In October of 2008, the students of UMES initiated the "Buy-A-Brick" program on campus.  Students and faculty were approached around the university and given the offer to buy one brick of a new school in Africa for $1.  This program raised $5,000.00 which was donated to help build a new primary schoolhouse in the Kyamulinga village in Uganda, Africa.  The new school construction was managed by "One School at a Time" and officially opened in January 2010. 

This village was chosen after an on-site visit in August of 2008 by the UMES Director of African and African American Studies, Dr. Kathryn Barrett-Gaines. The cooperation of the village is key because villagers actually build the school themselves, as well as provide the land.  After the money was raised, One School at a Time had an architect design a schoolhouse.  The school was designed with a mortar-free brick laying technique.  Our other project partner, Partnering for Africa's Future  provided the village with special brick making machines for this technique.  Our hope is that they continue to use the brick maker to build other structures in the area, and those who perfect this technique are able to use it to make a sustainable living. The bricks were made from soil at the site of the school.  After the bricks were made, a large hole had been dug, which was perfect for a well. 

Previously, female students were required to be absent from the first hour of class because they were set to the task of traveling to the local watering hole, gathering water, and bringing it back to the school.  The water was not clean or healthy.  Now, female students attend school all day, and the children have clean water to drink and wash their hands with.  This was made possible by installing a rain collecting gutter system that runs to the brick lined well.