Sisters of Notre Dame Covington Province Uganda Mission Office
D r u m b e at s e d u c at i o n i s s u e
Dear Partner in Mission, When you made your last donation to the SND mission in Uganda, did you ever wonder how your dollars make a difference to someone nine time zones away? Here is something to consider: • UNESCO has estimated that 68% of children in Uganda who enroll in primary school are likely to drop out before finishing the prescribed 7 years. • Only about a quarter of young people remain in secondary school (World Bank Education Report). • These are national averages. The students in the Buseesa area live in one of the poorest in the country. During the civil wars of the ‘70s and ‘80s, almost everything was destroyed. An entire generation grew into adulthood with no education and no ability to read. • The government provides scant funding for education, at least in the Buseesa area. • Parents of our students are usually subsistence farmers living well below the poverty level. Enter you, our generous donor. With your assistance we have been able to educate 100 nursery school children in Buseesa and 100 in Mpala, 260 primary girls and boys in Buseesa, and 180 secondary girls in Buseesa annually. Toward the end of each academic year, students in P7 and S4 take state tests to determine if they are prepared to advance to the next educational level. To date, every student at St. Julie Primary and Notre Dame Secondary has passed these exams. Many students attend the university and some have completed their college education. Just as important, we see the life and career choices our graduates are making. These choices tend to focus on touching other people’s lives because they know how their lives were touched. Gratefully in our good and provident God,
Contact Info
Sr. Mary Margaret Droege, SND Director, Uganda Mission Office
1601 Dixie Highway, Covington, KY 41011 Email: mmdroege@sndky.org Phone: (859)392-8109 Fax: (859)291-1774
Curriculum and classrooms In general, we find that children at the SND mission schools do not take their education for granted. They are willing to work hard for their education, as they know people outside of the area support them. The students’ parents do not always know what getting an education entails, but they know it is a way to improve as an individual so that they can then improve their community.
Library
This term at the secondary level, students are learning about atomic structure and bonding, electrochemistry, inorganic carbon compounds, and then Nitrogen and its compounds. Science lessons are held in a room with a chalkboard. Typically, three students sit at one table and share a workbook. Hands-on practicals are taught in our laboratory rooms that are outfitted with microscopes, test tubes, and chemicals.
NURS E RY S C H OOL Nursery school is so valuable in Uganda because there is often limited educational preparation at home. It introduces students to socialization skills and acclimates them to a structured educational setting. Many of the SND nursery students are fed their first meal of the day at school.
The library at the St. Julie Mission is one of the best in Uganda. It mainly provides leisure reading, which means a lot to the students who do not have televisions or personal computers. When speaking about the mission to students in the United States, we sometimes ask, “Do you know what a spaceship looks like?” They always nod their heads yes. “When did you first learn what a spaceship looks like?” They cannot seem to put their finger on it. Maybe they saw one while the news was on at home, maybe in a movie, or maybe on the Internet. We then explain that the children in Uganda often do not know what a spaceship looks like until they check out a book on space travel from the school library. Sometimes this does not happen until they are well past Kindergarten.
This fall, the Sisters of Notre Dame will begin the first stage of construction for a new nursery school in Buseesa. The current setup has become cramped. Two classes share one large basement room without a separating wall. To use the restroom, the young students must exit the building to access latrines just past the mission’s chicken coop. The nursery school’s construction costs will total $125,000. We are grateful for all the support that has made the first stage of construction possible.
Current nursery school entrance
supplies Students learn in English at the SND mission schools, which is a second (or third) language for them. Recently, Notre Dame Elementary (Chardon, OH) students raised money to purchase phonics books for their peers in Buseesa. These books are helpful in teaching proper English spelling, pronunciation, and usage.
Way s t o Pa r t n e r MISSION OUTREACH Arrange for a Sister of Notre Dame to speak about the Uganda Mission at your school, parish, or organization.
How to Give ONLINE: Securely donate online at www.sndky.weshareonline.org/Uganda. Pay by credit/debit card or bank transfer.
Tuition Assistance Designate your donation for tuition assistance. This enables a child to attend school at the mission and provides room and board during the school year. $50/month or $600/year.
Monthly Giving Companion Schedule an automatic monthly donation of any amount at www.sndky.weshareonline.org/Uganda.
Planned Giving Give support through a planned gift, such as Wills/Bequests • Gifts of Stock • Charitable Gift Annuity Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) • Property Charitable Trust • Life Insurance Policies
MATCHING Double your support by asking if your employer will match your donation to the SND mission in Uganda.
BY MAIL: Send contact info and check, cash, or money order to SND Uganda Mission Office, 1601 Dixie Highway, Covington, KY 41011. Checks payable to “Sisters of Notre Dame.” BY PHONE: Call Sr. Mary Margaret Droege at (859)392-8109 to pay by credit card over the phone.
Thank you for your partnership, your prayers, and for taking a moment to keep in touch with what’s happening at the Sisters of Notre Dame mission in Uganda.
Sisters of Notre Dame
Uganda Mission Office 1601 Dixie Highway, Covington, KY 41011 (859) 392-8109 | www.sndky.org
SND Uganda Mission • Schools in Buseesa and Mpala, Uganda • 260 primary students in 2014-2015 • 200 nursery students in 2014-2015 • 180 secondary students in 2014-2015 • 1 farm that provides food for mission and employment to local residents • 9 sisters from Uganda have professed vows • 2 Covington SNDs in Uganda (Sr. Anita Marie Stacy & Sr. Mary Judith Averbeck) • 25.5 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio at St. Julie nursery school
The Sisters of Notre Dame
Proclaiming God’s Goodness and Provident Care