From Bury African Outreach to R.E.A.CH
R.E.A.CH started life as Bury African Outreach (BAO) more than 30 years ago. BAO was established in 1992 by Bury resident Betsy Keating following a visit to Uganda. Betsy was shocked by the number of children she met who had lost their parents and were homeless. When she returned to Bury, she began raising money in her local community — hence the name Bury African Outreach — to help these vulnerable children. To date the charity has helped more than 300 children to get a good education and access essential medical care. These children have gone on to gain jobs such as teachers, nurses, hotel managers and priests.
The Charity Today
In 2012 the charity founder, Betsy Keating, and her fellow trustees (Derek Roe, Pauline Roe and Hugh Spink) made the difficult decision to hand over the reins after 20 years of managing BAO. Having visited Uganda themselves in 2010 and seen first-hand the incredible work being done, husband-and-wife team Tom and Lydia offered to take over the ongoing management of the charity. Alongside them, Phil and Rebecca Lay joined the team to make up the remaining trustees and committee members. Like the previous trustees before them, this team all work voluntarily and do not take any money from the charity in wages, expenses or travel.
"The children are incredible, a true inspiration. I will never forget my time with them. Taking over the running of the charity means that we can ensure that they all get the childhood and education that we all take for granted in the UK." — Lydia, Chairperson
Tom and Lydia returned to Uganda in 2013 to evaluate progress and establish links with a Stockport-based charity, Helping Uganda Schools (HUGs). With their support, R.E.A.CH now has links with the Good Shepherd Special School in Western Uganda, and the two organisations have worked together on a number of projects since.
After 30 years as BAO, in 2022 the trustees decided that it was in the best interests of the charity to change the name. As our supporters were from all over the UK — and the trustees were no longer based in Bury — we felt we could broaden our reach with a name that wasn't linked to a specific place in the UK. And so R.E.A.CH (Reaching East Africa's Children) was born.
Schooling in Uganda
Government-run schools
'Universal Primary' education is supposedly free education in Uganda. However, despite not charging school fees, students are required to pay for many items in order to attend, and many families simply cannot afford this. State schools are also incredibly oversubscribed, and it's common to see more than 100 students in one classroom. Meals aren't provided, so children go hungry and struggle to concentrate. The school environment makes learning quite difficult.
Privately managed schools
Privately managed schools generally offer smaller classes and a better learning environment, but the fees place them out of reach for the poorest families. By sponsoring children and supporting trusted local partners, R.E.A.CH helps vulnerable children access an education that would otherwise be impossible for their families to afford.