Arlington Academy of Hope

AAH Blog  

From One Village: A Story of Hope in Uganda

 

While most of this newsletter focuses on recent events in Uganda, we must not forget an important event that took place here in the US before we left for Uganda - the night New York City stopped for AAH. Below are my recollections of the events of that night:
 

There are experiences, some fleeting, some long lasting, that leave an everlasting impression. For me, Friday June 10 was one such experience. It wasn't just that I happened to be in New York that evening - it was the where, and why, and how that left an indelible mark on me and that still has me astounded every time I think about it. There are not enough words in the universe to describe what I felt, or thought, or imagined.

 

That Friday evening, 7 of us traveled from Washington DC, to New York, at the invitation of She's the First, a charity that supports Girls' education around the world. She's the First and its partner organization, Girls Who Rock, had selected AAH as the beneficiary of the proceeds from their 2011 concert that was being held that night. Our delegation included Dick Burk, AAH President, Holly Hawthorne, AAH Vice President, Dean Scribner, AAH Board Secretary, Carole Burk, AAH Board member and Co-Chair of Education Committee, Joyce Wanda, AAH Board member and Co-Founder, and Dan Gardner, AAH Executive Director and his wife Deborah.

 

It was just after 7:30pm when we alighted from our taxi at the Gramercy Theater, a stately, imposing building on 23^rd St. in Manhattan. The location and the site spoke to the power of these girls - young, driven girls who were out to change the world. Most of the girls are in their 20's, and are probably the most social media savvy young people we have ever met. Throughout the week, they had saturated the social media in New York with tweets about the event, and had many local newspapers promoting it. The performers for the evening included JoJo, an artist with a number 1 single and a history of accomplishments. We knew there would be media, but nothing prepared us for the avalanche of cameras as we arrived at Gramercy Theater. We knew that JoJo and Nina and KimberlyNicole would be there, but no one mentioned to us there would be such media, or prepared us for a Red Carpet treatment, or interviews, or even how to smile for the cameras. Our simple dresses were meant for a serene evening event, not a slow walk on a Red carpet. And yet there we were, immediately ushered on a Red Carpet as soon as we arrived, to join JoJo and the other performers as they strutted their stuff and made nice with the media. Joyce and I were announced as Founders of the Arlington Academy of Hope when we hit the Red carpet, and immediately all the attention was turned on us. Both JoJo, MC Toure, Kimberly Nicole, Eddy, DJKiss and all the others who had been through the Red carpet came to pose for pictures with us, and to whisper sweet words to us as we smiled and posed for the cameras. From one corner to another, we responded to journalists' questions, and congratulations. We were asked for quotable quotes, about our feelings, and as some thought this was our first night in New York, about our thoughts on the Big Apple.

 

Later, when the immediate glare of the cameras had died down, we were escorted to our seats in the front row of Gramercy Theater, where we watched artist after artist perform their absolute best to help raise money for AAH. The performers were extra-ordinary. KimberlyNicole sang seductively about her experiences in the South and what education meant for her, while the two sisters, called Nina Sky, performed duets and completed each other's sentences as they exhorted the crowd to be generous. JoJo brought down the house with her new Single, Jumping Trains, carrying the audience with her as she weaved and wreathed and belted out her powerful tones. MC Toure masterfully steered the room and kept the focus on the girls and education in Uganda.

 

And then it was my turn. At first I felt like a sacrificial lamb as one of the girls came for me and took me backstage to prepare me for the biggest night of my life. I had been asked to make a 5 minute speech, and no more, or less, as it was timed to coincide with pictures on the screen behind me. I had carefully written down what I was going to say, and given my tendency to forget words, I had planned to read it. As I climbed the steps to the stage, I realized I could not read. The light on the stage was not bright enough, there was no lectern, and the crowd was too fired up any way. It was the enormity of the occasion that overwhelmed me though. As I stood for a few moments surveying the crowd, my eyes moistened as I imagined my journey and my situation, a humble man from a far away village in Uganda, on stage at Gramercy Theater in New York, on a Friday evening. If the world had disappeared at that moment, I would still have felt that for me at least, I had reached my pinnacle. Who else in their lives can count an embrace from JoJo, a symbolic fist bump with Toure, or receive a (wickedly engaging) smile from KimberlyNichole, all in one night? And now this? It seemed as if my head would swoon, and that I would forget why I was there. Then I heard Holly Hawthorne, AAH Vice President, cheer in the background, and saw Christen Brandt (the Executive Director of She's the First) in front of me, and of course I remembered that this was all for the girls in our village to get an education. Their future depended on my words. I had to find the right words, keep this crowd happy and energized, and keep it within 5 minutes. How does one keep time with a crowd like this anyway?

