The Evolution of Our School Over Time
The Beginning
It was August 2009, and we were in the highlands of Uganda on a vacation to visit the wild mountain gorillas. And indeed, we had the opportunity to spend an hour with these peaceful giants, who were particularly gentle that day. That evening, after visiting the gorillas, we reflected on these experiences and those of the previous days. But we were also thinking about the many schoolchildren who waved at us from the roadside everywhere we went. On the drive to our final destination, we stopped at some of these schools to learn about their general operations.
This was also the case at our final destination, a peninsula on Lake Victoria near the capital, Kampala. In our opinion, what we found there did not deserve to be called a school. Yet classes were actually being held in this unfinished shell of a building—it even had a boarding facility because the commute was too long for some students. The students slept on the mud floor, which also served as their desks. The lake breeze swept through the unglazed window openings and the missing doors.
Once we got home, those images stayed with us, and we spontaneously decided to provide financial support to this “school”:
- Beds
- Mattresses
- Music Networks
- School desks
were among the first things to be purchased.
We shared these experiences with our friends and family, among others. We immediately bought a piggy bank and an elephant-shaped money box, which we’ve been filling with money at family gatherings ever since—as a replacement for gifts that are more of a luxury. The proceeds from items made by the community—such as flower soaps, candles, birdhouses, and others—which are sold annually at two Christmas markets, go into the bellies of the two chubby ceramic animals, along with sponsorship funds.
The Formative Years
Summer 2010
We returned to the peninsula on Lake Victoria near Kampala to visit the school. We had brought soccer balls and the contents of our two “big bags.”
People here still remembered the “strange” visitors from the previous year. We offered our help, which was gratefully accepted. There was a particular need for additional beds, mosquito nets, and a cabinet and shelf for general school supplies. Ten new desks were added to the existing ones. Everyone was overjoyed, and ideas for next year began to take shape.
Fall 2011
As promised, we arrived at the school and, even though it was school vacation, were greeted with dancing to African rhythms.
This year, the first structural changes were on the agenda:
- Window and door installation,
- initial plastering work
- first concrete floor in a classroom
To do this, we had to stack the 50-kg bags of cement onto the boat to transport them across the lake. The boat is the shortest route between Kampala’s roadside “hardware stores” and the school next to the fishing village on the peninsula. There is a land route, but it’s much longer. We distributed textiles and soccer cleats brought from Germany at “our school.” The soccer cleats were (and still are) something very special, because you can play much better in them than barefoot. Since then, the school has won tournaments.
Fall 2012
This year, our luggage included LED ceiling lights from Germany. A local company supplied and installed the solar panels, storage batteries, and other electrical equipment. It all worked out—the ceiling lights were shining brightly before we left. They were one of the few bright spots in the village, as there was still no public power supply in the area.
The connected laptop turned the classroom into a small movie theater and made the long, dark equatorial night seem shorter.
2013 and 2014
We’re still visiting “our” school in Brandenburg during the fall break. The plastering and painting work continues.
Nevertheless, the initial euphoria has faded, as the principal is not fulfilling his duties and is basking in the school’s successes. School funds are disappearing, and girls report that the principal has made inappropriate remarks. Academic standards are declining, and enrollment is falling. We seek dialogue with the school’s owner, the church, and local government representatives. The principal, however, remains firmly in his position, presumably protected by networks within the authorities. We turn to the students’ parents to build pressure from the ground up and threaten to end our involvement. To make matters worse for us, at the same time back in Germany, Hans-Werner Schmidt, a high school teacher and friend, had become aware of our school project and, optimistic as he is, began promoting it as a successful initiative in Africa.
2015
We did it! We have a new principal. While he doesn’t quite meet our expectations in terms of dedication, he does have the support of the local community. We’ve also appointed a liaison to oversee our plans and the flow of funds. This will allow us to step up our efforts, as from now on, projects can be communicated, planned, and implemented year-round.
This also has a positive impact on Hans-Werner Schmidt’s activities, as he is recruiting supporters from Germany who will assist us in the future and accompany us on our travels.
