My name is Reginah Sanyu, and I am the founder of EarlyBird256, which raises funds to support 30 students in Kamuli, Uganda. The students are on their way to completing their O-Level secondary education but need your help to pay the school fees for the 2025 calendar year.
My grandparents raised me in a small village, Busega, outside Kampala, Uganda's capital. Those seven years before I started primary boarding school were some of the best of my life and served as the foundation for the woman I grew into, who was able to found EarlyBird256.
Babu’s promise of education
My grandfather, John Baptist (Babu), was one of those people who made everyone feel safe. Growing up, I always admired how he dealt with things without creating any tension. One of the many values that he instilled in his children and grandchildren is the value of education. My fondest memories include reading Babu and Nyanya to sleep every night. I would read and read until I thought they had gone to sleep, only to hear Babu telling me to keep reading. During his life’s celebration, an uncle shared how Babu asked to be paid through his children’s education while working for the local parish making rosaries and ostia. Babu was a father of 12 children, who would later become mostly teachers, starting Babu’s education legacy. Babu saw the importance of educating his children and did everything he could to make it happen.
Nyanya’s hustle
My grandmother, Bernadette (Nyanya), had the gift of a green thumb, made sure there was no empty stomach around her, and extended her harvests to others. When she wasn't farming or cooking, she liked to weave mats and baskets that she sold. She always talked about how a woman should have her own money. Nyanya was on the quieter side, but she was a fearless lioness when protecting those she loved. I rarely left her side and will never forget the wonder of seeing the world from her back when she carried me to the garden with her. I learned entrepreneurship from Nyanya by helping her sell crafts or harvests.
Sanyu’s vision
Babu's spirit, Nyanya's hustle, and their prayers were medicine for me. With their encouragement, I joined my extended family in Boston in the summer of 2007, entering a whole new world of different cultures, opportunities, and many free books to read.
I completed high school and then attended college, studying fashion communication. I always called and updated them on my grades, adventures, and updates on the winter snowfall.
In 2013, during my sophomore year of college, I returned to Uganda for the first time as an adult through a two-week service-learning trip that was life-changing in many ways. On this trip, I reconnected with my culture and experienced the inequalities that girls who live in villages further from the city face. I connected with them deeply, especially the young children raised by their grandparents. Some were married off at a young age because education was expensive. This changed my outlook on my life in the diaspora and started me along my journey of gratitude.
Babu passed away in 2013, and Nyanya in 2017. I was in graduate school pursuing my Masters in media management and my dream of working in the fashion Industry in New York. As I was grieving, I reflected and recognized how hard they worked for me to have the life that I have now. Their absence was deeply felt and changed the way I breathed. Before Babu's passing, I promised him that I would finish university, which was the most challenging obstacle I faced during that grief. Still, Nyanya’s passing made me realize why they emphasized the importance of education. Babu used to say to my cousins and I, "I am not a wealthy man, so my gift to you is education." This is the gift he gave to his children and grandchildren.
In their absence, I started to reflect on the livelihood of girls, especially those living in villages who do not have access to education and essential resources. Most of them are orphans and cannot afford the cost of secondary education. EarlyBird256 became the best way for me to honor Babu, Nyanya, and the teachers I have had in my life.
#doinglittlethingswithpassion through EarlyBird256
EarlyBird256 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and promoting safe spaces that empower girls living in villages to find the power of their voices through art, movement, and wellness education. We have been working in Kamuli, Eastern Uganda, offering our workshops since the 2020 lockdown.
The Porridge Program
Inspired by Nyanya’s connection with food, the porridge program helps primary students and ensures that those at risk of going hungry never have to learn on empty stomachs.
The scholarship fund
The scholarship fund hopes to make rural scholarship opportunities more accessible. Through a partnership with the headmistress of Busoga High School, one of the best schools in Kamuli, we have been able to provide school fees to 30 students we met during the pandemic. We are striving to help them complete O-Level and propel into a bright future.
I continue to honor the great work of the previous generation and honor the other teachers that I have had in my life by providing for girls like me who might not have somebody to advocate for them or provide them with a safe space to learn the power of their voice.
This campaign will provide our class of 2025 with boarding school fees and help us fulfill our promise to them. Every contribution matters and directly supports a student's education.
