The Mary Wood Trust

Ruth Memorial Nursery School

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Ruth and Ephraim Tumwesigye (both teachers) had a dream – to provide nursery education to the orphans and needy children who lived in the surrounding area of Kihiihi.

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Ruth was a keen Mother’s Union worker and it was in this capacity that Mary Wood got to know her and had her to stay in Lothersdale in the UK and they became friends. Sadly in 1999 Ruth was killed in a motor accident, an all too common occurrence on the bad roads in this remote area of Uganda. 

For more than 20 years  Ephraim has managed to keep the nursery school going as a memorial to his wife, with some help from generous supporters. Ephraim is now retired and has little in the way of a pension. He has remarried, has a young son to provide for but is still dedicated to the school and helping the underprivileged children in the neighbourhood.

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The nursery school provides a good grounding for the 70 or so young children, many of whom are AIDS orphans and being cared for by extended family. The  head teacher has some nursery school training whereas the other teachers have mostly reached O level standard. 

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The Mary Wood Trust has raised funds over the past 15 years to build new classrooms, provide wooden desks for the children, a desk and chairs and lock up cupboard for the office, build a pit latrine, erect a secure fence, install a water tap, buy outdoor play equipment and footballs, provide paints and brushes and other craft materials, provide mattresses for the youngest children to take a nap on, buy new cups and cooking pots, help provide stationery, provide t shirts and shorts and also most importantly to ensure that the children have porridge and milk daily and pancakes regularly.

 

We are very grateful to St Jame's Place Foundation, to Widford Parish and to private donors whose continued generous support has made all this possible.

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