At 14 years old, Grace Kirabo faced a barrier common to many young girls in the informal settlements of Kireka. Following the sudden passing of her father, her family’s economic stability collapsed. Her mother’s small-scale vegetable stall could barely cover local rent, leaving nothing for secondary school tuition fees. Grace was forced to drop out for two consecutive terms, watching her peers attend classes while her own dreams of becoming a school teacher slipped away.
The trajectory of Grace’s life shifted when community outreach officers from the KBN Helping Hands and Wellness Foundation identified her during a neighborhood household assessment. Grace was immediately enrolled into the KBN Education and Empowerment Program, a dedicated initiative focused on keeping vulnerable children in school while equipping them with essential leadership and life capabilities.
Grace’s integration into the program deployed targeted structural interventions that addressed both financial and social barriers:
Grace did not simply return to school, she excelled. Freed from the constant anxiety of tuition eviction, her academic performance surged and she quickly rose to become the
chairperson of her school’s debate club.
Today, Grace is securely on track to finish her secondary education with high marks. Her mother’s vegetable business has also stabilized as she no longer faces the crushing burden of school fees alone. Grace has transitioned from a child left behind by the system to a mentor who helps tutor younger primary school children at the foundation on weekends.
“When I was sitting at home watching other children go to school, I felt like my future had already ended, “Grace shared during a recent KBN Learners’ Summit.”KBN didn’t just buy my books; they put me back on the path to becoming a leader who can lift up others.
In the vulnerable informal settlements of Kampala, a child’s academic journey can vanish in an instant. The sudden loss of a primary bread winner or an unexpected family medical crisis leaves thousands of bright students unable to afford basic school tuition. They do not lack intelligence on standard potential-they lack an economic safety net that keeps their classroom doors open.
The Education and Empowerment Program, spear headed by the KBN Helping Hands and Wellness Foundation blocks this specific drop-out cycle. We keep vulnerable girls and boys securely in the school system while simultaneously equipping them with critical leadership capabilities, health protection and peer mentorship.
By partnering with us as a donor today, you directly fund the scholastic fees, sanitary resources and leadership training required to build future community leaders.
| Investment Tier | Funding impact blueprint |
|---|---|
| $40 (UGX 150,000) | Supplies full scholastic resource kits containing essential textbooks, calculators, learning stationery and uniform sets |
| $90 (UGX 335,000) | Funds an entire year of sanitary and health security packages eliminating menstrual hygiene absenteeism for three school girls. |
| $180 (UGX 670,000) | Sponsor's a student's complete tuition for an academic term ensuring they are never evicted from the classroom. |
| $350 (UGX 1,300,000) | Establishes a weekend leadership and mentorship circle at the Kireka hub, benefiting 15 youths through public speaking and career workshops. |
Join us in keeping Uganda’s brightest minds exactly where they belong-in the classroom.
