Details

Short description of the organisation the funds were raised for
Global Refugee Initiatives (GRI) is registered with the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations of Uganda since February 2019. In May 2019, GRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), through the Directorate of Refugees, to implement its programmes within the refugee settlements as a partner of the Government of Uganda through OPM. Furthermore, GRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kiryandongo District.
GRI is an independent humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisation with an office in Kampala and an office in Bweyale, Kiryandongo. GRI operates to support refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and host communities and in all its operations adheres to International Legal Instruments, the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, the Refugee Act 2006, the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment Strategic Framework – Uganda (ReHoPE Strategy) 2017, the Uganda Settlement Transformation Agenda, the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response (The Sphere Handbook, Fourth Edition, 2018).
Through its education programme, GRI aims to overcome obstacles in education and to ensure refugees, Internally Displaced People and host community children access to inclusive quality education, within a protective and enabling environment.

Short description of the project or programme the funds were raised for
Global Refugee Initiatives (GRI), together with local refugee and host communities, developed a programme to construct a community primary school and to provide amongst others quality education, good nutrition, and psychosocial support when needed for children from refugee, Internally Displaced People and host communities. Ubuntu Model Primary School was to be located in Kiryadongo Refugee Settlement in cluster C and give access to education for South Sudanese, Sudanese and Congolese refugees and children from the host community of Bweyale Town Council. 
In addition, the school requried more toilets to serve the sanitary needs of pupils.
Finally, parents could not afford meals for the children and the school had no budget for meals. 
The fundraising campaign concentrated on all these needs.

Summary of fundraising action
1. We developed a concept note for a primary school in Kiryadongo.
2. The concept note was presented to the board members of GRI.
3. Board members approved to kick off fundraising and they shared the concept with their friends.
4. Funds were collected in cash, in-kind and through volunteering.
5. Construction of the first block begun in June 2022.
6. Teachers were recruited in December 2022.
7. The school opened in February 2023.

The fundraising highlights:
Through profiling, GRI reached out to Foundation to Build (FTB) to provide financial and technical support for the construction of one permanent building (3 classrooms: P1 + P2 + P3), and toilets.
The remaining project funds were raised through in-kind. Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) provided GRI with 15 acres of land for “Right to Use” through an MOU. The community provided volunteer services during construction of the school and day-to-day running of the school.
We reached out to UNHCR and did an elevator pitch for the head of UNHCR head office in Kiryadongo. They connected us to Feed the Hungry. We contacted the programmes coordinator for Feed the Hungry East Africa and asked him to support with school meals; he agreed. We were able to secure meals for the whole term.

Objectives
1. To provide quality education to 150 children
2. To construct a primary school

Targeted donors
1. Local community
2. Stakeholders in Ugandan education context, especially refugees
3. International donors

Results

Result comments
Land to a value of approximately 45,000,000 UGX
A permanent building with classrooms and toilets, kitchen and an askari's house, worth approximately 345,000,000 UGX
Teaching staff and non-teaching staff
Food for meals

Description of preparatory work
We developed the concept note and:

• shared it with colleagues at work;
• shared it with board members for approval;
• started fundraising initiative with potential donors.

Description of implementation
We sent the concept notes to different donors via email.
We advertised the cause on the organisation website and social media.
We toured the local community to make them aware of the need for a primary school in their area.

Follow up: Donor appreciation and acknowledgement
It is always important to report and account to the donor to show how the funds were spent. Sending a thank you note or email is also important.

Plans to repeat the action
Yes! We urgently need a second block for Primary 4 - 7. We are in the middle of profiling potential donors.