Sacred Heart Greenwich celebrated their commitment to supporting the Sacred Heart network schools in Uganda, Sacred Heart Primary School in Kyamsansala (SHPS) and the Girls Training Center (GTC), better known as Kalungu, Friday, April 20 with various fundraising events. Through the day’s events, which included fundraisers in all three divisions, the Sacred Heart community raised almost $6,000.

Kalungu is a boarding school that follows the British school system of A and O Levels. This means that the government of Uganda provides and mandates the school’s curriculum.

The network schools in Uganda continue to live out St. Rose Philippine Duchesne’s mission of providing underprivileged girls with an education. Sacred Heart Greenwich is celebrating the mission that St. Philippine created when she first came to America 200 years ago, as well as emphasizing the school‘s commitment to serving the students at SHPS and GTC. 

Last Friday, Sacred Heart Greenwich supported the school in Uganda through various fundraising events. These events included the Lower School’s annual Jump Rope for Uganda, a no-uniform donation day, bake sales, an Upper School talent show, and an Upper School Run for Uganda and additional color run. 

The talent show for Uganda, which took place in the Lennie and John de Csepel Theater, consisted of 12 performances by Upper School students. The acts included singing, dancing, slam poetry, and instrumental performances on the guitar, ukulele, and piano.

Over a dozen students participated in the Run for Uganda and ran in the color run. Many other students volunteered to throw color on the running course that began at the entrance of Salisbury Hall and concluded in the parking lot behind the Barat Center.

Sacred Heart Greenwich currently financially supports nine students at SHPS. Each of the three divisions– Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School– is supporting three students.
Sacred Heart students and teachers have visited SHPS, including Director of Educational Technology, Upper School Computer Teacher, and Co-Director of SophieConnect Mr. Karl Haeseler. Mr. Haeseler discussed the most impactful memory that he had while visiting the schools. 

“Laundry day – usually on Saturdays – was very memorable because of the many examples of community building  and older students helping younger students. There is a lot of strict discipline during the school day – which ends at 10 p.m. in the high school – but on the weekends you see many examples of a joyful community playing together, including ball games and other leisure activities. Everyone can join and many of the older kids take responsibility for the little ones,” Mr. Haeseler said.

Sacred Heart Network alumna and Ugandan Mrs. Betty Ogiel Rubanga attended two Sacred Heart Network schools and graduated from the Kalungu Girls’ Secondary School. Mrs. Ogiel Rubanga visited Sacred Heart Greenwich in October to share stories from her life in Uganda and discuss how Sacred Heart schools have impacted her. Mrs. Ogiel Rubanga also wrote a book, Against All Odds, about her struggle to receive an education.

“Sacred Heart Greenwich’s support of our sister schools,” Mrs. Bader said, “enables people like Betty to thrive and be successful in Uganda.”