The IHEU General Assembly and the associated African conference held in Kampala in 2004 set the scene for an enthusiastic promotion of a wide range of projects by members of UHASSO, the Uganda Humanist Association, aimed at promoting a Humanist life-stance and benefiting the community.

That these initiatives had been outstandingly successful was clearly evident when IHEU again sponsored an East African Conference in Kampala in February 2009. Presentations by Ugandan project leaders included:

• The establishment of three functioning Humanist schools 
• The rehabilitation of former girl prostitutes from the streets of Kampala
• The setting up of the Emitos Girls Humanist Football Club, which acts as a mobilising force to build up the girls’ confidence and self-esteem.
• Counselling and workshops on Health, Family Planning, HIV/Aids and Domestic Violence.
• Community assistance such as pig and goat keeping, and bee-keeping.
• Student Humanism at Makerere University and at Bukalasa College.

Immediately after the conference, the opportunity was provided for participants to visit all three schools. There were lively debates involving the pupils at the schools and there was also a demonstration by the EMITOS Girls Humanist Football Club.  All of these activities showed the ways in which the children’s self-confidence was being enhanced.

Because of their potential to influence the future for Ugandan society, particular attention was focussed on the schools by the visiting members of those organizations which were providing substantial support for them. These included IHEU, the British Humanist Association, the Norwegian Humanist Charitable Organization (HAMU), the Rationalist Press (UK) - publisher of the magazine New Humanist, the North East Humanists (UK) and the newly formed Uganda Humanist Schools Trust (UK).

All three schools provide secondary education in widely separated rural areas where HIV/AIDS and subsistence farming have had a major impact on impoverished communities. Many young people are orphans growing up in simple homes often without electricity, water and sanitation. The Isaac Newton High School, The Mustard Seed School and the Humanist Academy are managed by members of UHASSO, who were close friends at Makerere University in Kampala.  The schools have been developed over a period of several years as money has become available from their own sources and from various donor organizations. Also, working parties from local communities have made substantial contributions to such tasks as brick-making and road construction.

During the visits, the children were observed to have a good grasp of English and appeared very self-confident, for example, in debates.  The donors’ representatives came to the overall view that, although the development of the schools by the three managers has taken place under very difficult circumstances, it has been very worthwhile. Over 300 children, who would not otherwise have been able to receive secondary education, are now being taught in a caring way and have every expectation of a much improved standard of life.

However, it was clearly apparent that, to meet the long term needs of the schools in terms of good academic facilities and standards, very much more capital and administrative investment is required for them each to become fully viable enterprises.

Steps taken to define future needs

In order to be able to move ahead with the school projects, IHEU took the initiative to set up an advisory panel in June 2009, reporting to the EC under the chairmanship of Jack Jeffery, IHEU First Vice-President.  The purpose was to develop a co-ordinated plan with the schools’ managers and donors so that funding for the schools could be raised and provided in an effective way.

The whole scheme was greatly helped by the formation of the Ugandan Humanist Schools Trust (UHST) by members of the British Humanist Association (BHA) affiliated group, South Cheshire and North Staffordshire Humanists, chaired by an Education Researcher, Steve Hurd.  During the Trust’s first year the BHA agreed to channel their schools appeal proceeds through UHST and over 52 scholarships have been provided for orphans and other needy children. Facilities provided have included textbooks for all three schools, science equipment and storerooms for valuable items.

The UK Rationalist Press has raised over £35 000 over three years to support the Mustard Seed School with buildings, scholarships and equipment, by printing articles in their magazine, the New Humanist, and inviting their readers to send funds to them.  They have recently taken the decision to simplify the administrative process, to ask that all future donations be sent through UHST.

The North East Humanists (UK) has supported the Isaac Newton High School with 24 scholarships for needy children each year since 2006. A former student has gained entry to Makerere University and the North East Humanists are helping her with her tuition fees.

Other member organizations of IHEU providing support for the schools include the Norwegian Humanist Association’s charitable arm HAMU, which enabled the Mustard Seed School to receive mains electricity, while the Italian Humanist group UAAR has provided funds so that the newest school, the Humanist Academy, could employ a full-time head teacher throughout 2010.

IHEU’s contribution to the schools has been to use funds from grants from the Netherlands organization, HIVOS, and from individual donors to IHEU, to provide the land for the site of the Humanist Academy and for constructing its classrooms, and also for building a science laboratory for the Isaac Newton High School.

