Ridgeway School
Backie Namatovu
Maria Mbabazi

Evans Ssenabulya and his wife, Roy, have three daughters under the age of eight. Like most parents, it was impossible for Evans to ignore the importance of investing in education as he watched his three beautiful girls grow up. He also noticed how many children in the community, mostly girls, were removed from school when their families became unable to cover expenses. In 2007, Evans decided to do something. He started a school of 100 students in a small wooden structure on a rented plot of land. Now, just six years later, he owns the land and has grown the Ridgeway School into a day and boarding program serving over 900 students.

If you ask him, Evans will say that Opportunity International helped advance his dreams far beyond what he thought possible. Through three loans and a corresponding savings account, he was able to purchase land, construct buildings and open a retail store selling scholastic materials. Evans won’t stop there; he continues to dream about brighter futures for his students. He plans to refurbish and expand the existing facilities, increase enrollment to 5000, and introduce computer technology and life skills into the curriculum to better equip his students for the future.

Thanks to our loyal supporters and Evans’ unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit, many impoverished communities now have access to high quality education.

You give him or her the chance for a healthier, more hopeful future, and more opportunities than the previous generation. Education empowers children to break free from the cycle of poverty and improve themselves, their families and their communities.

• At Opportunity International, we offer unique support through our Education Finance initiative. Read more about us and our education work.
• With the assistance of loans, parents of impoverished families are able to afford their children's tuition.
• For over 40 years, Opportunity International's loans and training help business owners like school proprietors expand their schools and hire more teachers.

Where Your Donation Goes
Invest in One Child is a fundraising campaign of Opportunity International, a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

The donation of $240 is a representative amount families borrow from Opportunity International to pay for a year of school for one child. You can learn more about Opportunity International's Education Finance Initiative »

Through the contributions of four generous donors, all donations to Invest in One Child will be matched dollar for dollar up to $85,000. This match encourages others to give likewise but is not contingent on additional gifts being received.

Opportunity International will use your gifts where they can have the greatest impact within our Education Finance initiative. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.