Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS), Blackburn have a very hands on relationship with The Good Samaritan primary school in Wakiso, a suburb of Kampala. They have visited and worked in the school for many years with the next trip being planned for 2019.

The school was set up by a local family of 3 brothers Henry, Godfrey, and Joseph Walumgembe. They are by no means wealthy people, but they are the ancestors of the traditional tribal chiefs in Wakiso. Through their hard work and efforts, they responded to local need for a primary school for the children who, just could not afford to go to school. Until recently they were funding this school themselves.

There is a mix of children at the school, around 265 in total. Many are orphaned as a result of the impact of HIV/AIDS. They live with grandparents or other relatives, 40 or so live at the school itself sleeping on the floor of a tin roofed shed, because there is just nowhere else to sleep. Godfrey and his family look after these children. They are incredibly happy despite their poverty. They love school and their attitude to learning is amazing. School is a privilege in Uganda, not right.

Mr Paul Wright, a former parent, brought the school to QEGS attention in 2009. He had been visiting projects in Uganda for 20 years, and proposed that we might like to help this fledgling school, that he had recently found and started to help. Previously we had visited South Africa with a group of Sixth Formers, and, having worked in a Township we decided that Good Samaritan was a long term project that we could tackle. Although QEGS achieved much in all of our visits. There is still a lot to do.