News Archive

Family Ceilidh with Sporrandipity

On Saturday 25th March 2006, the Kisoro Trust held its first Family Ceilidh, in St Philip's Church Hall, Joppa. Children brought their mums and dads along to enjoy a great evening of dancing, thanks to Sporrandipity ceilidh band, whose caller did a great job of teaching the dances.

The 'summer sunrise' and 'dragon's blood' drinks, complete with fruit and cocktail umbrellas, were probably appreciated more by the children than their parents, but everyone had a good time as well as raising over £200 for Kisoro in the process.

The Kisoro Ceilidh III

The Kisoro Ceilidh III in January 2005 raised a massive £1400! Many thanks to all who came along and danced the night away to Sandy Brechin. The ceilidh was completely sold out, so if you arrived at the door and couldn't get in, remember to buy your tickets in advance next time!

Many thanks also to our sponsors, House of Hearing, and to the Caledonian Brewery for providing the IPA!

Deaf Actions Christmas Charity Concert.

January 2005

The annual christmas concert in East Kilbride, featuring the Govan Salvation Army Songsters and St. Matthews Church Choir, raised £1200 for the Kisoro School for Deaf Children! This was a tremendous effort for which we are very grateful. If you missed the event and would still like to see the evening's entertainment, a DVD is now available.

Contact 01355 233467 for details. Text phone and fax 01355 222755

School reports great results

Summer 2004

The latest reports from the Kisoro School were received recently along with a number of photographs taken back in April 2004. There were 4 classes and a total of 52 children enrolled in the deaf school at the start of the term. A new teacher, Kedress Nyiranganizi, has replaced Nizeyimana Pamela who went on to further studies at Kyambogo University. This means there were 4 teachers and 1 Adult Deaf Instructor working at the school. The deaf school also now employs 5 support staff.

While the school follows the same curriculum as their hearing counterparts, the examination results were excellent with deaf children taking 3rd and 5th position in Primary One, 5th and 10th in Primary Two, 1st, 2nd and 6th in Primary Three and 1st, 2nd and 5th in Primary Four. The photo below shows the Primary 3 class taking their end of term exams.

The children all participate in the mainstream school's activities and have presented songs, poems and stories in various international day celebrations. This year they took part in the World Women's Day celebration held in March.

The school volleyball team competes with other schools in the area and 5 out of the 6 team members are from the deaf unit. The photo below shows the team before a match, with younger children watching in the foreground.

At the boarding unit, the deaf children also enjoy playing indoor games such as draughts and cards during their free time.

However, the school and children also have to be kept clean and we can also see them here washing their bedding and clothes on a Saturday in April.

The challenges are still great however. Illiteracy rates in the community are very high (70% - 75%) and some parents do not see the value that education brings to their children. The school has to encourage them to keep their children within the deaf unit. Other problems which require constant addressing include the delays in obtaining replacement teachers, the poor family backgrounds of many children and the lack of care during the school holidays. So there is still much work to be done!

Fire Brigade comes to Kisoro Trust's rescue!

Summer 2004

Don't panic! It was not an emergency but simply a visit by Lothian and Border's Fire Brigade to a local Edinburgh nursery school to help with their Fun Day. Bright Horizons Red Apple Nursery donated half the money raised at their day of children's activities to the Kisoro Trust. However the visit from the local firefighters was the highlight of the day for all the little boys present! Everyone got a chance to try out the hosepipes and soak the Mums and Dads, while others got to try on firefighter's helmets and sit in the fire tender. Many thanks to everyone involved!

Christmas Fundraising

Summer 2004

Last Christmas, children from Larkhall Academy held signed carol singing in a local shopping centre. Unfortunately these pictures arrived too late for inclusion in our last newsletter but we thought we would include them here as a thank you for all their hard work.

News from the Children

February 2004

As the new academic year started at the Kisoro School for Deaf Children, on 2nd February 2004, we are delighted to bring you the latest news from the project.

