Kyeshero Secondary & Vocational School

The school was established approximately 4 years ago to provide the first opportunity for children in this area to continue their education beyond Primary. Uniquely, it teaches vocational skills (eg carpentry and sewing) alongside academic subjects. There is a commitment to maintaining affordable fees which are less than a third of the fees of town schools which the families in this area cannot afford. There is also the advantage that children do not need to board at this school - it is close to their homes. Kyeshero lies in a rural area with very simple villages (no electricity, small local stores) between Bwindi Forest to the south, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the west and the small town of Butagota to the north. There are few sources of income other than agriculture (banana plantations, vegetables) and craft production. This area is largely overlooked by tourism as visitors are focused on the nearby gorilla tracking centres. There is a very high level of community involvement particularly from the church but also local residents and visiting Ugandans. As well as getting involved with practical work such as construction, most materials have been provided by local people.