Soma!!!Soma!!!: Get a Refugee Child Ready for School

Help out-of-school children in Nakivale Refugee Settlement learn to read, eat a daily meal, and enroll in formal school.

In Nakivale Refugee Settlement, thousands of children have never set foot in a classroom. War displaced their families, and the collapse of food rations has forced many children out of learning and into childcare, chores, or early marriage.

Soma!!!Soma!!! changes that. It's a 20-week, community-based readiness program that prepares children aged 8–14 to enter and stay in formal school. Using a Ministry of Education–approved language-bridging curriculum, trained instructors teach in both English and the child's native language, three mornings a week, with a fourth day set aside for mentorship and psychosocial support.

But learning can't happen on an empty stomach. Every learner receives a daily porridge meal and scholastic materials, and school fees are fully covered for one term removing the barriers that keep children out of class. Parents form committees, train alongside the program, and open education savings accounts so the support continues long after the program ends.

The results speak for themselves: over 2,500 previously out-of-school children have enrolled in government schools, and more than 75% of them remain in school today despite mounting food insecurity.

Your gift funds the immediate needs of a child now while opening the door to a lifelong journey out of poverty tomorrow.

Impact tiers (adjust amounts to your costs):

• $25: Scholastic materials (books, pens, supplies) for one learner
• $50: A term of daily porridge meals for one child
• $150: Full school fees for one child for a term
• $500: Sponsors a learner through the complete 20-week program
• $1,500: Trains and equips an instructor to teach a full class