The Education Centre –by Hannah Small, Founding Director.

Soft Power began an undertaking nearly three years ago too upgrade the terribly under funded and ramshackle government primary schools in a small area around Bujugali. There were 20 of them in less than 20 square kilometres and we are nearly done. What beggars belief is the sheer number of children in this one small area and guestimates are that there are over 23,000 of them.

We have now become experts at building and refurbishing classrooms, installing water tanks and holding sport and health workshops, but I felt that there was something missing. I was never that keen on school, I loved the social side but lessons were quickly forgotten. What I do remember with incredible clarity is the school day trips: visits to windmills, historic towns, zoos and museums. At the end of 2004 Soft Power was again gifted land by Kyabirwa community. On this slice of Ugandan soil a pottery was quickly established and the construction of a health clinic…..it is also here that the seed of an Education Centre was sown.

I wanted to create a centre that children could come to for a day and really learn. Experience some vital life stuff as well as have a touch of magic. To look through a microscope at unboiled water and see why they should boil it. To see malaria in blood...to have fun with clay...to play on a gigantic climbing frame...climb a spiral staircase and look through a telescope...watch a film, see a play...hear music.

This would also be a place for teachers to come and gain inspiration to take back to their schools, their pupils.

Also wanting to uplift the community of Kyabirwa in gratitude for their trust in Soft Power the centre will also be able to offer cultural events and adult education courses in partnership with the Health centre. For example, although the literacy rate amongst men is very low, they are reluctant to attend literacy classes so we can offer "Sport and Media" where they can see the week’s papers, learn to read, but also watch International sporting events.

The Omugezi Foundation is also being created. Omugezi means wisdom. We will be taking small groups of the highflying educated Youth of Uganda and running some leadership courses that will foster social responsibility and networking.

In March 2005 Ross and his wife Lise came to volunteer with us. He is an architect and he listened to me ramble on about magic, inspiration, learning and came up with a wonderful design for the building. Funding - World Soft Power Day got us enough money to lay the foundations and then Leeds University (inspired by a young student) built the walls, leaving us with enough to start the roof.

We have just installed a spiral staircase and will continue pushing to get the project completed, with the help of further funding and volunteers, by April 2006.

The Education Centre was a pipe dream, but like so many of our projects it has grown into a reality enabling Ugandan children and adults not only to live it, but experience it.