Seeing a Need and Finding a Solution

When Kathy S. (USA) and her friend Yan X. (China) visited Mutanda Lake and St. Peter’s Primary School in late December 2018, the school’s classes were divided between a shared space in a nearby church and a newly constructed building across the road with two classrooms. Another four classroom building was nearing completion but did not yet have a roof.

The interior of the church was one big open space. Different classes of students were grouped in different corners of the room. The lack of interior walls meant that the space could get noisy. But what really caught Kathy’s eye was the lack of proper desks for students to sit on and write. There were only benches which suited a church but not a classroom. When it came time for students to write, they had to awkwardly crouch down on the floor and use the bench as a writing surface. Teachers had the same problem. Blackboards were leaned against the wall – not mounted to it. They too had to crouch low in order to write.

Despite these inconveniences, no one seemed to complain or to use them as an excuse for not getting on with the job. Kathy remembers that the teachers were eager to show her samples of student work and report cards. There was clear evidence of students learning and studying hard. They were there because they wanted to be.

When Kathy returned home, her memories of what she saw at St. Peter’s Primary School continued to stay with her. As an answer to the very real need that she saw in those classrooms, Kathy stated a funding program which she called “Desks for Kids.” Friends and family were moved by her stories and many made donations to the cause. Two of the youngest donors were aged 6 and 8 at the time (early 2019). Kathy remembers them creating a card and writing on it an amount they decided to donate from their education fund.

In the end, Kathy, with the support of her friends, raised a significant sum of money which was forwarded to Krizanti Iraguha – the Chair of the school’s Parent Council. Several coveted red school desks were built by a local carpenter and delivered to the school in mid to late 2019. Part of the donation also included enough funds to purchase lockable doors and windows (to keep the desks safe) for the two separate classroom buildings. There was even enough money left over to buy a rather large box of writing books which were distributed to the students.

Kathy continues to stay connected to St. Peter’s Primary School to this day. She has made several more smaller donations to support a variety of needs. Kathy wanted this website to acknowledge the names of those individuals who contributed to her “Desks for Kids” campaign. Here are their names listed alphabetically by last name.

Peter D.
Patty G.
Sharon H.
Cora & Colin L.
Mike & Karen L.
Irene S.
Kathy S.
Tracey W.
Yan X.
Lily Z.