Rebuilding safe classrooms in Uganda with solar-powered learning spaces
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$2,020
The classroom reconstruction project at Rhema Orphanage Nursery & Primary School in Sapiri Village, Uganda, is now in its final implementation phase.
The initiative focuses on painting, decorating, and installing solar electricity in four newly built classrooms that serve 200 children. This phase builds on months of community-led construction and marks the transition from rebuilding to creating a fully functional and inspiring learning environment.
- Region 🇺🇬 Uganda
- Sector Infrastructure
- Stage Pilot
Rhema Orphanage School was founded by Mike Bwire, who grew up in the same rural community without access to education. Determined to change this for future generations, he established the school in Sapiri Village, Eastern Uganda, where access to learning remains limited due to distance, poverty, and lack of infrastructure.
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In response, the community mobilised resources and labour to rebuild. Local workers have laid foundations, constructed walls and roofing, and brought the project to its current stage. The reconstruction has not only restored the school but also created employment and renewed hope for families in the area.
Today, Kwanda’s support enables the final phase — turning the nearly completed structures into vibrant, equipped classrooms ready for long-term use.
Why this matters
Rhema Orphanage School is the only accessible primary school in Sapiri and its surrounding villages. Without it, hundreds of children would have no access to basic education. The school provides stability, nourishment, and community for children who face daily challenges such as hunger, poverty, and unsafe home environments.
Rebuilding and improving the classrooms ensures that students have a safe, welcoming, and fully functional place to learn. This project goes beyond construction; it invests in dignity, access, and opportunity for children who would otherwise be excluded from education.
What the project is changing
Since construction began, the project has already transformed the school environment. The new classrooms are no longer bare shells, they are being painted, furnished, and equipped with learning materials.
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Beyond the classrooms themselves, this project has also strengthened local capacity. The use of community labour and the involvement of an engineering team have provided skills development, income, and ownership, ensuring that maintenance and care for the school will continue locally.
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Implementation and progress tracking
The project is being implemented in partnership with Naboki Engineering Group and a team of local builders who have been involved since the first phase.
The scope of work includes:
Painting and decorating four classrooms
Installing solar panels, inverter, battery, and lights
Mounting a projector for enhanced learning
Displaying scholastic and visual learning materials
The team tracks progress through weekly monitoring reports and photo documentation to ensure quality and accountability. Each phase is reviewed jointly by the school leadership, Naboki engineers, and community representatives.
With all materials procured and teams in place, the project is moving steadily toward full completion. Once finished, Rhema Orphanage School will stand not just as a rebuilt institution, but as a model of community-led resilience and education access in rural Uganda.