Brookfields were very pleased to welcome Mr Wycliffe Sabiiti who flew in from Uganda at the weekend. Mr Sabiiti is the Head teacher of Katente West School which has a unique link with Brookfields.

The link has developed over several years, initially via the work of the John Simmonds Trust at Rushall Farm, who have hosted Brookfields students as part of a regular work related learning programme for many years. Brookfields were introduced to a group of Ugandan schools thanks to Rushall’s links with ‘Kulika’, a Devon based charity that started its Ugandan initiative in 1981. Its British counterpart was also established and is known as ‘Food for Thought’. The charity supports the development of sustainable agricultural and horticultural practices in schools through training Ugandan teachers. In turn the young adults leaving school introduce organic and eco-friendly ideas to local growers as well as adopting a ‘grow your own’ culture amongst friends and relatives. The programme has helped to transform lives and has been so successful that scholarships and research funds have been possible to maintain the momentum.

Brookfields teachers, Helen Edwards and Lorraine Aston, visited Katente West in March this year and took assemblies, helped in classrooms and worked in the gardens. The culture shock was based largely around huge classes, minimal facilities and lots of keen immaculately turned out Ugandan youngsters. Mr Sabiiti was similarly taken aback by the class sizes at Brookfields and said that he was ‘’very impressed by the classroom facilities and the high standard of teaching’’.  He also noted that ‘‘the older students are given very practical experiences that are relevant to life. The crops in the gardens are excellent and I would like to take back some of the super products made from recycled timber ’’.

Mr Sabitii has had a packed programme since he arrived at Brookfields. Activities have ranged form lesson obersvations, dinner at a local pub, Primary Sports Day, meeting the school council, dinner with the schools chair of governors and a skittles evening! Mr Sabiiti has taken a particular interest in the wonderful work of Jane Stokes (Horticulture Therapist).

The exchange link highlights Brookfields desire to support a genuine awareness of other people’s way of life, how culture in developing countries differs from our own and how important it is to be helpful to each other.