The schools
Two schools, one mission: Sustaining the Abayudaya’s future
Hadassah Primary School and Semei Kakungulu High School, established by the Abayudaya community, urgently need your help. Without sustainable support, their doors risk permanent closure, threatening the community’s future and its unique Jewish-Ugandan heritage.
Primary school · Near Mbale, eastern Uganda
Hadassah Primary School
A beacon of education, inclusivity and cultural preservation for young students, Hadassah nurtures academic excellence and cultural understanding, and serves as a place of learning and interfaith cooperation.
9:59 · English subtitles
Blended curriculum
Mathematics, science and social studies alongside Jewish teachings, Hebrew and Torah study. The dual focus builds a strong sense of identity and the skills to thrive in the modern world.
Inclusive environment
Students from diverse religious backgrounds learn side by side, building mutual respect, tolerance and empathy that mirror the community’s values of coexistence.
Cultural expression
Music and cultural activities pair traditional Ugandan instruments with Jewish liturgical songs, enriching learning and preserving the Abayudaya’s heritage.
Community involvement
Strong engagement from parents and local leaders supports students’ growth beyond academics.
What the school needs, in its leaders’ words
Challenge number one is competition, competition from other schools mostly those that are aided by government, for example government tends to pay higher in terms of salaries compared to what we pay.
When power goes off, we remain in darkness and yet we need light to have normal classes even though it’s night, because we have night lessons and early morning lessons for the kids in upper primary.
Because, let me say they are not enough for students because they accommodate for about 150 children only. So in future we wish to have bigger dormetries which can accommodate more than 500 children.
As it is a boarding school, we need to feed the children daily. We needed to have a good kitchen. For now the kitchen we are having is not the standard.
The food that we are feeding children is also not so good because we are not balancing the diet. We only give them Posho and beans…
In dormetries we told the parents to be bringing mosquito nets but as younger children every term when they come with nets within one month the net is already torn up so the children sleep in an open place without a mosquito net. This causes them to become sick frequently…
…if there is any chance to build up this house it can contain and most of these problems can be solved, like dormetries, like dining hall…
…and yet we could wish our school to be on the standard in very many things.
…now the room that we have is very small that cannot afford to facilitate all the kids in the lab and also the computers of the old model because they came very, very, very many years ago…
Hatikvah, painted in the shape of a Star of David on a wall at Hadassah. 
Lunchtime at Hadassah. 
Posho and beans at Hadassah. 
Bunk beds and mosquito nets in a Hadassah dormitory. 
A planned building at Hadassah, still at foundation stage. 
Hadassah’s small computer room.
The challenge
Severe financial pressures threaten the school’s basic operations. Immediate funding is needed to ensure continued access to education and the preservation of community traditions.
High school · Named for the community’s founder
Semei Kakungulu High School
Named after the founder of the Abayudaya community, the high school serves older students, preparing them academically and spiritually to succeed in a modern, diverse world. It embodies the community’s commitment to education, tradition and social cohesion.
4:12 · English subtitles
Advanced education
Mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history and geography, alongside Torah readings, Hebrew and the study of Jewish ethics and traditions, so students graduate ready for higher education and meaningful careers.
Cultural heritage
A strong emphasis on Jewish traditions and values reinforces cultural identity and community pride.
Inclusive environment
Established by the Abayudaya, the school welcomes students of various faiths, including Christians and Muslims, which fosters understanding and enriches every classroom discussion.
Leadership development
Dedicated faculty and community leaders mentor students, cultivating strong moral character and leadership skills.
Open to every faith
ואהבת לרעך כמוך
Veahavta lereacha kamocha
“Love thy neighbor as you love thy self”
Painted on a school wall in the community
Even the staff, we have Muslims, Christians and Abayudaya Staff members
What the school needs, in its headteacher’s words
We don’t have a fence, the fence is big, we don’t have teachers’ quarters
We actually don’t have enough salary for our teachers who can enable us stay in school and teach our students
The students have got a problem of feeding, we don’t have enough money for food so that we can sustain them in school
Our girls have got a total problem of sanitary materials. This is very essential to them that to maintain them at school they must have that as a basic…
We also need somethings like beds for those students who come from far. They don’t have where to put mattresses, they put on the ground
Our latrines are completely filled up and most of them are broken, they are not even usable.
I wish to draw your attention to our call as a high school
Semei Kakungulu High School urgently needs sustainable financial support to continue operating. Without ongoing contributions, it faces an immediate risk of closure.
Answer the call
Your impact matters
Help these schools not only survive, but thrive
Hadassah Primary School and Semei Kakungulu High School are essential to the Abayudaya community’s identity and survival. Your generous support directly secures:
- Operational stability for these vital schools
- Continuation of critical educational and cultural programs
- Preservation of the Abayudaya’s vibrant Jewish-Ugandan heritage
- Educational and personal development opportunities for students
