Dear Nyaka friends:
On behalf of the students, volunteers and staff of Nyaka, I would like to thank you for your support, love, and care. Nyaka, as we affectionately call it, was established in April 2001 with a mission to provide quality, free education and extracurricular activities, both formal and informal, to children who have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS as a means to counteract pervasive hunger, poverty and systemic deprivation.
Nyaka’s doors were opened on January 2nd, 2003 Instruction began with 56 students who are all double orphans, meaning they do not have a father or mother. To date we are serving 186 students of which 60% are girls. Our new school Kutamba (healer) started with 60 students in levels one and two on February 5, 2007.
Your support has not only helped children in our two schools: Nyaka and Kutamba, but the whole community. For example teacher Agaaba one of our a pioneer teachers at Nyaka told me last year that because of his job at Nyaka, he has been able to buy land, take care of his twin sons and daughter, take care of his aging mom and dad, and he has bought land invested some of the money. He bought two bicycles. These two bicycles are rented to two young men who use them to transport agricultural products to the market. Therefore these two young men are able to take care of their families and their children. They earn a living and therefore help us in fulfilling our mission of alleviating poverty and breaking the cycle of poverty and systematic deprivation. This is one example how your investment has changed people’s lives beyond students.
Nyaka remains the only employer in this village, our school van is the only van that has saved more than 200 children lives in one year; so many mothers have delivered in the van and in our compound while seeking out our school nurse. We have provided clean water in the village and improved nutrition, hygiene and sanitation in more than 1,000 households.
As holidays approach, we wish you a Happy thanks for giving, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New year. What you have already done is so much but because you have loved and cared for our children and community, we turn to you once again and ask you to please remember your children during these holidays. Recent statistics in Kanungu District (size of one county with a population of 250,000) show that there are 17,326 registered orphans. Nyaka is the only that provides free education, uniforms, books, and two meals to orphans. However, we are serving only 240. Below is out holiday appeal letter. Please share this amazing experience with your friends and family and remember you are always welcome to visit your/our children.
Happy Holidays!
Jackson Kaguri
Founder and Director
Please click below to read this letter from Jackson as well as more details about Nyaka's accomplishments in 2007.
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