Recent News


2025 Site Visit

In February 2025, members of the Foundation’s Board visited Uganda and South Sudan to meet with students, families, partner organizations, and local program staff.

The visit confirmed that the Foundation is transforming lives. Scholars shared inspiring stories of academic success, ambitious career goals in fields such as medicine and engineering, and deep gratitude for the opportunity to continue their education, an opportunity many would not have had without donor support.

Board members also witnessed the challenging conditions faced by families in the Palorinya Refugee Settlement, reinforcing how critical education is in creating long-term opportunities and resilience.

The Foundation’s success is strengthened by its trusted local partners, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the Comboni Missionary Sisters, whose exceptional mentorship and care have earned them the affectionate title of “second mothers” from many students.

The visit also demonstrated the Foundation’s commitment to strong governance and continuous improvement. Recommendations from the Board have already led to practical enhancements in student support, with further plans underway to expand the Foundation’s impact in South Sudan.

The Board left with renewed confidence that every donation is making a meaningful, lasting difference and has committed to conducting field visits at least every two years to ensure continued accountability, learning, and impact.

2024 Students’ workshop

The Annual Workshop for the Students was conducted on 6th July, 2024 at St. Andrew’s College, drawing together students from the four schools in Moyo District: St. Andrew’s College, Moyo Secondary School, Metu Secondary School and Bishop Asili Secondary School. A special arrangement was made to meet the students of Ediofe Girls’ SS at their school since the facilitator of the workshop lives in Arua.

The work shop was held under the theme: “PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT”; and was facilitated by Ms. Getrude Bay Obatiru, a Psychosocial Officer with CEFORD in Arua.

Topics discussed included:

  • Self – awareness
  • Self – efficacy
  • Self-Development
  • Understanding one’s personality
  • Career path and goal achievement.

The objectives of the workshop were to enable participants to:

  • Discover themselves, their values, and their powers in building and maintaining peace and fairness.
  • Judge themselves objectively before taking decisions.
  • Have strong interpersonal skills.
  • Manage themselves in conflicting situations.
  • Take a career path they can understand and manage.
  • Manage their retention in school and be pioneers of positive change to their peers.

Students greatly appreciated the input shared with them and their own interactions with fellow students across the schools.

New Foundation Fund in Memory of Hartwig Schafer

Hartwig Schafer was an internationally recognized senior manager at the World Bank who retired from the Bank in 2022.  Hartwig was very proud of his relationship with the Dunstan Wai Memorial Charitable Foundation. Every year during the World Bank’s annual fundraising campaign, Hart would invite a member of the Wai Foundation Board—Kim Jaycox, Jim Adams or Dan Ritchie—to speak to his staff about the Foundation’s work. He and his colleagues were very generous in their support, which was matched by the Bank.

Hart retired from the Bank in 2022 as Vice-President of the South Asia Region. Sadly, he suffered a major heart attack and passed away on May 9, 2023. His widow Tatyana requested that contributions in Hart’s memory be made to the Wai Foundation. The response has been very rewarding, enough to support more than a dozen secondary students for a year. And we expect significant support in Hart’s honor again in the World Bank Community Connections Campaign in the autumn.

We are so grateful for Hart’s commitment to the cause of girls’ education in Africa and for his family’s determination to continue his legacy.

                   

       

           2022 Workshop

In August 2022, the Secondary School Scholarship coordinating team led by Sister Florence Oryema organized a ‘Career Guidance’ workshop. Topics included ways to make successful career choices, identifying personal strengths in choosing careers, knowing the required qualifications in today’s job market. The guest speaker was Ms. Harriet Andrua, Inspector of Schools in Moyo District. The students learned that different careers require different qualifications, that each of them has the strength to choose the right career and be successful in life, that every moment in school counts and they must learn to use school time productively. In their feedback, the students appreciated the workshop, and found the topic truly relevant and beneficial in determining their future career choices.

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