About Us – St Elizabeth Vocational Secondary School Ggulama

History of the School St. Elizabeth Vocational Secondary School Ggulama originally called St. Elizabeth Vocational social Training Centre (Ggulama STC) started in 1980s and is located at Ggulama village of Buwunga sub-county, Bukoto East, Masaka District 10km from Masaka, Kyotera Road, (southern region of Uganda). It is a project of rural people and is based in the rural area. It is the only such school in that area. It is a training institution intended to address needs of low income student who have completed primary section and school leavers who have no chance to join secondary school or advanced level of education by providing them with skills for life. Originally the school started as a vocation school to help girl child with skills, later due to the request of the parents, the school started recruiting boys so as they may become future liberated citizen. However, with the changing world the incorporation of the secondary section changed the aim to provide holistic education to enable students compete with this dynamic world. The primary beneficiary are the people of the localities and the students through getting services and education rendered by the school.

Basically the school started due to the prevailing situation of orphans whose parents had diied of HIV/AIDs pendamic between 1980s and 1990 in the community of Ggulama. and the continuing dropout of girls from schools. Late Zzimwanguyizza Boniface the father of Sr. Elizabeth Namaganda, offered a place at his home where girls could be helped to acquire some skills in home economics and agriculture in 1985. The community members zealously participated in fundraising and they put some shelters in the land Late Zimwanguyizza offered which opened officially in 1989. Later they bought land for expansion with the external assistance of MIREMBE FOUNDATION in the Netherlands and other friends from abroad. However due to shortage of good schools within the area, another need of secondary school aroused aiming at protecting the students from walking long distances which could affect their learning especially girls. so the parents appealed if we incorporate a secondary school to secure the students' education. In 2014 the request was addressed which led to the change of the name from St. Elizabeth Ggulama Social centre to St. Elizabeth Vocational Secondary School Ggulama.

Our Vision is to provide a holistic education for both secondary and vocational students for self reliance and responsible citizens in the society. This vision aims at forming the charater of young men and women for the transformation of self and the society as a part of redeeming and restoring the mission of God by establishing values of Love, Truth, Peace and Justice through Qualitative and Value Based Education

Our Mission is to prepare young men and women to understand, contribute to and to succeed in a rapidily changing society in character, competency and conscience with a deep sense of compassion and commitment to the mother Earth and every human person by promoting human dignity, Harmony, solidarity, collaboration and co-operation to create a better world to live in by

1. Providing a congenial atmosphere for God Experience to become God-centred persons to live in harmony with God, self, others and nature.

2. Making our educational institutions “Centres of Good News.

3. Transmitting right knowledge, Moral, Spiritual, Religious and Social Values, and thus develop each one’s unique potentialities.”

4. Formation of good Character, enabling them to be “Human” and “Humane” with a compassionate heart especially for the Poor and the Marginalized.

5. Facilitating them to be good, honest and patriotic citizens of the country.

6. Inculcating Love and Respect for Life, Nature, Culture and Religions.

1. Fear of God

By Fear of God we mean developing a deep reverence and respect for Him in their daily life by: Regularly read and meditate on the Bible, spend time in prayer, seeking God’s guidance and expressing your reverence, Contemplate the magnitude of God’s forgiveness and grace, Reflect on God’s greatness, power, and holiness, and Strive to live according to God’s principles, such as honesty, compassion, and justice. This will help them to provide a strong moral foundation and a sense of purpose in life.

2. Integrity

We value integrity as fundamental for personal growth. It involves being honest, transparent, and ethical in all actions and decisions. Here are some key aspects of integrity emphasized: Honesty: Always telling the truth and being straightforward, Trustworthiness: Keeping promises and being reliable. Ethical Behavior: Making decisions based on moral principles, even when it’s difficult. Consistency: Aligning actions with values and principles consistently. Accountability: Taking responsibility for one’s actions and their consequences

3. High Moral Standards

Instilling high moral standards by: Demonstrating the values we want to instill. Having regular discussions about moral values, Helping students reflect on their actions and decisions, Fostering an environment where ethical behavior is recognized and celebrated, Emphasizing the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions, Participating in activities that promote compassion and empathy, such as volunteering, Offering books, videos, and other materials that reinforce high moral standards, and Engaging in regular prayer or meditation sessions as a family or community.

4. Performance

We value emphasize striving for excellence, achieving goals, and continuously improving. these are done by setting high standards, being accountable, an consistently delivering quality results, Set Clear Goals, Prioritize Tasks, Seek Feedback, Continuous Learning, Time Management, Maintain Health, and Reflect and Adjust.

5. Teamwork

We emphasizes collaboration, mutual support, and collective effort to achieve common goals by recognizing the strengths and contributions of each team member and working together harmoniously through encouraging open communication and sharing of ideas to solve problems and innovate, Building a foundation of trust where team members feel safe to express their thoughts and take risks, Valuing diverse perspectives and treating each team member with respect and dignity, holding each other accountable for commitments and responsibilities, offering help and encouragement to team members, fostering supportive environment and aligning individual efforts with the team’s objectives to ensure everyone is working towards the same outcomes.

6. Creativity

We recognize the suffering of others and taking action to help alleviate through: Demonstration of compassionate behavior in our daily interactions, Promotion of understanding and empathy within your team or community, being available to help others and encourage your team to do the same, demonstration of kindness to our self, which can enhance our ability to be compassionate towards make sure everyone feels heard and understood. Establishment of mentorship programs or peer support groups to provide additional layers of support, publicly recognize and reward acts of compassion within the team. This can motivate others to act similarly, and Organization of activities that promote teamwork and understanding among team members.