Message From Semei
Dear Friends and Partners,
Greetings from all of us at Lasting Smiles Uganda! We hope you and your family are doing well, and we thank God for your faithful partnership this year.
In 2022, sixteen children graduated from Lasting Smiles Primary School after passing Uganda's national seventh-grade exam. They came from homes where a full meal wasn't guaranteed, where paying for school meant going without food, and where no one in the family had ever made it to high school.
This October, thirteen of them started their national S.4 exams, the big test Ugandan students take at the end of 11th grade.
As Lasting Smiles Uganda celebrates ten years of ministry in Kyajja, we can't think of a better picture of what your faithfulness has made possible. These young people were little kids in our classrooms when you first believed in them. Now they're taking the exams that open the door to their future.
Pastor Semei Ziva, Director, Lasting Smiles Uganda
A Milestone: Ten Years in the Making
That's 13 out of 16, or 81%. To put that in perspective, UNICEF reports that in 2022 only 61% of Ugandan students who passed the seventh-grade exam went on to enroll in secondary school, and just 33% made it through S.4.
In rural villages like Kyajja, where many kids never even finish elementary school, that's a remarkable result. And it happened because of you.
13/16 of our 2022 graduates are now taking their S.4 exams — an 81% success rate, made possible by you.
Sadly, three of the sixteen weren't able to continue. Losing a parent, early pregnancy, and pressure to marry young pulled them out of school, a reminder of how fragile a child's education can be here.
Look At Them Now
Four years ago, these young people were seventh graders at Lasting Smiles Primary School. In between are thousands of school meals, clinic visits, mentoring sessions and prayers, along with the steady reassurance that someone was looking out for them. That someone was you.
A Voice From Mukono District
For years, Kyajja has missed out on opportunities. Whenever the government came to recruit police officers or community health workers, we couldn't put forward a single person from this village who had the required S.4 education. We didn't even have anyone who could explain government policies and plans to the community, because they're written in English. But now we're seeing light come to Kyajja. The next time those opportunities come, we know we'll have candidates, and Kyajja will finally be recognized, because of Lasting Smiles Uganda.
— Community Development Officer, Mukono District local government
How Our Students Compare
81% of our 2022 Lasting Smiles graduates are now taking their S.4 exams (13 of 16)
61% of Ugandan students who passed the seventh-grade exam in 2022 enrolled in secondary school
33% of Ugandan students made it through S.4 (11th grade)
National figures: UNICEF, as reported by Lasting Smiles Uganda. S.4 is roughly equivalent to 11th grade in the U.S.
What Your Support Made Possible
Behind each of these thirteen students are years of care, given day after day. Here's what your partnership has meant in their lives.
Education — Finishing S.4 changes what a young person can become. It opens the door to the final years of high school and to college, to certificate programs in nursing, agriculture or veterinary care, to vocational training, and to careers in the military, police or corrections. For those who go back home to their villages, it gives them the knowledge and confidence to run a farm or small business that can support a family.
Feeding — Every school day, your generosity provided two hot meals for every child. For many, those were the only meals they could count on.
Healthcare — Lasting Smiles provided medical care and health education, along with feminine hygiene supplies that helped girls stay in class.
Child Protection — These young people are now 17 to 19, past the age when many of their peers are pushed into early marriage or put at risk of abuse. Because they stayed in our program, someone checked in on them, knew their families, and taught them where to turn for help.
Discipleship — At Lasting Smiles Primary School, they learned to read the Bible, came to know God personally, and learned to live with integrity. Today we're watching them grow into young people their communities look up to.
Please pray with us for our 13 students as they work through their national S.4 exams over the coming weeks. Pray for clear minds, steady nerves and God's peace. They've come so far. Let's help carry them across the finish line together.
With deep gratitude, Semei Ziva Director, Lasting Smiles Uganda
Thank You for Your Continued Partnership
Thirteen young people walking into an exam room this October is the fruit of years of faithful partnership: school meals, clinic visits, mentoring, Bible lessons and prayers, given day after day since these students were little kids.
As Lasting Smiles Uganda marks ten years of ministry in Kyajja, we are deeply grateful for each of you. Whether you give monthly, support a special project, pray for our students and staff, or share the Lasting Smiles story with others, you are part of what God is doing in Kyajja Village.
We invite you to keep walking with us as we finish 2026 strong and prepare for the next generation of students.
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" — 2 Corinthians 9:15
Ways to Give
Give online — Make a one-time or monthly gift to the LSU General Fund.
Home for Hope — Help build dormitories for 100 girls and 100 boys with a one-time capital gift.
Give by check — Lasting Smiles Uganda, 220 N. Main Street, Mooresville, NC 28115
Tax information — Federal EIN: 84-1966244
aaron@lastingsmilesuganda.org | Follow us: Facebook, Instagram
