LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Louisville business owner is bringing educational opportunities to her home village in Uganda.
Sarah Kimeu grew up in Bwoga, a small village in the western part of Uganda. With seven brothers, education wasn’t her top priority.
“I had nowhere to dream,” Sarah said. “I would miss school every Tuesday and Thursday when my brothers would go to school to do chores, cooking and taking care of other kids.”
Sarah’s aunt advocated for her to go to boarding school, but her parents weren’t able to afford the cost of education. The head mistress at the boarding school called a pastor in Norway to pay for the fees, thus beginning an educational journey for Sarah.
As a girl, Sarah would run to and from school. That developed skill helped her earn an athletic and academic scholarship at Western Kentucky University and come to the United States.
“I was a bit scared, as a girl, my family didn’t want me to leave,” Sarah said.
While earning her master’s degree at WKU, she met her husband Joseph. They both shared a similar path to Kentucky.
Joseph grew up with eight siblings in a small village in the eastern part of Kenya. A principal at Joseph’s middle school noticed his talents, and helped him get into a school in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
He then went to Berea College and ran cross country for the school in Kentucky. After earning his master’s degree at WKU, Joseph accepted a teaching job at Jefferson County Public Schools.
Sarah and Joseph now have three children. Sarah wanted something that would be flexible for her family, so she started Sasa Samosa Kitchen about five years ago.
The kitchen specializes in handcrafted samosas with locally sourced ingredients like vegetables and herbs grown by refugee families at Gate of Hope Farm and grass-fed beef from FoxHollow Farm in Crestwood.
Sarah founded the Bwoga Elementary Library with her brother Peter Agaba. While the siblings were able to complete school, many students in their village haven’t been able to.
They wanted to build a library that would open educational and creative pursuits for children in Bwoga.
Construction began on the library in Aug. 2021. A few months later, the BEL Scholarship Fund was created to support Bwoga children who wouldn’t be able to go to school, covering the cost of tuition and school supplies.
“Some of our kids are sponsored by local people here, so it’s just an amazing thing,” Sarah said. “Just like a dream when I see it. It shows how it is possible when people come together.”
Last summer, BEL Kids Louisville was started to help children of East African descent living in the city to learn about their families’ culture.
The library was completed in Dec. 2023 and opened to the Bwoga community. Joseph and Sarah visited the library when it was completed.
“It was overwhelming,” Joseph said. “It was a dream come true seeing what such a facility can do.”
The library also provides women at the village a place to weave baskets and share ideas on how to help their community.
The library has brought hope to the village.
“I’ve seen now kids start to dream,” Sarah said. “‘I want to be a doctor, I want to be an engineer, I want to help when I grow up.'”
Those dreams will be supported by a fundraiser in Louisville that will stock books and computers to furnish the library.
The third annual Taste of Uganda will be held on July 12 at new Life Church Gym at 3402 Goose Creek Road in Louisville. The event that features a Ugandan dinner, African drumming and dance performances goes from 5 to 7 p.m.
To register for Taste of Uganda, click here. To donate to Bwoga Elementary Library, click here.
Related Stories:
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
Credit: Source link