Sadly a fierce political conflict continues within the Diocese of Muhabura, which includes Kisoro. However there have been positive outcomes for the school with the establishment of an independent management committee. And despite the external difficulties, the deaf unit is continuing to thrive, its pupils working hard at their lessons, and also enjoying participating in a wide range of extra-currricular activities including football, athletics, volleyball, snakes and ladders, and draughts. They have also presented songs, poems and stories on national and international day celebrations including Labour Day and Independence Day.

Read all about some of the childrens' experiences it in our special report.

New Team Member

February 2004

A warm welcome to Alasdair MacLeod, who has agreed to help The Kisoro Trust with financial matters, book-keeping and the like. Hopefully the donations will keep flooding in to keep him busy!

Kayaking for Kisoro
A Monster Fundraising Effort!

One of our keenest supporters, Clare Bird, paddled down Loch Ness in a kayak to raise money for the school. With her nephew Brendan, she completed the feat over three days in August 2003. The trip raised several hundred pounds for the school.

Read Clare's full story here.

Kisoro Ceilidh II

The Kisoro Ceilidh II raised over £800!

November 2002

Welcome to Joel Runnels
Development Worker with
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

As we told you earlier in the year, we have a new member of the team in Kisoro. Joel writes . .

"My name is Joel Runnels. I am a teacher for the deaf by training and profession. As an American who has done development work with deaf education, I have teaching experience from both the developed, as well as the developing world. My mission here at the Kisoro School for Deaf Children is to facilitate the development of this project through teaching of the deaf pupils; training of parents, teachers and support staff of the deaf pupils; writing of research, reports and funding proposals; administrative support and managerial support."

Joel also recently helped to facilitate a week-long Ugandan Sign Language workshop earlier in the summer, for the boarding unit support staff as well as teachers from Seseme primary school. Feedback from participants was very positive, and it is hoped that more such workshops will be held in the near future.

Pamela Nizeyimana

Pictured here is Pamela Nizeyimana, a member of the teaching staff in the Deaf Unit at Seseme Primary School. Pamela is also Chairperson of the Kisoro Cooperative Society of People with Disabilities. She holds a Diploma in Special Needs Education, and hopes to go on to gain a degree. She is currently on a course in Denmark, but will be returning to Uganda next month.

Progress report from Kisoro

The Kisoro Trust is helping to give deaf children in Uganda far more than just an academic education. All pupils at the school take part in athletics, and at the start of the season, Habiyaremye Milton, one of the deaf children was chosen to be sports prefect for the whole school. He took part in the prefects election campaign with the help on an interpreter and won the majority vote. He then represented Seseme primary school at district level in track events, and finished 10th out of 40 participants. The children also play volleyball, and compete with their hearing colleagues, occasionally beating them.
As well as sports, the children take part in music, dance and drama. They have put on performances for surrounding communities, which helps make people aware that they are equally capable of taking part in such activities as hearing children. The pupils also attend church services at St Andrews Cathedral, Seseme. Recently a teacher from the deaf class has been accompanying the children and interpreting the service into Ugandan Sign Language for them.

August 2002

Glencoe climb raises hundreds of pounds!

Three intrepid Kisoro Trust trustees climbed the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe to raise money. Following the success of the previous sponsored walk in Glen Shiel a couple of years ago, they followed it up with this latest scramble along the most difficult ridge on mainland Britain. After terrible weather forecasts, the skies cleared with sunburn and midges the worst hazards faced. Oh . . . apart from those 3000ft cliffs.

Click on the photos to see them full size. You can also follow this link for the story of the day's climb.

April 2002

Photos from the school. Taken in November last year, they show the children taking part in "dramatic singing" as well as a more relaxed moment in between performances.

April 2002

Joel Runnels joins the team!

