HOIMA-UGANDA EDUCATION FOUNDATION

For several years, Kyama Kabadaki, a 25+ year and now retired Ball State
University Professor (Social Work Department), has been helping two rural
Primary Schools in Hoima District located in Western Uganda. In recent years
she has focused more on Kakindo Primary School which is in a village where
she spent her childhood years. Limited education opportunities for children
in Kakindo village motivated her to help the school. In Uganda, students take
a National Examination at the end of the 7th year of primary school. Only
students who pass have opportunities to go to good Secondary Schools (High
Schools). Very few students in rural Hoima District Schools, like other rural
Districts, obtain what is known as first grade on the National Examination.
For Kakindo Primary School, no single child passed in the first grade category
for fifteen years. Lack of school supplies and student books, large class size,
underpaid teachers, undereducated and poor parents are some of the
contributing factors.
The Uganda government does not put adequate resources in their schools. It
was forced to reduce expenditures as a condition of borrowing money from
International organizations. The Uganda government still feels the effects of
Idi Amins rule. As a result of Idi Amins ruthlessness and subsequent wars,
the economy had collapsed and all infrastructures were practically
destroyed. Consequently, the government encouraged the establishment of
private schools. Most of the parents in rural areas are poor, indeed without
an income at all, and cannot afford to send their children to private schools.
With the help of friends and colleagues in the U.S. in general and Muncie and
Ball State specifically, Dr. Kabadaki bought needed desks, uniforms, pens
and pencils, and notebooks for the two rural schools. Later on, books for
reading and of compiled past examinations were provided to Kakindo Primary
School. Books were also added to the new, practically empty library. The
government built the building but provided no books. In addition, repairs
were made to the school building.
As part of the effort to improve the quality of education at Kakindo Primary
School, a scholarship program, A. K. Scholars Program (named for Dr.
Kabadakis father, an educator himself), was established. Now each year, two
or three academically promising students in the third grade are selected by a
committee to be part of the A.K. Scholars Program. Usually five or six
students are recommended by the second and third grade teachers to go
through the selection process. Their selection depends on their response to a

written test and oral interview with the committee chaired by Dr. Kabadaki.
The selected students get new uniforms, casual wear, shoes and socks,
underwear and hygiene items for girls, and bigger notebooks. A.K Scholar
teachers salary is also paid out of Dr. Kadadakis pocket. This teacher makes
sure the A.K Scholar students maintain an academic motivation and are
making good progress in school. Refreshments are provided when he meets
with them once each week after school.
About 3-4 years ago, before Dr. Kabadaki retired, a group of social work
students wondered what they might do to help the students at Kakindo
Primary School and started a pencil and pen drive. They called it Pennies for
Pencils and collected 1100 pens and pencils as well as some pennies, enough
for each student to have one of each pen and pencil and enough money to
buy some students uniforms. This drive continued for 2-3 semesters. In the
process of this energy, Sandra Shellys (also a Ball State Department of
Social Work faculty) family, especially her sister, grandchildren and nieces,
got involved. Her grandchildren and nieces who are teachers collected school
supplies and already-read books for the library from their school
friends/students and their own libraries. Her sister gathered together
enough soccer uniforms for two girls soccer teams and donated money to
help pay the AKScholars teacher salary. Last spring, the students in
SOCW300 took on the cause of the education of the children in Hoima
Uganda and put processes in place to form two groups, one a Student
Association, the other a local (Muncie based) non-profit organization, both
named Hoima Uganda Education Foundation (HUEF). The students set up a
facebook page complete with paypal, submitted paperwork to the Secretary
of State, applied for and were granted a federal I.D. number, and now have
prepared an application to become a 5013 nonprofit organization.
Dr. Kabadakis work includes her traveling to Uganda nearly every year. She
takes all the collected supplies, books, uniforms, and so forth with her when
she goes (which makes for very heavy luggage). While in Uganda, she
spends most of her time with the school teachers and the A.K. Scholars. She
takes the children shopping for uniforms and clothes, she distributes the
supplies and purchases more while there, and makes worksheet copies for
the children to do their work. While there, she must pay for copying, her
transportation, and often healthcare for the children or their parents
depending on what problems she finds when she arrives. It has been a
burden on her heart to see that most of the children do not have lunch
during their school day. With the money shes raised here in the Ball State
and Muncie community, shes been able to provide many of the needed

supplies, clothing, and uniforms. Dr. Kabadaki makes presentations to local

groups who invite her. During these presentations she recruits sponsors for
the children who are most in need and who are or who become A.K. Scholars.
The sponsors make a commitment of $25/month which Kyama sends to the
sponsored childrens parents. Since July of this year, shes been able to
ensure that each A.K. Scholar gets a cup of porridge made from maize flour
for lunch each day funded by various fundraisers of the Ball State HUEF
Student Association and Dr. Kabadaki.
HUEF operates on a very slim budget and many of the needs are funded from
Kyamas own pocket. Funds are needed for the A.K Scholar teachers salary,
A.K Scholars lunches, and books for the students. Students often sit through
the school day with no school materials on which to work. Dr. Kabadaki
focuses on gathering materials for the P6 and P7 students with the hope that
some will pass the examination to go on to secondary school. HUEF also
needs sponsors for A.K Scholars. A commitment of $25 a month assists
parents in meeting the basic needs of sponsored children and gives the child
hope for a brighter future. There is also a need to financially support A.K
Scholars who pass and are admitted to adequate academic standard private
high schools, which Kyama usually facilitates.
Several of the present and retired faculty of the Ball State Social Work
Department support Dr. Kabadakis work, both emotionally and financially.
Others from her church and social circles have also supported this work. But
there is much yet to do. As the paperwork for a 5013 designation is being
prepared, a board of directors, chaired by Sandra Shelly, has come together.
As an independent study course , one social work student has been studying
how all of these tasks and the particulars of setting up a not-for-profit
organization come together. All who are involved are hopeful that HOIMAUGANDA EDUCATION FOUNDATION as a non-for-profit organization will
enable raising more of the needed funds for the project. The process is in
progress.