacher. She is in Senior Three.

PAULINE

19 years old, returned at school in 2017

Dream: became a surgeon.

pERCY

15 years old, returned at school in March 2021

Dream: become a teacher. She is in Senior Three.

want to become our next resilient sponsor?

… this sponsorship call is for you.
Every month we interact with girls who are at-risk of dropping out of school or already dropped out because of gender inequality or financial reasons in our community and in-school clubs or during family visits.