DAVE’S 2009 UGANDA TRIP … …through the eyes of a co-founder, sponsor, educator
Fr. Lawrence and Dave Night time on the Serengeti
Massai blankets protect Dovey, Fr. Lawrence and Jean from the cold.
Traveling through the Serengeti, I wondered “where is this journey taking us?” Our Change a Life Team - Jean, Father Lawrence, Dovey and I - find the roads dusty and rough. The safari is daunting and it is cold in Tanzania in July. The tents display warnings to remain inside at night. (Not use the bathroom for the whole night? At our age?) We have seen the beauty, majesty and ferociousness of the lions, cheetahs and leopards. We know they hunt during the night. Will they want an easy meal? At least I survived to write this story – for the fates of Jean, Dovey, and Fr. Lawrence; you’ll have to wait till the end. The tale began with our 3rd trip to Uganda to see the progress Change a Life’s interventions are making with 175 sponsored children and their families at St. Lawrence Primary School in Migyera. Entering a new phase of development, we want to be sure we are on the right track. To confirm our approach, we sought to learn how other schools and NGO’s are operating and learn from each other. First stop, we traveled with Sister Carole, teacher Nina, and 4 former students of Sister’s: Alex, Joy, Lauren and Tara, to help at Alanyi Clinic. At the Clinic we saw progress in this war-torn region. The rebels left in 2006 and inhabitants are returning to very limited conditions. The Spring Lake NJ community with Sister Carole’s aid is making a huge difference especially with infant and maternal immunizations and post-natal care. Jean and Lauren gave injections. Dovey and Alex weighed babies. Nina and Tara helped with records. Joy simply brought joy by interacting with so many children. Father Lawrence assessed people’s situations and delivered comfort and hope. I made alcohol swabs to clean injection sites. The experience was both humbling and exhilarating. The people of Alanyi need so much help and now have great hope. After doing our humble part, our team bid a temporary farewell and traveled to Migyera. It was time to measure our own progress. Our first view of the brand new dormitory brought tears to our eyes. We knew how we began and the sight of the progress at the school made all our work worthwhile. The changes we saw were astounding. The school kitchen is finished and functioning. The electrical lines and outside lights have been installed. The exterior of the dormitory is done and the interior can be used for meetings while still under construction.
2008
2009 New Dormitory
New Kitchen
New Garden
Library
The school population grew from 90 in 2006 to 380 in 2008 and now 437. New Kitchen One more teacher was added this year for a total of 13. A computer room is in the planning stages and 1000 books started the school’s library. The New Garden demonstration garden is 3 acres, much larger than last year with many more crops. Dovey, a teacher at Rumson Country Day School, was making her first trip to Africa, Uganda and the school. Her school had generously given her a grant to assess how Rumson could help with academics and how to strengthen the relationship between the schools and the children. Most importantly, all of the 21 7th grade students passed the national exams and all 7 of our Change a Life students are now in secondary school. Several of our Nabbingo students are finishing their education and will soon help at the Migyera site. Aloysius graduated technical school and served as an architectural consultant on the dormitory. The onsite clinic opens on August 1, 2009 with one of our nursing graduates on staff. New Garden
We visited many students’ homes and had both sad and glad moments. Some parents are enormously challenged. One mother is blind yet tries to farm but needs her daughter to take her to the fields which affects the girl’s school attendance. We are trying to get help from other family members. On the positive side, one family received extra money from their child’s sponsor ($140 US), bought a piece of land, and built a pig pen and a new mud home. It was one of the most organized homes we visited. We had quite an adventure visiting Philip’s home. There was no road, only a path on which our van got stuck on a tree stump too high to clear. Philip’s walk, 7 miles to school in the bush, is a reason for our dormitory. He walks this long path through a world of cows every day. The pastoralists use the path to find feed and to bring their cows to water. It’s astounding what these children will endure to get an education. From Philip’s father, I received my first live chicken gift. I’m told the face I made was classic! My chicken, Claudia, was left with Father John who promised to fatten her up. I fear I will never see her again. Other stories define the spirit of Ugandan people. One mother of 7 took in 3 children whose parents died of AIDS while her own husband was hospitalized with AIDS. She runs a small business and does the best she can. Similar stories were repeated in Nabbingo. There, a grandmother has 8 children living with her. Two of her wards are sponsored but living conditions are bad. Several boys sleep on metal beds on springs with no mattresses or what little foam was left of the old mattress and old rags. However, the spirit of these women to help children is incredibly strong. In Kasana Luweero, we met with the new Bishop Paul who now understands Father Lawrence’s role as coordinator as well as our mission. Archbishop Cyprian Lawanga also has immense interest in our accomplishments and was quite encouraging. He has great plans to help Ugandan people of all religions. Next up was a trip to Green Hill Academy, one of the best schools in Uganda. They are more than willing to share their successful teaching methods with us. We then met with the Rotary in Wobulenzi and made cooperative plans to work on literacy and water issues at St. Lawrence School. A highlight of our trip was the Millennium Village to learn the accomplishments of the UN’s model project to end extreme poverty by 2025. We discovered our school is on par but could possibly
benefit from solar power for low-wattage computers. Our approach and academic record appear equal with the Village. In contrast, we still face challenges with the development of farming and incomegenerating activities for our parents. Their clinic and medical records computer system are superior. We will continue to network and Father Lawrence will return to learn more about Jeffery Sacks’ approach. Our trip to the School of St. Jude in Tanzania was an amazing and inspirational experience. Gemma Sisia showed us what she created starting a school from the ground up in 2002 with 3 students. She now has 2 campuses and 1100 students and will soon open a secondary school. It costs Gemma $2100 US to educate 1 child per year. Most of her sponsors are Australian Rotarians. Unlike Gemma, we began with a functional school that we continuously improve. Her approach allows only one student per family with the most needy and talented as criteria for entry. We do not limit sponsorees to one per family and we select children with the most drive. Our interest is helping both needy children and students who are further along. We send older students to better schools all the way to the university level realizing they can give back sooner to our school upon completion of their education as we try to uplift the whole village of Migyera. We had fun eating pizza and ice cream and shopping in Kampala before leaving for safari. We visited the orphanage Sister Carole supports and reconnected with her group. As stated, Tanzanian roads are in poor repair. Our vehicle had a broken tail pipe and we breathed in so much carbon monoxide that our noses were black with the exhaust. A mechanic jerry-rigged a tail pipe from old parts. We continued on to Arusha and the safety of the lodge with bathrooms and running water. That’s right! Jean, Father Lawrence and Dovey survived 2 nights camping without providing dinner for the local predators or getting trampled by an elephant herd. The water buffaloes kept their distance and, except for feeling dirty, dusty and having to pee in a jar, we were none the worse for wear. We returned with a new sense of mission, a better understanding of the needs of our Ugandan friends and children, and an updated set of priorities. We need land for expansion, more teachers and a copy machine. We continue to seek solutions to the critical water problem.
We appreciate all the support we receive from our sponsors and our support team members in Uganda. Father Lawrence, Kathy, Immy and Collins are the best. We look forward to growing and, as the Archbishop suggested, having contact with Bill Gates and any foundation or support that can help us expand. Peace and Love to all, Jean, Dave, Dovey and Father Lawrence, Immy, Kathy and Collins “reporting through Dave’s eyes”