Foundation First

Foundation First

Foundation First is dedicated to building schools in rural villages worldwide. Our mission is to provide education to those who need it most. We would like to have each of our schools self sufficient within 4 years of construction. We teach children the importance of agriculture, and we teach parents the importance of educating children. Essentially, a barter system is created, and the school will continue to flourish. Currently we are working on constructing a primary school two hours outside of Kabale, Uganda. A community so remote, it is often not found on a map. Kacerere, Uganda. The school is equivalent to grades 1 through 7 in the United States. Children will learn to read, count, and spell, as well as learning agricultural and life skills. Upon completion of this project, we will be seeking other possible locations. Education is the only way to combat extreme poverty, and a child can make better for themselves, family, and community with an education.

Why Uganda?

Uganda is a country rich in natural resources but also fraught with conflict. In 1971 Idi Amin (then the commander of the Ugandan army) seized power from president Milton Obote and became dictator of Uganda. From 1971 until 1979 Amin ruled Uganda with an iron fist and was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 300,000 Ugandan citizens. The affect on Uganda's economy was devastating. Since 1979 the country has struggled to get back on its feet. Inflation in 1987 was 240 % but dropped to 5.1 % by 2003. Unfortunately this economic growth has not helped those who are most in need. While economic growth is a good thing it does not mean that the poor and mistreated are being given more opportunities for education or employment.

Almost half of the population of Uganda is under the age of 14, according to a 2011 survey, and of those between 5 and 15 more than 30% are forced to work. The current education system focuses a lot of attention on repetition and memorization of information needed to pass state exams. We believe that educating the future generations is key to Uganda's economic stability and the continued improvement of living conditions for its citizens. Our goal is to encourage the continued education of our students and to provide the facilities to make this happen.

End The Cycle

Infant mortality rates were at 79 per 1000 in 2009. The average life expectancy for adults in 2009 was 53 years of age. Basic education can help combat these statistics and you can help! Aid from outside sources is essential to improving the education structure in rural areas. Since 1986 there has been an increase of more than 4 million students attending primary school and this has put a strain on the education system. Public spending on education was only 5.2 % of the GDP between 2002 and 2005. The literacy rate for youths 15 to 24 years old hovers around 83 % and 89 % for women and men respectively. But the ability to read and write is not enough. Secondary school enrollment rates are below 30 % for both men and women. 60,000 to 70,000 students per year are qualified to go on to secondary schooling. However, at most 25,000 will be accepted into the limited number of institutions providing it. Without continued education most primary school graduates do not raise their standard of living very far.

Government schools are available to the public. However, due to lack of funding, many students go to school without school supplies. Furthermore, students themselves are not meeting criteria to pass to the next level. This can be due to too many enrolling in school, and not enough teachers. Teachers wages are poor. They must pay a percentage of their wages to the social security dept. Once retired, they must then get approval from five different sources before receiving pay benefits. Students failing, teachers making low wages. We are looking to end this cycle NOW!!