After witnessing the impact of education in the lives of the young women who were sent to boarding schools in Kampala under the Rural Girl Child Mentorship program, PCE Foundation and the people of Amor Village wanted to find a way to benefit more young people, including the youngest children who were ready to begin their education.
The first step was to build the Portland Nursery and Primary School for children who are four to twelve years old. Classes initially began in two huts and under a mango tree, but with financial help from supporters from around the world and significant assistance from Maarten Bastiaansen from Holland, a thirteen classroom block was built. It is now a fully functional school whose students have taken the National Exams for the last four years with outstanding results. Approximately 88 students (ages 10-13) reside in dormitories, primarily due to poor home life situations. Portland Nursery and Primary School currently serves 223 young students and has 13 teachers.
Next, the focus turned to building a high school to alleviate the ever-growing expense of sending students away to boarding school, and to increase the number of students who could be provided with a quality education. The construction of Portland High school kicked off in June 2019, with generous support and a non-interest loan from Hans-Joachim Herrmann Stiftung. The first stage utilized the partially completed library after it was determined that high school classrooms were more desperately needed at that time. Completing this building provided three classrooms. In 2022, construction began on the first floor of a multi-story building with support from Karen Bentlage and many others, resulting in three additional classrooms. These classrooms were built with bricks handmade by people in the village. Due to the need for computer and science & physics laboratories required by the Uganda National Examinations Board and the Ministry of Education and Sports, construction of yet another three classrooms was begun in late 2023 which was funded by generous donations from Richard and Korinne Mander, Hans-Joachim Herrmann Stiftung, and a number of others, with construction continuing to date.
Currently there are 128 students attending High School classes at Portland School, with approximately 114 residing in dormitories. The quality of the education they are receiving is attested to by their National Exams results which placed Portland High School at number 13 out of 141 secondary schools in the district. There is a staff of 28 instructors for the High School, and 29 non-teaching positions which serve both the Nursery & Primary School and the High School.
There are challenges still to be overcome. Paying the salaries for the staff is an on-going problem, and funds are needed to complete the multi-story classroom building which will allow for additional students. Housing is also needed for the High School instructors (Nursery and Primary teachers already have housing provided).
Many of the Portland School students are orphans and vulnerable children who have lost one or both parents to HIV and who need scholarships to attend school. Sponsors for these children are always desperately needed.