In rural areas, poor parents struggle to pay school fees and buy school uniforms for their children. As a result,many students are unable to transition to high school due to exorbitant costs of school uniforms. Others go to school in torn uniforms and plastic shoes which greatly reduces their self esteem and confidence. In addition, most rural girls miss school due to lack of menstrual hygiene supplies.
Riley Orton Foundation org partners with local public and community schools to remove these barriers by giving   free and subsidized school uniforms and bicycles to disadvantaged rural boys and girls to increase school enrollment and retention of students and ensure educational advancement among learners.  This program ensures 100% transition of rural students from primary to secondary and junior high schools, improves student retention as parents use money saved from purchasing school uniforms and transport  to pay for school fees and school  lunch programs. This improves academic performance as students cycle to and from school in time, gain the confidence to consult their teachers and concentrate in their studies without worrying about school uniforms and fees.

Our school uniform distribution events also involve Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights Education, HIV/AIDS awareness and psycho-social counseling  creation workshops and issue of free sanitary pads and underwear to vulnerable students. ROF is keen to halt the spread of HIV with zero new infections and eliminate the impact of the AIDS epidemic through better targeted intervention and improved strategic information targeting high school girls and boys who are at a greater risk.