Meet Ssonko Geoffrey. Geoffrey is 25 years of age and lives in Kampala , the capital of Uganda . Geoffrey is a civil engineer and works as part of the Children's Sure House program in Owengei, as the architect and foreman, and is also one of the founder members of the Queen of Peace School where he teaches Mathematics.

Geoffrey is an orphan; he lost his Father at 2 years of age and his mother at 14 whilst he was still studying in Primary school. His Guardian Miss Namusisi Ruth paid for his school fees to get him to his penultimate year of Secondary School until she could no longer afford to do so. Geoffrey was very bright student who was on course to sit three A level exams in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, but with the financial constraints on his guardian it looked like Geoffrey would have to finish his schooling at this point and get a job to support his family.

This fortunately is where Sserunyange John stepped in. John helped Geoffrey to finish School and attend College by paying the remaining School fees, his administrative and tuition fees for his Degree in Building and Civil Engineering. Geoffrey excelled in his studies and now works for one of the biggest construction companies in Uganda, Builon Construction Ltd.

Being very aware of the help he benefited from, Geoffrey has always been keen to pay forward the aid he received to others. With Sserunyange John, he helped to set up the Queen of Peace School, which has recently been added to the Children's Sure House development umbrella. Here he teaches Mathematics to the Children having completed his Mathematics A level with Honors. Geoffrey is also involved in our Owengei project as the chief architect and foreman.

Ssonko Geoffrey's story is an example of what Ugandan's can do when they are empowered. If Geoffrey left School before he had completed his studies, he would have one of thousands of Ugandan's who did so due to a lack of funding.

By completing his studies, Geoffrey was able to drag himself from the poverty that surrounded him and create a better life for himself and his family, one that didn't look possible when he was a young boy.

Geoffrey's contributions to the Queen of Peace School has helped the Children's Sure House to achieve all we have so far. Geoffrey's story is a success story because at the age of 14 he was an orphan with little or no chance of a prosperous life, a common Ugandan story. With the help he received from donations he was able to complete his studies and give back to those around him, thus breaking the poverty cycle, and now he is contributing to others in order to help them do the same.

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When Moses Kiwala first set up Children's Sure House in 1993 he couldn't have expected one of his first pupils to excel, and give so much back to the project as pioneer student Rebecca Nabunya has.

Like so many children in Kiwangala at the time, who were studying under a tree, Rebecca was looking at a bleak future as her parents were poverty stricken, and did not have the money to be able to send her or her siblings to School.

Helped by Moses and the Children's Sure House director Martin Mpanga, Rebecca was able to study with the Children's Sure House from Primary School, all the way through until the end of Secondary School.

Even within her School days, Rebecca whose dream it was to become a teacher was volunteering at the age of 16 as a Primary School teacher. This worked well: as she gained valuable experience and helped the Children's Sure House with a much-needed volunteer teacher, a need that still exists today.

With the help of two Dutch sponsors, Marriane and Mathieu Slee, Rebecca was able to attend Kampala International University where she was able to attain her dream, a degree in Education.

Rebecca is now a senior teacher in the Children's Sure House School , where she was one of the first attendees. She teaches Luganda, Social studies and Religious Studies. She has become a very important member of the Kiwangala community, and is involved in various community development projects, including crafts groups as well as providing food and other support to the orphans of the area.

Rebecca is aware of how fortunate she has been to receive the support she has, and has given as much if not more back to Children's Sure House and to the community which she has come from. Her story is one of how empowerment can change the lives of the people of Uganda , and how a cycle of change can start.

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