Chalk Group Reaches School Distribution Milestone

Supplying Education in Nakivale Refugee Settlement

Our Chalk Making production group has achieved a major milestone. This month, the mothers successfully produced, packaged, and distributed high-quality, dust-free school chalk to five primary schools within the Nakivale Refugee Settlement. This achievement represents months of vocational training, quality control testing, and hard work by our group members.

Access to affordable educational materials is a persistent challenge in settlement schools, which often operate on very limited budgets. Many teachers are forced to purchase basic materials like chalk using their own small salaries. By manufacturing high-quality chalk locally, our production groups provide an affordable source of school supplies, supporting local education while earning a sustainable income.

From Aid Recipients to Community Contributors

The success of the chalk program demonstrates the positive psychological impact of economic agency. By producing essential educational goods, refugee single mothers shift from viewing themselves as passive aid recipients to active contributors to local education and community welfare.

“When I visited the classroom and saw the teacher using the chalk we made to write lessons on the blackboard, I felt incredibly proud. Our work is helping the children in our community learn.”

— Esther, Chalk Making Group Leader, Nakivale Settlement

Our chalk is made using gypsum and organic binders, ensuring it is dust-free and safe for classroom use. By producing these goods locally, we reduce transportation costs and keep the economic value within Isingiro District.

Expanding Our Education Livelihood Initiatives

To sustain this milestone and expand distribution to more schools, we seek support from educational donors and partners:

• School Term Sponsorships ($100): Sponsors a full term’s supply of chalk for one school, providing reliable classroom materials and funding the manufacturing mothers’ labor.
• Wholesale Mold Upgrades ($250): Purchases high-capacity metal molds, allowing the group to double their daily production and meet the demand of additional schools.
• Regional Market Linkages: We seek introductions to school networks and distributors outside the settlement to help our groups sell their products in regional markets.