Sukuta Lower Basic School 

Sukuta: A Place Where No Child Should Ever Be Told to Learn , But That's Where We Begin

I've seen poverty. I've seen underfunded schools. But nothing , nothing  prepared me for what I walked into in Sukuta.

Let me be completely honest: this was not a school.
There were no proper walls , just broken fragments of concrete and open space. The only roof was a few rusted metal sheets loosely nailed above, barely holding together, vulnerable to collapse. Inside, a single chalkboard stood with just one sentence:
1 + 1 = 2.
2 + 2 = 4.

That was the entire lesson.

There were no books. few desks. Just small  chairs and children sitting on dirt floors, trying their best to learn. There was no toilet, no source of clean water, and the entire premises looked more like a garbage dump than a place where education is supposed to happen. It was heartbreaking, enraging, and unforgettable.

And yet , the children showed up.

They were smiling. Engaged. Eager. They had no reason to believe the world would change for them, and yet they came anyway. just in case today might bring something better. That is where the hope lives.

Because despite the state of Sukuta, I walked away from that visit with fire in my heart. If children are willing to show up to that kind of space with that kind of belief  then we owe it to them to build something worthy of their resilience.

That's where The Rise Project begins.

We don't turn away from places like Sukuta. We move toward them  with resources, with plans, and with love. My goal is to transform Sukuta from a space of survival into a space of growth. I want to help rebuild real classrooms, bring in proper toilets and sanitation, and provide basic learning materials so that children can learn with dignity.

Sukuta may be in ruins today.
But I don't see ruins.
I see potential. I see the beginning. I see a future classroom full of light, books, laughter — and hope.

And with enough support, that future is not far away.