2023 Summer impact
Dear Friends,
Every first week of July, the Raise the Roof Academy family celebrates Mission Week. Mission Week is a cherished tradition that draws guests from the US and across Uganda to the remote village of Bwasandeku. During Mission Week, we play and pray, listen and share, give and receive, learn and teach, serve and are served, make friends and strengthen relationships, and sing and dance.
This year’s theme was Play Your Part. We celebrated the many parts friends like you play in the lives of the children, and likewise, the parts the children play in our lives. One of the many unforgettable moments that has stayed with me happened on July 4th while the US team members were having dinner with the 400 students who live on campus.
While we were having dinner, someone put on the music and turned the volume up. Then a group of girls dared their friend from the US to get up and dance. To the kids' amusement the US friend got up and started dancing. Within no time, every other US team member was being dared at their table to get up and dance. Everyone accepted the spontaneous challenge! The smiles, hand clapping, and energy in the room was palpable.
All who visit RTRA quickly learn that dance is the primary language through which we express our love and gratitude, extend our welcome, transcend our fears and doubts, and affirm our shared human story.
As you read this report, may it give you a glimpse of why we choose to dance. This year we started on phase one of building the High School. In the next 6 months we are erecting 6 new classrooms that will be used by our High School students.
Finally, why do we dance? We dance because we have hope in Jesus. We dance to celebrate the 97% of girls who stay in school and refuse to be married off young. We dance to celebrate 130 students who will sit for their Primary Leaving Exam this November. We dance to celebrate 38 students who will sit for their Ordinary Level Leaving Exam. We dance because we are slowly building our permanent High School. We dance when each individual child is sponsored!
We dance because of the kindness and generosity of friends like you that keep the doors of RTRA open. We dance to praise God for blessings too numerous to list here. You are helping children from unimaginable backgrounds join the dance. Thank you!
With Gratitude,
David Ssebulime, Founding Director
