In December 2023, Roscrea Lions Club donated €1,000 to help a local school in Uganda, which is led by Roscrea native Sr Mona Maher. Coloma Primary School was founded in 2010 by the religious congregation of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph. The school is located in Mbarara in the western part of Uganda.
Sr Mona kindly updates the club regularly, and the below letter and photos were recently received.
Coloma Primary School, Uganda
12/03/2024
Dear Liam and all the members of Roscrea Lions Club
With best wishes to each one of you and I wish you all the best.
I am finally reporting on the use of the Euro 1,000 which you gave as a gift to this school in December 2023. We do not take such a big gift for granted and on behalf of the school administration, the staff, and the parents I thank you most sincerely.
For the first time ever since school began in 2010, we have a double stream of children sitting for the final state exam in November this year. This means that the school will have 77 children to cater for. School classes are of 40 children so our number should be 80. However, at the end of 2023 the family of one of the children moved and took their girl with them. Another is a sickly girl and we asked the parents to keep her at home with them as a day student for easy medical monitoring and the 3rd , the weakest girl in the class, her parents requested that she repeat the P6 class in 2024. Exams are very competitive in Uganda and at primary level many children’s futures are decided since the choice of secondary school is according to the grades obtained at this exam. Thus, there are strict rules for the exam procedure. Each child has to have an individual desk and chair with specified distances between etc. From last year we had 40 such desks and chairs so this year we purchased 40 more of each. We got the best possible quality made as they have to last for many, many years. Each desk and chair cost Euro 40 so the total for all was 40 desks and chairs was Euro 1,600. We happily used your 1,000 euro and I kindly asked 2 other friends to donate 300 Euro each and so we have our 40 children all comfortably using their desks and chairs daily. Thank you very much for your great contribution.
I shall attach 2 pictures of the P7 class and of a chair and desk.
Thank you very much and I wish each of you many graces and blessing for the year.
Yours sincerely
Sr Mona Maher