We are thrilled to be sharing the success of the Uganda Expedition this summer. Our Year 12 girls and staff were part of an amazing trip which not only transformed a Ugandan village but also formed life-long experiences and memories.

Giving back to the community is a life-long commitment and at St Helen’s we encourage the girls’ interests in the wider world and instil in them a sense of responsibility to their community and the world around them. Fourteen Year 12 students were able to put this into practice when they visited Mitete in Uganda to help with projects to improve the infrastructure of the village.

Having raised £13,000 during the year, the girls were able to help finance the building of a modern bore hole capable of pumping 250 litres of water a day. This is an essential innovation in the life of the village, as the children of the school must walk for miles to get water from the nearest supply. The girls also helped to transform the new classroom block in the village school by mixing cement, plastering the walls, laying floors, and painting walls, doors and windows. The parents from the village school expressed their gratitude to the girls by cooking a feast of flavoured beans and rice.

The money raised will also go towards the purchase of two solar panels which will help to provide electricity to the community. In the second week of their expedition, the girls were able to explore Uganda further by trekking in the Rwenzori mountains.