Ron V.D. (pictured above with Lake Mutanda in the background) and his wife, Margot (both from the Netherlands) are proud repeat supporters of St. Peter’s Primary School.
How did you first discover St. Peter´s Primary School?
It was summer 2018. Together with a group of fellow travellers, my wife and I did a tour in Uganda, visiting all the great places this beautiful country has to offer. One of our stops was the Mutanda Lake Resort and I can still very well remember the day we arrived. The beauty of the landscape literally made me speechless for the entire evening. The quiet lake, the Virunga volcanos, the mountains, and so much more. I’d never seen anything as peaceful and enchanting as this stunning landscape.
On our second day at the resort our group made a hike in the surroundings. We crossed the lake and walked through the Kisoro region. We met the local people, who were just as curious to see us as we were to meet them. Our last stop that day was St. Peter’s Nursery school, very near the Mutanda peninsula. When we arrived, the children and staff were already lined up in a semicircle to welcome us. The headmaster told us about the school and how honoured they were by our visit. Then the children told us about all the good things they learned at school. They sang and danced and we had to join in, of course. We had so much fun and were impressed by the discipline and dedication of these young children. Afterwards the headteacher showed us around and told us about the importance of the school, not only for the children but for the families as well, and for the community at large, including the resort. Part of the resort’s staff had been educated here. On that day we made a small contribution, our first.
Why did you decide to support the school financially?
To my surprise, a few years after that memorable Uganda trip, we received a newsletter containing the plans of the school for the future. It immediately took me back to those happy moments at the lake and I knew instantly that I wanted to help them realize those plans. A teacher myself, I know that you simply cannot stress enough the importance education has for the well being of individuals and the community they belong to.
Do you feel you receive good value for your support and feedback from the school?
The GoFundMe platform is a relatively easy way to make these contributions and I thank you Stephen for your efforts to make this possible. At the same time, a lot of money still is needed so we might have to think about other ways to raise more of it. I think people like me who visited the region and the school will often have the means and the motivation to make a contribution so maybe there are ways to better keep in contact and inform them. The travel companies and the resort may very well be part of those efforts.
In addition to finding new contributors, the existing ones must continue to give money. In my view, the newsletter is vital in this respect. It reminds people to make their contributions. They will be more motivated to do so if the newsletter would be more clear about what is already achieved with the money that has been donated so far.
In a few weeks I will retire as a teacher. I asked my institution not to give me a present but to give money so I can pass it to St. Peter’s. The knowledge that this will help a child to get education he/she would otherwise not have had, is the best gift I can possibly think of.
Recent Comments