Princess surprises us with visit
Over the Easter holiday we were delighted to be able to welcome three Ugandan visitors to our school.
Jacklet Atuhaire, who was visiting her family in London during April, came to North Wales with her sister and nephew and met with the Headmaster and three of the Uganda Team who went to Africa last July: the Chaplain, Mrs Davies and Mrs Pyves.
Mrs Atuhaire, who grew up in Uganda but studied for her degree in Dundee University, is on the board of trustees of Shuuku Vocational Secondary School in Kabwohe and in March was also elected as the Member of Parliament for the Sheema District, which includes the school. In recognition of her political importance Councillor John Davies, Mayor-elect of Colwyn Bay, was also invited to the meeting to bring greetings on behalf of the local Council.
The meeting was significant for two reasons: it is the only time anyone from any of the charities and schools we are linked to in Uganda has actually been here in Colwyn Bay to see the school, so this was a fantastic first.
Secondly, it gave us an excellent opportunity to discuss practical ways forward in developing the relationship between Shuuku and Rydal Penrhos. The next step will be for a partnership agreement to be drawn up that will set the relationship on a firmer footing and the Chaplain agreed to draft that document as soon as possible.
After the meeting our guests had a tour of the Senior and Prep school. They were especially delighted to see the large Uganda display outside the LRC, which includes a photograph of our Head Girl addressing the students of Shuuku.
Before she left Mrs Atuhaire gave an invitation to the next Uganda Team to come and visit her in her Kampala home in July 2017: ‘It’s like a palace,’ she said. Nor was this an idle remark, since Mrs Atuhaire and her sister are both princesses, belonging to one of the traditional Uganda royal families. The family today owns land in the area of Queen Elizabeth Park, where our Uganda Team go on safari and Mrs Atuhaire’s father also had the honour of teaching mathematics to the present president of Uganda, which is no small claim to fame in her country.
Rev’d Sissons, Uganda Co-ordinator
A number of canes for a Ugandan Blind School donated by us have arrived at their destination.
Money raised from the school’s Osborn Day in September paid for the white canes, which were given to the Hornby Junior School Blind Section in Kabale as part of our ongoing charity work in the country.
Among the fundraising events that took place throughout the day included a blind football match, where pupils and staff encountered some of the difficulties facing the children they were raising money for.
Rev’d Sissons, said: “Each cane was measured to suit the height of the child and depending on how they walk has their chosen preference of tip.
“But the greatest thing is to see the excitement of the students and to know that we have played our part in helping their mobility around the school. It was a fantastic effort by our pupils and staff."
The next scheduled charity mission to Uganda is set to take place in July next year, and Mrs Atuhaire extended an invitation to the group to visit their palatial home which belongs to one of the traditional royal families in Uganda.