name george age 17 school the bt academy of kiyamba location kiyamba, uganda

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about george

In the village of Kiyamba, Uganda, George has made a name for himself since talk of a new BT Academy began in the spring of 2008. Wearing a wide smile, he paced the site of the BT Academy of Kiyamba with a trough in one hand and a jerry can full of water in the other. George attended every community meeting about the new Academy and became a regular at the site as he dropped by to lend a hand every afternoon, including Saturdays.

“I am here because of my sisters.” The oldest of five siblings, George committed to working whenever class at his nearby secondary school wasn’t in session. Each week, George put in roughly 25 hours digging trenches, mixing cement and laying bricks, all with the hope that his four younger sisters would have the opportunity to do something he has come to cherish – to learn inside a classroom. In June 2009, George’s work paid off as 180 students entered the newly completed BT Academy of Kiyamba for the very first time.

George hopes to become an agricultural engineer one day so that he can provide for his family and, ultimately, teach others in his village how to provide for themselves.

his sisters’ school the bt academy of kiyamba

On a Friday morning in June 2009, 180 students made their way into the new BT Academy of Kiyamba for the first day of school, and to their relief, they didn’t even have to sneak in. In the week preceding its opening, community members putting the finishing touches on the Academy noticed an increasing number of students eagerly finding their way into classrooms just to draw and write on what they’ve long considered a luxury—chalkboards.

Now they are doing it all day long thanks to the Butler University students who put it on the hearts of their campus community to make education a possibility for communities in and around Kiyamba Uganda. Through their incredible awareness and fundraising activities, raising over $45,000 in just one year, the BT Academy of Kiyamba now provides space for 325 children to receive a primary-level education.