Inspired by our efforts, the local municipality had drilled a well on the property in collaboration with the landowner a few years earlier and equipped it with a hand-operated pump. The villagers loved it, and the pump was practically in constant use. But even solid cast iron couldn’t withstand that strain indefinitely, so we restored it to working order this year.
The school also got its own distinctive paint job: teachers and students had designed it themselves using the colors of the school uniforms. They surprised us by posting a photo of the finished project in our WhatsApp group chat once the work was done.
2016
We’re considering whether it’s possible to create a sustainable source of income for the school. The idea: to revitalize and expand the completely neglected school garden. The proceeds could be used to provide for the students and also to feed domestic pigs, whose piglets would be sold at the market. No sooner said than done: we used the remaining money to buy new school desks and left with a sense of satisfaction.
Over the course of the year, the school underwent further structural development:
- Concrete floors poured,
- installed and planted the covered entrance area leading to the classrooms, and
- The new sign has been put up at the school entrance:
2017
The outhouse is practically unusable; the hand-operated pump has finally reached the end of its useful life and is no longer functional. Africans are masters of improvisation, but action must still be taken. The water from Lake Victoria is unsafe for human and animal consumption due to high levels of bacteria and parasites. So we decide to utilize the school building’s vast roof area and fund a gutter system and a 5,000-liter collection tank. Furthermore, we commission the construction of a toilet building with three toilets each for girls and boys (previously there was one girls’ and one boys’ toilet) …
This is probably where the idea arose for the school to build a new shell structure on the grounds—a common practice in Africa when more capacity is needed. But in our case: just another shell structure?
We are committed to this cause because we are dedicated to education in this country, and 100% of donations are verifiably put to good use.
2018
To keep pace with the constant growth and to demonstrate their full commitment, Hans-Werner Schmidt came up with the idea of founding an association: In the spring of 2018, the founding meeting took place at the restaurant “Zur Eisenbahn” in Groß Leuthen/Märkische Heide. From now on, we are known as “Friends and Supporters of Lake View High School Lweza e.V.”
The situation today
We have parted ways with our intermediary. The planning and organization of each initiative will be coordinated directly with the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
2018 was all about preserving value, optimizing, and beautifying. Eight residents of Lübben who are passionate about Africa and school projects, along with us, “dropped by the school”:
As always, we will be welcomed with drums, singing, and dancing.
We have been told that the water from the gutter is not enough and that another water tank is needed. Our analysis shows that the gutter is positioned in such a way that water from the flat, smooth corrugated metal roof runs right over it. We are going to fix that:
At the same time, we’re painting classrooms together with the students and drawing sketches of the human digestive tract on the wall of the restroom building:
Fall 2019
We're just a small group this year, and the school visit will be a bit shorter.
The school has since grown into a well-known institution in the region. Enrollment is on the rise, so more beds are needed:
We brought back fifteen laptops and two scanners from Germany and used them to expand the computer lab, since we’ve been packing laptops in our luggage for several years now. So, that was reason enough to throw a small school party with a soccer tournament:
The problem with rainwater collection persists. This year, the gutter is completely clogged by the weaver birds that live in the only palm tree on the premises—we’re cleaning it out. The Africans said the palm tree had to go, but we believe it should be possible to coexist with it…
The Africans continue to insist that the tank is too small—we're thinking it over.
The science teachers want to better equip the chemistry lab—we're on it:
October 2021
After a two-year hiatus, we’re finally back at “our” school. Of course, we stayed in touch the whole time and carried out the project that had been at the very bottom of our priority list:
A tall fence with an impressive entrance gate now separates the village from the small school; after all, there are now quite a few valuable school supplies in the building. But the large gate also symbolizes pride and is a sign of a measure of success that is meant to be displayed and preserved.
We enjoy competing with other schools in the area, as we often come in at the top of the rankings. Among other things, we brought twelve laptops this year to expand our computer lab, as well as sports equipment.
