Forest High School opened in 2008, serving the local rural community of Kikandwa, in Mubende District, Western Uganda. This was the Richard Feilden Foundation’s second collaborative project with PEAS* (Promoting Equality in African Schools).

The New Forests Company approached PEAS to create a partnership when they developed a plantation near Kikandwe. Each party provided half the initial capital costs for the project. The RFF became involved in the project after it had started on site. PEAS prepared a masterplan with other local architects and intended to use the building typologies developed by RFF. This process allowed us to learn from the construction process in Buloba with the Onwards & Upwards School and improve on some of the designs for the building types.

One of the major contributions the RFF made to Forest High School was the design of the Tracy Emin Library. Tracy Emin donated the money to construct this library which was to be a landmark building. The library is sited around a tree to which creates a cool, shaded courtyard. The time frame was approximately six weeks from initiating the design to completion.

Today Forest High has expanded greatly with new classrooms, toilets, teacher’s accommodation and a sick-bay as the most recent built additions. The school has many of their own income-generating initiatives in place such as fish-farming and tomato growing to remain financially sustainable.

*PEAS is a charity which provides low-cost secondary school education. They focus on providing very high level of education in their schools through supportive teacher training and strong governance of the school which involves the local community at a low-cost price for local families. The school also provides boarding facilities for children who have no local family home to return to. You can read more about their work and the school here.

More RFF Projects: Bunyonyi Community School, Ugandan School Design Guide, Mzuzu Phase 1, Mzuzu Phase 2, St Mulumba, New Generation Village, Onwards and Upwards School