NOTE:  If you are interested in helping Marius, please do not send a check or donate online.  Contact us to discuss costs at +1 312 316 7386 or at educatebwindi@gmail.com  Annual secondary fees differ from elementary/primary education.

Marius’ father was killed in the Ugandan election violence during the 2020 Presidential campaign, leaving his wife, five boys and two girls with no income.  Marius is the youngest.

It is unclear how the family even survives.  The mother works as much as possible in vegetable gardens owned by other people in exchange for food to take home. They have a small piece of land at home where she raises a few sweet potatoes and bananas. The older boys have left to go anywhere, no matter how far, to find work. 

Marius is usually one of the top three students in his class at Watoto.

That’s pretty good when you consider he was not in school at Watoto for a few years. He had a sponsor but that sponsor was unable to continue (nothing to do with Marius). We had so many children at school for free at that time, we thought we could not bring in any more students who were at that time.

We couldn’t stand thinking about such a bright boy in a not so great a school. About a year ago, we brought him back to Watoto as a free merit student to finish his primary education.  He will graduate at the end of 2023, quite likely first or second in class, despite everything that happened to him.

However, having only an elementary school education works in Uganda no better than it does in the US.  It is impossible to get a decent job, impossible often to get any job at all with only a 7^th grade diploma. 

Secondary education and then vocational or a university degree are crucial in this country that is experiencing a very high rate of unemployment and a lack of jobs.

Marius’ father died for the right to protest and the right to make his voice heard.  Perhaps someone, or even two people, can share costs, so his son can become the kind of man his father gave his life for.