Mubende, UGANDA--- During the lock down, REF embarked on a mission to transform its kitchen to a permanent shelter. The new kitchen structure has a storage room where food stuff will be stored, 3 cooking stoves that consumes less firewood compared to the previous one and two serving points that are spacious enough to encourage social distancing between the kitchen staff and the entire school community during meal time. You can see below the old kitchen (left) versus the new kitchen (right).
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Mubende, UGANDA --- When COVID-19 locked out many from income generating activities, REF elevated an economic empowerment project that its Founder, Prof. Peter Kasenene had started at a personal level in the community. Prof’s desire was to empower parents of our needy learners. Out of his pocket, he has been giving 5 birds and two piglets to Graduants from REF Adult learning. To expand the project, his operation model was designed to expect returns of 5 birds and 2 piglets after their reproduction from every receiver in order to pass them on to other beneficiaries.
REF took over this project during lock-down and distributed birds and piglets to more members. This program is already yielding considering the feedback REF keep fetching from beneficiaries. After carrying out a follow-up visit to one Gertrude’s farm who has already benefited, we found that she had expanded her pig sty, paid back the two piglets she received, and used money saved from the sale of other piglets towards the completion of her house. Gertrude is also using the waste products from the pigs as manure in her coffee garden; REF is encouraging others to make use of these waste. REF is closely monitoring this project to see how far it will transform lives economically.
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Mubende, UGANDA --- A REF staff member had an interview with a 21 years old Vian Niwabine who just completed his final assessment set by Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) on 26th November 2020. Vian was a scholarship beneficiary at REF and he was the best performing student this year, scoping 95%.
Racheal: Tell me about yourself.
Vian: I am a primary five leaver. I dropped out of school in 2014 after my father abandoned my mother with my other four siblings. Being the first born in my family, I decided to drop out of school and help my mother full time do farming to raise money for our upkeep and school fees for my three sisters and one brother.
Racheal: What inspired you to join non-formal education?
Vian: My passion for building and construction. This became easy and possible when Professor Kasenene employed my mother to work in his farm. We had to migrate from Bushenyi District to Mubende District where my mother would become a full-time worker in the farm. Very close to the farm, I found out about non-formal education at REF that was offering brick laying and concrete practice. I applied in 2018, and I was admitted.
Racheal: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Vian: I want to have a brick making business Racheal: What has your experience at REF been like?
Vian: I did not only gain knowledge. From time to time, my teachers proved their confidence in my skills by inviting me to be part of building and construction activities at REF. And each time I was called to work, I was paid
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