A new Royal School has officially been opened in Uganda, East Africa. The school was established in part by the five Royal schools in Ulster as a legacy from their 400th Anniversary celebrations in 2008. At that time, it was decided to provide help to others by founding a new school in an area of great need. The schools contacted Fields of Life, an Irish based Christian charity which aims to bring about positive change in East Africa through the provision of quality education. At the heart of their mission they see the provision of education as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Since 1997 they have founded 89 primary and 14 secondary schools. Fields of Life also supports community based initiatives through providing clean water, assisting orphans and health promotion.
The school, Bethel Royal, is located in Nakasongola, a few hours drive north of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The school has a current enrolment of 340 students and provides boarding accommodation for both boys and girls. The enrolment will expand with the provision of additional classrooms.Over 850 pupils attend the local primary school and children come from a wide catchment area. Recently a Science laboratory was built and although very basic by Irish standards, it is greatly appreciated. Overall considerable progress in adding to facilities has been made in the last two years. Hope Builders, a volunteer group of skilled tradespeople from Northern Ireland, have done tremendous work in constructing buildings. There is a 140 acre farm attached to the school where practical farming skills are taught and nutritional needs of the whole school community met. Solar power is used where possible as the electrical supply is haphazard and unreliable. In January this year the school received a special award for the Best Overall Performance of a rural school.
