In July 2022, Kristian Bollmann travelled to Uganda to inspect the most recent measures at the PATRIZIA School Buyamba and to intensify personal contacts. With the Bishop and other representatives of the Diocese of Masaka, he discussed the future partnership and possibilities for further projects in the region.
Meeting with the partner Masaka Diocese
As the pandemic has only allowed very limited personal meetings and site visits in the last two years, a personal visit was all the more important. The aim was also to renew the partnership with Masaka Diocese and the school secretariat, which includes PATRIZIA School Buyamba. With the help of the partner ADEPT e.V., which coordinated the implementation of the current measures in Buyamba with the school secretariat of the diocese, this direct relationship could now be re-established. An intensive exchange about future cooperation took place with the responsible persons of the diocese of Masaka.
Visit to PATRIZIA School Buyamba (St. Francis)
Like so many schools, the PATRIZIA School Buyamba had to be closed for almost two years due to the pandemic. The children were all the more delighted to be able to return to the renovated school. The new classroom block with two additional classrooms was completed in record time. The new toilet facility is nearing completion. All measures were financed with funds from the Corona Fund, the Sweet Greets campaigns and the PATRIZIA Foundation’s Hiking Challenge.
In comparison with other schools in the region, Kristian Bollmann realised that the measures have brought PATRIZIA School Buyamba back to a very good standard. As a result, a good foundation for the school education of more than 620 children could be secured.
A “business game” as an example of child-centred teaching
A special highlight was the “Business Game” developed by Roman Dengler (ADEPT e.V). The game is designed to teach how to deal with money in a playful way. The pupils of classes 6 and 7 of the PATRIZIA School Buyamba were enthusiastic and had a lot of fun. The teachers followed this contemporary way of teaching with great interest. In the future, teachers will be trained as trainers to further educate other teachers in child-centred teaching.
Visiting other schools
The local education authority presented four more schools for which PATRIZIA Foundation funding is being sought. All schools are secondary schools and located around Masaka. The schools are to be developed under the Model Schools Integrated Programme (MSIP). The basic idea is that knowledge and skills from different professional fields can already be learned in secondary schools. One school specialises in one field at a time and the students rotate from school to school. Since all these schools are in poor condition, Kristian Bollmann sees a clear need for action here. First, a concept for development and cooperation is to be created.
