Local charity raises £30,000 for Ugandan school

Saturday 09 June 2018

A delegation from Uganda recently visited Jersey on the invitation of local charity MPS Uganda, who raised £30,000 for their primary school.

Christine Auma, a 14-year-old pupil at Mifumi Primary School and teachers Margaret Apio and Beatrice Atyang spent a week on the island.

MPS Uganda, which was named Small Charity of the Year at the last Jersey Charity of the Year Awards, has supported Mifumi Primary School for almost two decades. They have funded equipment and building work, and also supplemented teachers’ salaries, among other things.

Islanders also helped to build classrooms, dormitories and offices through funding and through volunteer teams sponsored by the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission.

While in the island, Christine and her teachers visited a number of primary schools and were guests at a gala dinner, which raised £14,000 for the charity. Overall, the visit raised £30,000 for the charity.

They were able to capture the experience on the smartphones JT donated to them. John Assister, JT Mobile Manager, said: “We were delighted to donate JT Smart 2 phones to MPS Uganda to make sure that the group were always contactable and enable them to capture their special memories for prosperity. JT is proud to support many good causes, and this was a great example of being able to help in a practical and impactful way.”

Matt Gorman, chairman of MPS Uganda, said: “We wanted to make sure that Christine, Margaret and Beatrice could take photos and videos to capture their amazing visit. We originally thought of getting some disposable cameras but when JT donated the smartphones, we were so grateful because it also meant they could contact friends and family. I know Christine took lots of pictures with her phone and I’m sure she will treasure those memories for a very long time.”