Uganda Mission
Help Bring a Montessori school to Uganda
Raise the Roof Academy holds a special place in the hearts of Beginnings & Beyond. The organization began with a simple mission—to build a roof—while David and Marlene Ssembulime were living in Concord, and Marlene was working at First Presbyterian Church. It was there that the vision to create schools in Uganda, David’s home country, was born. During our transition to becoming a Montessori school, Marlene served as the church liaison to the preschool board, helping guide important steps in our restructuring.
In 2010, Marlene and David moved to Tennessee after David received a scholarship. That same year, Raise the Roof Academy opened its doors to children in Bwasandeku, Uganda, and the Kulungo District—fulfilling a dream years in the making. Meanwhile, in Concord, we reopened as a Montessori school.
In 2015, our director, Robin Stearns, made her first trip to Uganda to visit the school. She was inspired by its remarkable growth but also recognized an ongoing need—deeper support for the youngest learners and their teachers.
Education opens doors, and much progress had already been made at Raise the Roof: new elementary classrooms, a pavilion, and a high school. But Robin saw an opportunity to invest in the foundation—the nursery program. In 2022, she returned with Montessori materials and training for nursery teachers, soon joined by lower primary teachers eager to learn as well. Since then, Robin has continued building on that work, introducing Montessori lessons in language, math, and botany.
After much prayer and conversation with David and Marlene, discussions began on how to bring a full Montessori Early Childhood Education program to Raise the Roof Academy.
Today, the nursery school serves about 200 children, ages 3 to 5, divided into three groups: Babies (age 3), Middle (age 4), and Top (age 5). The current facilities include three wooden classroom buildings, each with two rooms.
Robin’s vision is to build a Montessori Early Childhood Education Wing, housing multiple classrooms for children ages 3–6. To make this dream a reality, we aim to raise $250,000.This will cover the following:
- 7,000 square feet building ($100,000)
- Materials ($25,000/Classroom)
- Teacher training ($25,000)
