Report from BHW Uganda Partnership Facilitator Following Visit

Key People: Justus Matsiko and Reuben Tumuheirwe 

We had a great meeting with Justus and Reuben at Explorers Hub in Kampala on 25 September. The meeting was somewhat delayed in starting as Justus was coming in by bus from Mbarara. He caught the bus at 4 am but did not reach us until just before 11 am. We were planning to start at 9 am and it was a bit unfortunate, but we were more than able to cover everything we needed to both in relation to the school and various other aspects of their work. It was a really good and encouraging meeting.

Recent Events

Marumba Christian School (UGA07a)

Our last visit to Marumba Christian School was in 2019. The COVID years were terrible for Marumba Christian School, and indeed all schools in Uganda. The schools were completely closed in 2020 and 2021 and partially reopened in 2022 but were subject to short notice government closures during that year. It was not until 2023 that the school was able to normalise. There were 250 children in 2019. After the school reopened in 2022, the number of students reduced to well below 200, but has now increased to 350 children. There are 12 teachers and 4 support staff. They feed the children twice a day. As we have reported previously, the school is extraordinarily well presented and is going on well. I understand it meets all current government requirements, and they have not had too much difficulty in recruiting staff, even though there is a shortage of primary school teachers. They actually pay at or above the government salary rates because recent government changes have meant that many teachers have left teaching, leaving a large gap in this part of the marketplace. The school is continuing to have good results in examinations and also in national sports and athletics competitions. They have expansion plans for the school in that they want to have accommodation to enable it to become a boarding facility. This will improve its profitability and enable the school to be financially secure.

Justus feels there is potential for Marumba Christian School to grow much larger, and they do have a target of approximately 2,000 students eventually, with establishment of a boarding facility. 

The education system in Uganda has moved towards an emphasis on life skills, particularly vocational, rather than just academic performance. They are endeavouring to capitalise on this by teaching farming principles and are looking at moving more towards skill-based training such as tailoring, soap making, and possibly welding.  

Rukungiri Christian Secondary School

It was great to have a discussion about this school. When Justus first raised it with us in 2022, there was quite a degree of consternation in our organisation as to how this was even happening. He gave a very good explanation of both the rationale behind it and the fact that the school is meeting a real need in the area. Marumba Christian School was already an existing and well-presented facility, whereas the college had been run down. Unfortunately, the college in Rukungiri had not previously had a good academic record and had collapsed because of poor leadership and management in 2019. It had limped along afterwards but had almost closed after COVID, so it has been of great benefit to revive the school now and be on a growth path. Justus was asked to take over the lease of the secondary school in 2022, and the leasing arrangements were finalised.  It started under their leadership in April 2023 as Rukungiri Christian Secondary School (RCSS). Part of the logic behind it was for Marumba students, after finishing P7 and with nowhere to continue their education, to attend a good school in Rukungiri. When they first started the school there were only 47 students. The school now has 200 students with 18 teachers because there are many subjects to be taught. There are 8 support staff. It has capacity for at least 1,200 students, although the aim is 2,000.

In July 2025, BHW provided money for the purchase of 14 electric sewing machines to enable tailoring classes to start. Justus advised that the funds are presently on hold in the Emmanuel Mission account awaiting renovation of the sewing room, which is underway and nearing completion. In addition, the school is presently teaching how to make liquid soap, vaseline, chalk and is teaching gardening as part of the curriculum change with the focus on skill competence rather than performance. They would also like to have a computer lab. When students complete the skills training courses, they receive a nationally recognised performance certificate which is issued by the government. RCSS also has a boarding facility with 160 of the students boarding, paying an additional US$100-150 per term. RCSS only takes in students who can afford to pay the fees whereas at MCS, approximately 60% cannot pay. 

Reuben is at the high school most of the time and is doing some farming or agriculture training there. All of the teachers have some degree of Christian commitment. Not all of them are born again and some of them are Catholic or Anglican.

Income Generating Activities (UGA07)

Reuben spoke first and he talked about his own experience with some of his income generating activities and present family circumstances. He and Monica are doing well and presently have four children living in their house, although not all of those are biological children. They have always had many extra children in and around their property and have given a lot of care to orphans and children with no home over the years. Reuben talked about what had happened with his beehives and the fact that he had had all of his honey stolen and the hives burnt. The hives were a long way away from where he was living and in an area where people were scared of bees. He has had other business ventures previously, which we have supported because he has been very active in church ministry and church planting. Unfortunately, most of his ventures have not turned out well despite good intentions.

He advised that their daughter Ruth, and his wife Monica, have built two structures for chickens on the property they are renting in Rukungiri. One of them has 200 chicks that they are raising, and the other one has 350 chickens. They continue to improve, and this business gives them a weekly cash income which is quite good. He said that last year, because of bad feed, they lost 400 chickens in one go, but they seem to have recovered from that.  From the income, he would like to purchase a machine that would enable them to create their own feed. Reuben was quite happy with how this business was developing. They work for themselves and have no additional employees apart from their daughter.  

BHW has previously funded a milk cooler and a hulling machine as part of the grain grinding mill with some maize inputs for the grinding mill in an effort to enable them to generate funds to support MCS. We did not fund the grinding mill, which I understand came out of profits from the milk cooler when it was perhaps more profitable than now. Justus came prepared with information regarding the income and expenditure for both the milk cooler and the milling operation, as I needed to understand how this was being applied and if any profit was being made. 

Milk cooler: This shows a net profit of 14,300,000 (US$4,085) for 2024 and 13,530,000 UGX (US$3,865) for the first 8 months of this year and Justus advised that all of that profit has been invested into the schools. Justus' wife, Grace, works as one of the two employees in the milk cooler and does receive a small salary but neither Justus or Reuben have any income from either the grinding mill or the milk cooler. 

We also discussed the milk budget in relation to the cow herd. There are 40 cows which produce milk. The milk goes to the milk cooler and is then distributed. The milk is sold, and the profits go to the schools. 

Maize grinding mill: These figures show profits of UGX 42,000,000 (US$12,000) for the 2024 year, and 10,300,000 UGX (US$2,942) for the 5 months to the end of May 2025. Again, the profits are transferred to the schools to enable the schools to reach a secure financial footing. They advised that as RCSS grows and the pupil base expands, it should not be too long before the school is self-sustaining then any surplus can be fully invested in MCS, which is not likely to be self-sustaining as it is in a poverty-stricken area. 

Ideas for the Future

Fourteen electric sewing machines are soon to be bought for RCSS. Clearly, it would be appropriate to consider in the future whether tailoring and sewing machines could also be bought for MCS, which is about 4km outside Rukungiri town. This is an obvious next step in the skills training. Reuben and Justus would also like to see welding as skills training for the boys.

Prayer and Praise Points

We can be grateful to God for the development and progress here. It is wonderful.

There needs to be wisdom with how to progress with this partnership. We will continue to partner with Justus and Reuben but as Justus asked us “What does partnership look like if there is less financial support?  We need wisdom to consider this. 

Comments

It was really good to get all this information from Justus and to review it carefully. It was encouraging as in previous conversations it has been very hard to obtain information or to have this degree of clarity. It gives us confidence if BHW decides to continue to financially support the partnership or possibly develop the other areas such as skills training through the schools. At present there is no request for ongoing funding.