Uphill Trust - Liddy Laird

Tue, Oct 10th 2023 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Host- Grant Cargill, Reception - Alice Little, Menu Choice - Carol Morris

The Uphill Trust is a Scottish charity, the aim of which is to support the development of Uphill Junior School in Uganda.

Retired dental surgeon Liddy Laird, one of three St Andrews University graduates who set up the Uphill Trust in 2015, explained how the charity transformed Uphill Junior School in rural western Uganda.

Prior to the trust’s involvement, the school had 120 primary pupils educated in dilapidated wooden huts with three teachers.
Getting an education in rural Uganda is challenging. Just over 80% attend school but only 32% reach P7 and only 15% go onto secondary education.
With the Uphill Trust’s fund-raising, by 2019 the school had three brick-built classrooms, a latrine and administration block and were teaching 320 youngsters.
In addition, charity Dentaid was providing hygiene and nutrition advice and handing out toothbrushes to the children.
Uphill School is now deemed a model school and now has 15 staff and a school nurse.
Liddy said that during Covid there was a strict lockdown and the teachers provided home schooling work.
Last year with the trust’s financial help a porridge club was set up to provide a least one nutritional meal for the pupils.
This year funds were raised to provide new school hall and kitchens with eco stoves and drinkable running water. A teachers’ house is also under construction.
Much of the trust’s funding has come from sales of paper jewellery made by Liddy from materials from Africa.
Liddy said the long-term aim is to make the school more self-sufficient.

President Isobel Clifford introduced Liddy and Grant Cargill proposed thanks for a most interesting talk.

For further information see Our Story - Uphill Trust

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