About Nyantaboma Schools
A school started by its own community in 2012, in a farming village in the hills near Fort Portal, because the children had nowhere else to go.
Our Mission
To provide quality, inclusive, and accessible education to every child in Nyantaboma, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and become leaders in their community.
Our Vision
A village where every child starts school at the right age, stays until the end, and leaves able to choose their own future. "A good teacher doesn't just teach. They light the path for generations to come."
What We Do
Everything a child needs to start school, stay in school and finish school.
Nursery
Baby, Middle and Top Class for ages three to six, so children arrive in Primary 1 ready to learn.
Primary
Primary 1 to 7 with twelve teachers, through to the national Primary Leaving Examination.
Sponsorship & Welfare
Fees, meals, uniforms and a watchful eye for the children most at risk of dropping out.
Building
Replacing timber classrooms with permanent brick ones, built by local hands.
Our Story
Nyantaboma is a rural farming community in Harugongo, near Fort Portal in Western Uganda, with little infrastructure and few public services. In 2012, local families and Charles Musana, a teacher in London who grew up in the village, started a school because there were so few formal schools nearby. The first classrooms were built from what the community had to hand.
In 2015 the school came under the care of the Nyantaboma Development Initiative, a grassroots charity. In 2022 a nursery section was added to meet growing demand. Today more than 500 children aged three to fourteen are taught by twelve teachers, a mix of professionally trained staff and volunteers.
Most lessons still take place in five blocks of timber and iron sheets. The first permanent brick block, two classrooms, is now being built. It will not be the last.
Our Team
The teachers, trustees and friends who keep the school running.
Leadership
Charles Musana
Founder
Charles grew up in Nyantaboma and now teaches in London. In 2012 he and members of the community started the school because there were so few formal schools nearby.
Exavier Tusiime
Head Teacher
Exavier has led the school since 2016. He trained at Canon Apollo Core PTC and taught upper primary mathematics for ten years before taking the headship. Since then, Exavier has upgraded with a degree in Education from Mountains of the Moon University. He still takes Primary 7 for mathematics twice a week.
Esther Birungi
Deputy Head & Senior Woman Teacher
Esther looks after pupil welfare across both sections and is the first person families come to when a child is struggling to stay in school. She coordinates the sponsorship programme on the ground.
Harriet Tusiime
Head of Nursery · Top Class teacher
Harriet opened the nursery section in 2022 with 38 children and one borrowed room. It now has three classes. She holds a certificate in early childhood development from Kyambogo.
Julius Baguma
Director of Studies · Primary 7 teacher
Julius prepares the candidate class for the Primary Leaving Examination and runs the Saturday revision programme. Under him the school recorded its first Division One passes.
Staff
Florence Kemigisa
Baby Class teacher
Florence teaches the youngest children in the school, most of whom arrive speaking only Rutooro. Songs, stories and a great deal of patience.
Joyce Kabasomi
Middle Class teacher
Joyce joined as a volunteer classroom assistant in 2022 and completed her nursery teaching certificate while working at the school.
Stephen Mugisa
Primary 1 teacher
Stephen teaches early literacy in Rutooro and English and runs the lower-primary reading corner.
Agnes Katusabe
Primary 2 teacher
Agnes grew up in Harugongo and was among the first young people from the village to qualify as a teacher.
Deo Asiimwe
Primary 3 teacher
Deo teaches the transition year, when lessons move from Rutooro into English. He also keeps the school garden.
Lydia Kobusinge
Primary 4 teacher
Lydia teaches English and social studies and leads the debating club.
Richard Mwesige
Primary 5 teacher
Richard teaches science and is responsible for the solar lighting used for evening revision.
Sarah Ainembabazi
Primary 6 teacher
Sarah teaches mathematics in upper primary and mentors the older girls.
Moses Kugonza
Games, Music & Drama
Moses coaches the football and netball teams and leads the school choir and drumming. The team reached the sub-county final last season.
Annet Kiiza
Bursar
Annet keeps the school's books, manages fee records and issues receipts for every sponsorship payment received.
Trustees
Margaret Ellison
Treasurer, Nyantaboma Development Initiative
Margaret is a retired primary head teacher. She oversees the charity's accounts and makes sure every sponsorship pound is traceable to a child.
Rev. Emmanuel Kaahwa
Community Trustee
Emmanuel chairs the parents' and community committee and represents village families on the board.
Dr. Beatrice Kabahuma
Trustee, Education
Beatrice lectures in teacher education in Fort Portal and advises the school on curriculum and staff development.
David Okonkwo-Reid
Trustee, Buildings
David is a chartered surveyor. He volunteers his time to oversee the permanent classroom building programme.
Advisers
James Holloway
Volunteer Programme Adviser
James has brought four groups of sixth-form and university volunteers to Nyantaboma and helps prepare each new group before they travel.
Priya Nair
Safeguarding Adviser
Priya is a designated safeguarding lead in a UK secondary school and wrote the school's child protection and sponsor-contact policies.
Where We Are
Two sections on one site in Nyantaboma village.
Nursery Section
Baby, Middle and Top Class for children aged three to six. Opened in 2022 so that village children start primary school ready to learn.
Primary Section
Primary 1 to Primary 7 for children aged six to fourteen. Around 370 pupils in five classroom blocks, with the first permanent brick block now under construction.