Beauty and poverty, opportunities and challenges, dreams and needs…Uganda. It is for her children that we work to build a school…and thus to Build Hope in Kids.

What do you get when you mix 2 teachers, 50 treadle sewing machines, and a whole bunch of kids?

The Sewing Classes at our Uganda school, of course! At St. Patrick Nursery & Primary School in Uganda, the sewing classes are for ALL the students in P6. They’re held on Saturdays. Two classrooms each have 25 treadle machines. Yes, TREADLE - - like your great-grandmother used - - no electricity needed! The machines and table were purchased thanks to grants from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) in Lacrosse, WI.

While the classes cut into students’ “free time” on the weekend, they’ll also provide knowledge & skills for the future. Tailors are in high demand in Uganda; folks can’t just drive to a local clothing store like we do here in the U.S. Ask Board president John Grillot about it - - he purchased custom-tailored shirts while on mission trips to Uganda - - quality workmanship with a quick turnaround.

Also, plans are for the Pad Project to eventually transition to the girls at the school. It has been the work of volunteers who meet monthly at St. Monica’s church hall in East Peoria, cutting fabrics and sewing them into reusable sanitary pads for the girls/women at the school. Perhaps in the future the sewing classes in Uganda can not only provide pads for the school residents but also provide (or sell?) them to others.

Greetings and love from me from our school and my new Parish. Allow me update you as follows regarding the goings on about me and the school.

I have been moved to a new Parish (still as Pastor). The new Parish is called Holy Family Parish just 20 minutes drive from the diocesan headquarters as compared to my former parish 2 hours away. I served 7.5 years at my former parish and am now ready for the new assignment and the opportunities that come with it. However, despite the move, be informed that I will continue my engagement with the school and Board as before.

Regarding the school update, we successfully ended term 2, and term 3 will begin on September 13.

The P7 students had a study trip on August 21st to Queen Elizabeth National Park. They do this trip each year mainly to physically visit places and features they will have studied theoretically and want to have a physical experience. Right now while others are on holiday, the same P7 students are having holiday tutoring to enable them focus on the final national assessment (Primary Leaving Examinations) preparations that will be done some time in November. Pray for them please.

As part of expanding our curriculum we are going to now have sewing classes in third term. We thank our community of supporters who enabled us to secure 50 sewing machines for this purpose.

We thank God for the achievements we have attained which would otherwise be impossible without your support. Thank you for changing the lives of the poor children. You remain dear to our hearts and the children always pray for you.

Last May, BHIK-U purchased a 1.4 acre parcel of land adjacent to the sports fields. It’s on a hillside. It’s been planted with East African bananas, what we call “plantains”. Hopefully, with favorable rainy seasons, the trees will be bearing fruit in a couple of years. The fruit will be cooked and mashed to provide matoke (“mah-TOH-keh”) for the school. It’s considered the national dish of Uganda, and is eaten at most meals, served with a sauce or stew, often with vegetables - - and occasionally with meat - - for the 975 or so students and staff members. That’s a LOT of matoke! (And they don’t have electric food processors there!!)

Back of the new bus with an aerial view of BHIK-U campus

Building Hope in Kids - Uganda

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BHIK Newsletter - September 2025

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