Brisbane Hill Community Sunday School: Empowering Youth Through Education
In late 2019, Kizito and Sylvia Dreamos began the Brisbane Hill Sunday School in a rural village on the outskirts of Mbirizi, Uganda. Starting with just thirteen children from their local church, they aimed to provide educational opportunities despite the church’s limited space, leading to outdoor lessons under the trees.
Kizito, a trained teacher with international experience from Egypt, recognised the educational gap in literacy and basic skills among local children. He and Sylvia started teaching reading and writing after Sunday School, quickly expanding their student base to thirty children aged three to fourteen. To accommodate the growing number of eager learners, Kizito and Sylvia transformed a section of their own home into a spacious classroom. As the demand for their educational services continued to rise, they found themselves in need of more space and additional teaching materials. Recognising the significant improvements in their children’s education, a few parents joined forces to establish a school committee, officially founding the Brisbane Hill Community Sunday School.
While generous donations of timber from two trees and sand from parents were available, additional funds were required to cover other expenses and hire a carpenter. In June, Kizito sought assistance from HPI to acquire resources such as tables, chairs, and a whiteboard. In August, they requested funds for a two-room wooden building to further expand their capacity. Kizito’s reach out emphasised the increasing demand from village children, straining the limited space, and the risk of them ending up on the streets if turned away. Therefore, the program strives to keep them engaged, offering spiritual guidance, and teaching various subjects like English, Mathematics, Science, Bible, and Social Studies.
Following discussion on August 30th, the HPI committee decided to provide support. On September 5th, Kizito received UGX 3,073,000 or AUD $1,289.00, enabling the construction of the new classrooms. There was even extra paint available after furnishing tables and chairs, which was used to paint one wall.
Thanks to Kizito and Sylvia Dreamos’ dream of providing quality education for children in their community, the Brisbane Hill Sunday School now welcomes 49 children every Sunday for full-day sessions.
