Latest news and updates on the Emily Collins School and children

The first governors meeting of 2025 included a tour of the school to see the progress of the building project….

I am thrilled to be able to share some wonderful news with you all. We received an extremely generous donation from a very kind friend which enabled Martin to replace the old broken down truck with this one! This was the first day it was used and they were all so...

The safety of the children at the Emily Collins School is paramount and at every stage of the building programme we re-assess the risks to the children. We are not perfect but we always strive to be better. And the good news is...we are, indeed, getting better! For...

Wow! What a response… more than 50 people turned up for the Feedback Coffee Morning at the Beacon cafe, St. Mary's Church, Ferndown - so a huge thank you to all those of you who came, to those who helped with the catering, cleaning and washing up and an even bigger...

What a great morning! Dan invited Nelly (of BBC Bake Off fame) and her family to the ‘bake off’ at Brothers Farm this morning - Great competition, lots of beautiful cakes etc and the money raised will go to two charities. We were chosen as one of the beneficeries so a...

We held a very successful coffee morning in the Beacon Cafe yesterday and the people that braved the storm to come were exceedingly generous. However the star of the day was definitely the Christmas cake featuring Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. A very...

There is always something going on at the Emily Collins School! Teaching, learning, children playing, then there is the buying of building materials, installing conduit, mixing cement, watching the rough track outside being transformed into a useable marram road - it...

At the Emily Collins School everyone is involved in sharing knowledge and skills. Allan is our caretaker and security guard but he has been growing maize and other vegetables as well as rearing piglets at the school. He recently invited some of the children’s family...

I will be travelling out to Uganda in January/February 2025 to see the Emily Collins School again but this time, my wife lovely Sarah won't be coming with me. However, before you say 'aw'. I won't be travelling alone, three lovely people are coming with me. This is...

Wonderfully cheerful children studying hard under the watchful guidance of Ken, our hugely experienced senior teacher. What a blessing he is, especially over the last two weeks where the school has suffered from not having electricity because the heavy rains had...

And now the digger and the new road have reached the school…they’re getting there!

It is so encouraging to see the Emily Collins School develop a great relationship with Kisoro council. So much so that look what turned up the other day to turn a half mile long very rough track from the main road to the school into a reasonable country lane!! Thank...

I’m going with a wonderful small group of friends to Uganda at the end of January 2025. It will be great to visit Kisoro and Rukungiri, to take some photographs and videos of the school, the children, the people and the beautiful country…all of which will help to...

Lots of hard work going on to seal the roof before the rains start! Boy this is physically demanding…we’re focussing now on raising enough money to buy the bars, and cement - oh yes and to pay the workers Kisoro, Uganda

The Raise the Roof Party organised by my lovely friend Tiffany and her family was a huge success! It raised £4k to help put the concrete slab on top of the remaining section of the first floor. There is still a long way to go but, as always, we travel ‘one step at a...

We call it 'building the roof' but in reality we are currently trying to finish building the slab for the first floor which will, in time, become the base for the next floor. This is only the long section of the 'L' shaped building and once the concrete has set, the...

One Million Steps! We’d like to invite you to join us in a virtual ‘walk around the world in 80 days’. Get fit, improve your well being and raise money to rescue vulnerable children from the fields, streets and jungles around Kisoro. My friend Greg and I have linked...

Christmas Appeal 2023 - The Emily Collins School in Kisoro, Uganda This year donations given at our Community Carol Service, Christmas Extravaganza Service and Midnight Communion Services will go to the Emily Collins School in Kisoro, Uganda. This is one of our...

I was honoured to be invited to give a talk about the Emily Collins School at a parents event at Pamphill First School last evening. The schools are ‘twinned’ and exchange videos that have been made by the children so they can all learn things about and from each...

Wine O’Clock - at St. Mary's Church, Church Road, Ferndown, Dorset On Monday evening 23rd  October, Sarah and I will be hosting ‘Wine O’clock’. It is going to be a fun wine tasting with nibbles at St. Mary’s Church. The good news is that it is not just for...

We are able to offer the choice of 2 different calendars for 2024. All we ask is a donation of £15 per calendar and, as you know, 100% of your donation goes directly to the school. Here are photos of the content in the calendars...please click on this link to go to...

Lots going on at The Emily Collins School…children being creative, teachers having meetings and everyone having fun in the sunshine! Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue our building programme [gallery...

Fundraising has been tough this year with the state of the economy in the west and the war in Ukraine, quite understandably, having an impact on people’s ability to give. However, despite reduced funds Martin and his team at OFHM manage their resources well and...

Well done and thank you to Mo-Lizzie and Bethan for leading a class for the children and, indeed, one for the adult guardians…It is so exciting to receive lessons from visitors and both the children and the adults obviously loved it as much as Mo-Lizzie and Bethan did...

It is great to see people from the UK showing interest and the commitment required to visit the Emily Collins School. Martin Duhimbaze, the founder of Our Father's House Ministries who is building the school also took Mo-Lizzie and Bethan into the Kisoro community to...

A nice saying 'raising the roof' and, in this case, it is perfectly apt! We need to 'raise the roof' by shouting about the progress Our Father's House Ministries is making in operating a busy school whilst simultaneously enlarging the building. So, while the school...

Arriving at the Emily Collins School in Kisoro, following a very long drive from Kampala, Martin Duhimbaze encountered the children crossing the main road to walk up the track to the school... What a wonderful sight for sore eyes?!

Passing on the baton! Martin  tells me that we have 5 young boys training to be carpenters at Jim’s Shed, our woodwork training centre, in Rukungiri. They are learning basic woodworking skills and helping to make furniture for customers. This helps create an...

Greetings from Uganda! We have lots going on behind the scenes at the Emily Collins School… a new area of ground has been dug up and now it is clear the guys can sow grass seed so that the schoolchildren can have a much needed playing field…how exciting. Well done...

Plenty going on behind the scenes this month at the Emily Collins School - now we are harvesting rainwater. Firstly because we need to be careful and protect our natural resources, secondly because it will save us money by reducing our water bills and thirdly to stop...