I was at conference, I believe it was IATEFL in Poznan in Poland in 2009, when I met up with primary author Jane Cadwallader who was a good friend. Over a coffee she started telling me her exciting new project which was an NGO she and some others had set up the previous year called Adelante Africa to help children in rural Uganda. She was so enthusiastic, and the photos she showed me were so amazing, that she easily convinced me to sign up and become a member, paying a small monthly contribution. I became more and more interested, and soon became a board member. All the time Jane was encouraging me to come out to Uganda with her. I was a bit nervous about the idea, but she told me it would change my life, and she was right. In 2014 I went out for the first time. My allotted job was to research the possibility of opening a secondary school. The following year I had started to raise money, and on my next trip to Uganda we started looking for sites. And amazingly, in January 2017 the Adelante Africa Secondary School opened!

The school is a boarding school and fee-paying, like all secondary schools in Uganda. One third of the children however are sponsored by amazing people ranging from friends and family, to teachers who have read about the school in English File and then gone on the website. We are immensely grateful for their contribution to the project, indeed to all the generous people who have contributed and donated to Adelante Africa. Meeting students, some of whom I have known since they were small, is one of the most motivating experiences, seeing how their lives have changed. The boy in the photo, Jackson, is a good example. With no father, and many siblings, despite being very bright, he would never have been able to go to beyond primary school without help. My mother sponsored him, and after four years of secondary school and three at a vocational college, he is now a qualified plumber working for a multi-national company with children of his own, and an active member of the Old Boys and Girls society.

I try to visit Uganda at least once a year, and spend time at the school, working with our amazing head teacher, observing classes, and helping in any way I can. We have now completed the buildings with a dining hall, which was the last thing on our list, and are discussing the prospect of expanding, as fortunately the lovely site, high up on hill, is big enough to accommodate more classrooms and dormitories. I also love spending time at the children’s home, where I used to live on my first trips to Uganda (with no electricity or running water the first few times – a very salutary experience!).