We are delighted that Joel Runnels, a Development Worker in the area of Special Education has joined the Kisoro School for Deaf Children. Joel is employed by the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and has joined the school for two years. The Kisoro Trust is contributing towards his monthly allowance. Amongst other things, he will be involved with hands-on teaching of deaf pupils, training of parents, teachers and support staff, researching funding proposals and also providing administrative support.

Joel comes from Portland, Oregon, and has gained tremendous experience working in Washington, Kenya, Hawaii and Kampala. We have asked him for a photograph to put up on the website soon.

We hope he finds the experience worthwhile and can make a big contribution to the school's future.

February 2002

A Letter from Kisoro

Greetings to you from the Diocese of Muhabura in Uganda.
The Diocese and the project holders are very grateful to you for the good work you are doing to support education of the Deaf children in Kisoro.
The project has attracted many visitors from various organisations and institutions involved in special needs education. Education Department has advised us to employ a specialised volunteer to help the Unit gain more strength to serve the Deaf. Through Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Uganda, there is one American who is willing to work for us as a volunteer for a period of two years. He needs housing accommodation and a monthly allowance of Uganda shillings one hundred thousand only. From looking at his breadth of experience and language skills we are very keen for this to happen!
The Diocese is ready to provide the required accommodation, while monthly allowance would need to come from the Kisoro Trust.

Rt. Rev. Ernst M.Shalita
Diocesan Bishop

March 2002 Update
The good news is that the Kisoro Trust has approved the appointment of this volunteer worker to help in Kisoro. Watch for updates as we introduce him to you on this page.

February 2002

The First Year Results!

Sixteen children initially benefited from education at The Kisoro School for Deaf Children, and a further four children attend on a self-fund basis.
The deaf children are being taught in a discrete unit within Seseme Primary School, the local mainstream primary. There are a total of 185 children in Primary One at present and the deaf children are performing well compared to their mainstream peers. In recent test results, one deaf child came top of the whole Primary One school year, one came second and two shared fourth position.

Some encouraging news is that the Ugandan Government’s Education Office has announced that it is fully supportive of the project, identified a qualified teacher for the deaf and provided a subvention grant towards food, medical care and educational resources. Pass marks all round!

December 2001

Fundraising News

The Signing Choir raises funds.

Thelma Petty enjoys signing songs, so she got a few friends together in her home every week to practice. At Christmas they made use of their skills. Thelma writes,
“We presented a mixture of Christmas carols and popular tunes in Braehead Shopping Centre, Queen Street Station, and Regent Way Shopping Centre in Hamilton and were delighted to raise a total of £916! Not only did we have great fun but those who watched told us the same and showed their enjoyment by being so generous. I had heard of the Kisoro Trust through the chairperson Rosie Addis and the group decided the money should go to it. As a deaf person I feel it vital that every deaf child is able to go to school, and with their peers, to receive an education no matter where they are in the world.”
Well done Thelma and friends!

Donaldson’s School reunion helps deaf children in Uganda.

170 former pupils of Donaldson’s School attended a reunion event held in the Claremont Hotel in Edinburgh last year. People came from Inverness, Glasgow, Fife, Dumfries, Edinburgh and even as far as Birmingham to meet up with old school friends. The evening was organised by Charles Thomson of Edinburgh, who said, “Although it was a lot of work, it was a great night. A total of £592 was raised, and it has been agreed to give it to the Kisoro School for Deaf Children in Uganda.”
The Kisoro Trust chairperson Rosie Addis remembers back to an earlier visit to the school. “Some time ago I visited Donaldsons to talk to the children about the project. As a result of this, the children decided to have a coffee morning and sell jewellery they had made. They raised a total of £85, and also wrote letters for the children in Kisoro to ask them what life is like in Uganda. Everyone is looking forward to the replies - and the day when there is an Internet connection in Kisoro, for the children to communicate more quickly!”

The Kisoro Trust
91 Restalrig Avenue, Edinburgh, EH7 6PN
Recognised Scottish Charity No. SC 029384

Email address: info@Kisoro.org