Rachael and Phil returned home at the end of July (2024) from their visit to Uganda with Aprender. The 10 days were spent running training sessions for teachers and head teachers, as well as for local education officers of the partner NGO called Jinja Education Trust. This all builds capacity in the local team and sustainability as the team puts the training into practice. The visit and the training were really appreciated, and significant progress has been made across four schools (with over 1000 children between them) supported.

Phil says "Thanks to BBC for your prayer and financial support, Rachael and I stayed well, were well taken care of, and built relationships with our partners, many of whom are believers and appreciated knowing where the support was coming from - you!"

Aprender asks that you continue to pray, for the action arising from the visit, that teachers will see a real change in their students and that Aprender can expand its reach within the Jinja area of Eastern Uganda, for favour and impact.

Aprender formed an education development model that was capable of delivering impact no matter the country, culture or context - Aprender use their model to help organisations set up support schools in developing countries for children that need an extra boost to their studies. In addition they train head teachers in sustainable school improvement to make a positive difference to the futures of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. the model was tested in 2014 when the charity were invited to go to Lebanon and use their model to assist churches serving Syrian refugee children. Following this success Aprender continue their work there in 6 different locations. Their work has expanded and now reaches across the globe including Sierra Leone, Zambia, Nepal, Myanmar, Jamaica, and Malaysia, supporting underserved communities and planting ‘coaches’ locally who are equipped and able to continue development in a self-sustaining way.

In 2010, Aprender founder Phil Hawkins felt a strong call to tackle the injustices of public education in Brazil, through the development of Education as Mission involving local churches to use education support projects to build bridges into their communities. This happened alongside the developing relationship between BBC and Sal da Terra Church. Phil and family moved to Goiânia in 2010 for 6 years, using this time to conduct research and development about how schools could be helped to sustainably improve life outcomes for their students with limited resources. A strategic relationship was formed with Instituto Total, part of Sal da Terra’s amazing social justice arm.

The majority of outreach is through personal contact with individuals; many are nominally at least Catholic or Lutheran. The Church holds outreach events at Christmas and maximises the opportunity to reach those who attend weddings, funerals and baptisms. In addition to Sunday services, they have a lively Monday morning prayer meeting and a mid-week meeting.

BBC’s relationship with them started in c1999 when a family on holiday in the area met them. One of their leaders, Bojan visited Bookham a few times and two parties from the church visited for outreach to drug addicts. In 2013 the church had to leave its premises and found new premises in a much more central location which they refurbished and opened in 2014. Groups from BBC visited in April 2018 and June 2019, and Joze and Nada visited us in October 2019.