Ann Cruickshank, resident partner in Grigor & Young’s Forres office, spent two weeks in Uganda in February as part of a team representing Uganda Aid – Person to Person (“UAPTP”).
UAPTP is a Scottish-registered charity (SCO36939), started in 2006 by Marlyn Somers from Forres.
Marlyn led the group which Ann joined.
The charity’s efforts have enabled the building of Bunono Central Primary School in the Kabale region – a rural area in south west Uganda.
The aim of UAPTP is to provide, firstly, universal access to education and, secondly, a high standard of education.
The school roll is in excess of 600, including over 100 orphans, many as a result of HIV/ Aids.
The charity hopes to provide safe accommodation for all these vulnerable children. At the moment, only about half of them benefit from both housing and schooling.
A charity providing 100% benefit
Because all representatives of the charity pay for their own visits to Uganda and no administrative overheads are deducted, every penny donated to UAPTP goes to the benefit of the children at Bunono.
As a donor, you can elect to sponsor a particular child through their education and receive letters and photos from them periodically.
During each team visit, there is usually a particular project aim and – this time – it was to improve the sanitary facilities. The community will benefit from the provision of 8 flushing toilets, with tiled walls and floors.
Ann’s experience
One of the reasons Ann went on the trip was to have the chance to meet, Victor, the little boy she sponsors through UAPTP. By the end of her visit, she had also helped out Victor’s Granny as well – buying her food supplies and bedding.
While she was there, Ann also took on the sponsorship of another young child, Ivan, who was orphaned following the recent death of his grandmother.
Ann commented that nothing could have prepared her for the level of poverty most people endured but it was amazing to see how happy and healthy the children in the school were.
She made a lot of new friends during her time in Uganda and “can’t wait to go back!”
Nominated charity for 2015
Uganda Aid – Person to Person is Grigor & Young’s nominated charity for 2015. We collect donations in our offices as sometimes we carry out work for a charitable donation instead of charging a fee.