Future Development of the Schools 

The primary conclusions of the June 2009 meeting of the Schools Advisory Panel were that:

• The schools needed to be increased in size from their current 80 to 120 pupils to around 200 to 300 so that a full range of subjects can be taught efficiently and effectively.
• Donations for scholarships for deprived children appeared to be at a reasonable level but there was an acute shortage of funds for buildings, water, electricity, sanitation and security.  This situation had been made more difficult by a change in the funding arrangements from HIVOS which prevented grants being used for capital purposes.
• Before attempting to raise the necessary funds, amounting to around 500 000 U.S Dollars over a period of five years, donor organizations needed assurance that the schools could not be transferred out of Humanist hands and that the ownership of the buildings and land was secured by satisfactory legal arrangements. 
• Since most donor organizations have some form of charitable status with their country’s government, the articles of the governing bodies of the schools needed to conform to the funding requirements of such donors. This includes being not-for-profit organizations and keeping accurate financial records.

Members of the IHEU Schools Advisory Panel have adopted these conclusions and have initiated discussions with the three schools managers, both by making visits to Uganda and by email. Results of these initiatives, up to the time of this article, include the following items.

Legal Status

The managers of the Isaac Newton High School and the Mustard Seed School have registered their schools with articles that enable donor organizations to continue giving support.  Each school has a board that includes an IHEU representative who has the right to review any action which may change the Humanist status of the schools.  Several panel members made funds available to IHEU to pay for the legal fees incurred by the schools.

UHASSO had previously achieved legal status to enable it to purchase land with funds provided by IHEU for the Humanist Academy 40 km from Kampala and to receive funds for building purposes. However, a review of the articles showed that they needed revision to meet the currently agreed IHEU and donor organization requirements. This process is underway.

Land Requirements

The Isaac Newton and Mustard Seed Schools both stand on land that is not owned by the schools. IHEU has made funds available from donors so that the land can be purchased and the titles transferred to the schools.  This is being implemented.

Five Year Business Plans

One member of the Schools Advisory Panel, Roger McAdam, has had experience in UK of drawing up company business plans. He has visited the Ugandan Schools for three sessions in the past 15 months to agree with the managers outline plans for the development of the schools into viable enterprises that would meet local requirements and be acceptable to donor organizations. These include the provision of additional buildings for the larger number of pupils required, services such as electricity, water and sanitation, security and boarding accommodation for pupils coming from outside the immediate surrounding area.

As mentioned above, over a five year period, around 500 000 U.S. dollars will be required for this scheme.

Appeal for Funds

The IHEU Executive Committee has fully supported this exciting venture which has been initiated by three very dedicated and enthusiastic Ugandan Humanists.

• The Manager of the Humanist Academy is Deo Ssekitooleko, who was the founder of the Uganda Humanist Association and is now a full-time consultant for IHEU for East Africa. 
• The Manager of the Isaac Newton High School is Peter Kisirinya, who is a science teacher at a large secondary school and is currently the Chairman of UHASSO. 
• Moses Kamya works for a Ugandan charity and is a UHASSO member who has himself built up the Mustard Seed School and a local Humanist group.

These managers have all agreed to implement guidelines developed with the members of the Uganda Schools Advisory Panel to enable the schools to have a successful future providing secondary education free from witchcraft, superstition and religious indoctrination.

The stage is now set for all IHEU member organizations and individuals to show their support for this flagship enterprise in East Africa, which already has important donors.  New funds have been pledged amounting to over 100 000 US dollars, which will cover basic necessities for the schools, but another 400 000 will be required over the next five years.

Please send your contributions to the IHEU, at 1 Gower Street. London WC 1E 6HD  UK  

Modes of Payment:

□Cheque for £……… drawn in the name of International Humanist and Ethical Union

□Transfer to IHEU Account No. 50958840 Barclays Bank (sort code 20-41-41), Holborn, London

□Cheque for  £…….. drawn in the name of International Humanist Trust (for UK Gift Aid payments)

□Credit Card:  MasterCard/Visa/Delta/Switch (delete as appropriate)

          Card number………….         Expiry date………..   Three digit security code………

          Cardholder’s name…………..……….…………   Signature………………………..……….       Date…………

UKtaxpayers should note that they can send cheques to the same address made out to International Humanist Trust which will considerably increase the value of their donation and also reduce their tax bill through the Gift Aid scheme of HM Revenue and Customs.

IHEU is registered in the USA as a charitable organization and such payments are tax-deductible.

Existing contributors to UHST and the North East Humanists should continue to donate through these organizations.

If you would like to have further information about the schools or would like to visit them for a short or longer period, please contact Jack Jeffery (email:j [dot] jefferylaleham [dot] f9 [dot] co [dot] uk), Barrie Berkley (email: barriebklyaol [dot] com) or Steve Hurd (email: infougandahumanistschools [dot] org).  The UHST website also can be accessed at www.ugandahumanistschoolstrust.org/

Jack Jeffery and Barrie Berkley

--Jack Jeffery is the IHEU First Vice-President and Barrie Berkley is the President of the North East Humanists (UK) and is a member of the IHEU Uganda Schools Advisory Panel.