Featured Family Friday: The Ayena Family

I don’t think anyone would disagree that feels good to be recognized for a job well done. For someone to show up and just say “I see you. You’re doing an amazing job. Keep going.” 

Parents in particular need that recognition. Being a parent is arguably one of the toughest jobs in the world as it is, but it’s a particularly hard job when you live in a rural community like Namasale where simply keeping your children fed and in school can be a daily struggle.

During our trip to Uganda this year, we decided to visit some of the homes of our students to spend some time with their parents, learning about their daily struggles and the dreams they have for their children. Our goal during these visits was to not only learn more about their family, but to recognize their incredible dedication to their children’s education. Together with our Uganda-based team, we developed an “Outstanding Parent Award” to hand-deliver to our students’ parents as a simple gesture to say “We see you. We hear you. We’re here to shine a light on YOU.”

Over the next few weeks on Friday, we will be sharing a new blog post featuring interviews with some of our Outstanding Families from Namasale.

Country Director Collines Angwech brought our 2019 Cultural Immersion Trip participants to the home of Ayena Godfrey to learn more about the challenges faced by parents & small business owners in Namasale.

Our first visit was to the home of Jonathan & Timothy, who’s parents Godfrey & Eunice have been part of the Global Leaders Primary School (GLP) community for several years and are highly involved in their children’s education. Check out their interview below! 

• Why did you choose to send your children to Global Leaders Primary?

  • I sent my kids to GLP because I have a lot of trust in the school’s leadership. I appreciate their truth, honesty and long term vision for the future of the school. The leaders of GLP are natives from Namasale, so they know first hand the issues that we face. I strongly believe that what is coming from Far Away Friends means that you all understand commitment and quality.

• What is your dream for your children?

  • Ultimately, that if they continue their studies, they will return home to help their community.

• Do you see any difference between GLP and other schools in Namasale?

  • Theres a big difference in the quality of learning aids and differences in the student’s performance right from lower classes (pre-school/kindergarten). We were very encouraged by the high scores from GLP students on last year’s Primary Leaving Exam, so that gives us great hope our kids will perform well too.

• What can GLP do to improve our school even more?

  • Provide a Senior Secondary School so my kids can continue on with you!

• Tell us about your business!

  • The shop and hotel I own is the only way I can send my kids to school and feed my family. Business owners [like myself] struggle with having very little investment capital since all our funds must go back into the business.

• What would improve your business?

  • Finding ways to put more money into the shop so that more products could be bought and later sold and more money could be invested into my children’s school fees. I would also like to be able to improve my business so that I can get a bank loan to expand, but the nearest bank is in Lira which is about three hours away.

The Ayena’s youngest son, Timothy, who is a student at Far Away Friends’ primary school, GLP.

• Is there a way Far Away Friends could help business owners?

  • Yes, trainings on how to use money, savings, managing stock, using tech, book-keeping and records keeping would be helpful for business owners here.

• What do you think is the biggest struggle for parents in Namasale?

  • Healthcare is our #1 problem here in Namasale. We need more medical personnel and training for existing medical personnel. There is also no ambulance so in an emergency, we have to hire a vehicle for around $20-$30 (USD) to take us to the nearest health center. It would be great to see a nursing school here in Amolatar District to serve people from all over Uganda.

• Do you know of any other non-governmental organizations working in Namasale?

  • No, Far Away Friends is the only foreign NGO I’ve seen working here.

We are SO honored and proud to be working alongside community members like Godfrey and Eunice who work hard to invest in the development of their community and are committed to the education and achievement of their students! Apoyo Matek! 

Want to join us in breaking cycles of poverty and developing business training programs for families in rural Uganda? The most impactful way you can make a difference is by joining our monthly giving community and Becoming an Advocate