Connecting Students Across Continents

Olive is an 11 year old student at Kibiribiri Primary School chasing big dreams!

Every morning, before the sun has fully risen over her small village outside Mukono, Uganda, Olive begins her journey to school. At just 11, she already understands the value of perseverance. The path to Kibiribiri Primary School takes about 45 minutes on foot, winding through her community as she walks alongside other children, all carrying the same quiet determination.

At home, Olive is one of six children. Life is busy, and resources are shared, but her parents encourage each of their children to pursue an education. For Olive, school is more than a daily routine: it is a doorway to her future. She dreams of becoming a doctor, a goal shaped by both her curiosity and her desire to help others in her community.

But the school day is not without its challenges.

One of Olive's classroom's at Kibiribiri Primary School.

One of the most difficult parts of Olive’s day has nothing to do with lessons or exams. Kibiribiri Primary School does not have running water. Each day, students take turns fetching water from a nearby borehole. If they run, they can reach it in about 10 minutes. But once there, they often face long lines, as the borehole is shared by the entire community. The time spent waiting and carrying water back is time lost from the classroom.

Despite this, Olive remains focused, chasing her dreams. And her friends in Seattle are excited to help!

Sister Schools partners elementary school communities in the Seattle area, with primary school in Uganda, and last year Blackwell Elementary School in Sammamish was partnered with Olive’s school, Kibiribri. The Blackwell students collected books, pencils, crayons, notebooks, and more for Olive and her fellow students. Each gift is a meaningful resource that helps fuel Olive’s ambition and remind her she is not alone in her journey.

Olive was happy with all the gifts from Blackwell students, but her favorite was all the storybooks! For Olive, those books opened up a new world. She remembers the excitement of holding them, flipping through the pages, and discovering stories that sparked her imagination. Reading quickly became one of her greatest joys.

Olive’s story is one of resilience, but also of hope. Each step she takes on her long walk to school, each page she reads, and each challenge she overcomes brings her closer to her dream of becoming a doctor.