The Begining
When the Rev Seme Solomona became Bishop of Yei and moved there in the 1980’s his wife Esther Poni Solomona started a small Kindergarten in the vestry of the Cathedral. The people of Yei had to leave in a hurry in the early 1980s leaving behind everything. After years of civil war the children and families returned from being refugees in Uganda. They had moved several times each time leaving behind most of their possessions. When they returned to Yei to re build their lives Esther and her Mothers Union Collegues re started the Kindergarten but they had only a delapidated hut for a school. The children deserved a new start and so Immanuel Kindergarten Charity was set up to work in partnership with the families of Yei in South Sudan to build a school for the the young children.
Empty dark rooms were not a good environment in which to learn
Fundraising was started in 2006 and the first £2,000 was raised.
The foundations were dug and laid.
The first charity donation was handed over by Carolyn Murray in 2007
Bricks were made locally.
All the community helped.
Then the building started
Slowly the building began to take shape.
Money continued to be raised.
By 2009 £30,000 had been donated and the building was completed.
Novemeber 2009 the building was officially opened.
Great celebrations as the ribbon was cut!
The New Building 2009
Three classrooms and an office.
One of the new classrooms
Esther (The first Head teacher and Miriam (the head teacher at the time) with children .
The children entering the classrooms for the first time…
Great excitement!!
Rainwater Tanks 2011
Storage of water from the roof means staff don’t have to search for water to cook with and wash dishes etc. There is still need for a bore hole on site for drinking water.
Outdoor Play equipment 2011
The children are delighted with their new merry go round!
New solar panel 2012
A small amount of solar power means its possible to have a security light and power to charge a laptop.
A new hall 2014
Construction has started for the new hall
Official opening 2015
The new hall is ready for the new academic year!
A new well 2015
A happy staff show of their bore hole making it less expensive to access clean drinking water. Now they need more solar panels and a pump to make the bore hole safe and keep free from contamination.
2019 marks 10 years since the new building was opened.
The First Building
The delapidated building that was used to educate young children when the families returned to Yei in 2002.
Happy children saying thank you to the many generous supporters for giving them the chance of education. December 2015
And thank you from the brilliant staff team pictured hear receiving new umbrellas enabling them to go to work even in in the rain!