A sound system provided the musical entertainment and emcee duties; connecting to the public power grid made this possible—unfortunately at the expense of our beloved African drums…
The chemistry lab was equipped with new lab supplies and a microscope was donated; both rooms were fitted with a drop ceiling, and the long-awaited Wi-Fi router was successfully installed.
The newly poured concrete floor was unveiled just in time for the afternoon soccer match between students and teachers and a team from the community, as part of a small village festival.
With the invoices and receipts for the club’s accounting in hand, we set off on our journey home, feeling satisfied.
October 2022
It is October 2022, and the teachers and students are giving us a particularly warm welcome.
Fortunately, the school’s development has continued unabated. The water problem has not yet been fully resolved, but the situation has improved thanks to further improvements to the gutter system. A well is planned to resolve the issue by 2025.
The cooking hut, restrooms, and a newly built washing station are now supplied with fresh water directly via underground pipes. The school garden is home to crops such as corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes, and the entire grounds are very well organized and maintained.
We get the impression that a major change has taken place here.
Encouraged by their success, they want more. Our offer to modernize the cooking hut was turned down. Instead, they would like help in further upgrading their school’s status so that they can administer exams and other school-leaving certificates on their own.
In keeping with our philosophy, we’re of course happy to support them, fund a small school festival, and hopefully say goodbye until next October.
October 2023
To cut to the chase: In October 2023, we witnessed a school that had grown even stronger, more self-assured, and proud. This was also reflected in a well-organized and confidently presented welcome program held in our honor.
Students and teachers clearly enjoy each other’s company. With our help, they modernized the cooking hut, added a small dining area, installed windows in the boarding house, and completely plastered the exterior.
Unfortunately, however, a situation has arisen that makes us anything but happy: Food prices in Uganda have doubled in recent years, and as a result, the poorest families can no longer afford the school fees. But it is precisely these families that we want to support with our project, because education is our top priority.
So we took action and visited four of these students at home to record a short video clip in which they introduce themselves.
At the same time, we created an Instagram account under fuflvhs where we are sharing these videos and asking for tuition fees for one trimester (= four months).
This is a completely new endeavor that we are working diligently on and plan to expand step by step. We will, of course, keep you updated.
September 2024
Yes, another school year has already come to an end—and of course we paid a visit to our school. The welcome ceremony was simply wonderful, with students in high spirits who were perfectly guided by their teachers and welcomed us with their beloved African drums and dances. The school administration’s goal of being able to administer exams independently has been achieved, and they are—understandably—very proud.
The number of students who cannot afford the tuition has risen to eight. We are, of course, stepping in to help.
Not much has happened on the construction front over the past year, but we’re making all the more plans. We need a girls’ dormitory building. We’ve ordered and paid for the necessary bricks.
It’s become a lovely tradition to hold a small school festival on the day of our visit. Students, teachers, and community representatives always look forward to it, and of course we’ll be there—so see you in the fall of 2025—best of luck and have fun!
October 2025
The positive trend of recent years has continued this year as well. The student body has now grown to approximately 400 students, who are cared for by 47 staff members, including caregivers, teachers, technical staff, security personnel, the cook, and her assistants.
Construction work is in full swing. The shell of the girls’ dormitory is complete, and now—finally—a school well is under construction.
The school palm tree has since grown back well, much to the delight of the weaver birds, who, like the school community, are investing in the future with the utmost dedication.
This year, too, our luggage included more laptops and copiers, funds for school desks, doors, and windows, along with 14 huge bags of clothing for the poorest families.
The biggest surprise, however, was for us: eight of our students plan to apply for a spot at the university—simply unimaginably wonderful news. Trash cans have since been set up—great!
We saw many confident, happy faces, and of course we thanked them again with a school party—meaning we provided the food and drinks—which was very gratefully received.
One final thought from me:
It feels good to offer those in need a sense of hope right where they are, no matter where they may be. But our relationships are also strengthened through joint projects and our work within the organization. In this work, I find peace.
Andre Wasternack