 

I don't know how, but I got it done. I said all the right thank yous. I told the story of our girls in Uganda and their challenges. Many don't go to school, those that go drop out before their fourth grade, get married, and some get as many as 9 children. But those who get an opportunity to go to school excel, topping boys, showing the community what they were just as capable as the boys. The lack of opportunity was depriving Uganda of possible nurses, doctors, teachers engineers. This crowd in New York had it in their hands, had it in their ability to change the future of many girls in Uganda. Just the energy in the room (and a few donations) could send all the 42 unsponsored girls at our school in Uganda.

 

The message was well received, and I walked back a happy man. This New York crowd believed in us, in our cause, in Uganda's girls. How could the world not be different after this?

 

It was certainly a beautiful Friday night, a magical night in New York. The headlines the following day told the story - from those on blogs and websites to those in the newspapers. Some mentioned the rare objective of the concert, others the assembly of top musicians for a cause in Africa. You can see below some of the mentions in local media:

 

http://www.shesthefirst.org/2011/06/girls-who-rock-at-gramercy-theatre

  

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110613/us_ac/8624307_jojo_nina_sky_and_more_party_it_up_for_girls_who_rock_in_new_york_city

 

http://www.adrants.com/2011/06/jojo-headlines-girls-who-rock-concert.php

 

http://makecharitycool.com/2011/06/07/

 

It was certainly a beautiful show. The leaders of She's the First, and the Girls Who Rock, certainly made it happen for AAH. I know that Tammy Tibbetts, the President and Founder of She's the First, and Christen Brandt, its Executive Director, spent many sleepless nights and days planning and working on this event. Their skills and fundraising proficiency is incredible. And the Girls Who Rock, from Cynthia Helen, to Stephanie Rushford, to Shante Skyers, to Bridget Boyer, and to the hundreds of girls who worked on this event gave their all to make this the most successful event by these girls. The night raised $17,109, enough to provide scholarships for 29 girls this year. AAH will be forever grateful to these young women in New York and for the opportunity this has opened for us. We all hope our partnership with She's the First will continue to grow stronger and stronger.

For the volunteers who went to Uganda this summer, probably nothing surprised them more than the extent of AAH's outreach programs in the communities around Bududa and Manafwa. Many thought of AAH as a school, with the extension of scholarships for students who were going to secondary school. They were amazed to see the following AAH Outreach programs, all blossoming and creating a new opportunities for the people of Uganda:

 

Women's Micro-finance initiative. AAH volunteers met with women who are benefitting from AAH micro finance programs in Bududa (now 100 women) and Bupoto (50 women). These women have been able to make tremendous improvements in their lives and their families by successfully investing in and running businesses. The Bupoto program is currently funded by individual donations from well-wishers, while the Bududa program benefits from the Women's Micro-finance Initiative - a very positive partnership for AAH. Both programs are widely successful, and both (especially the Bupoto program) need your support to grow.

 

Supporting local schools. AAH supports more than 22 schools in Bududa, and another 10 in Manafwa district, with school supplies, teacher training, sports equipment, and general assistance. During this trip, we visited Bunamutoro, Pat Adams, Bumwalukani, Bupoto, Matuwa, Busulwa and Bulobi Primary Schools, Milly's Learning Center (nursery school) and Canaan School in Kampala. It was enlightening to see the progress these schools were making under difficult circumstances. We also visited AAH partner school, the International School of Uganda.

 

Clean Water Initiative. AAH has provided clean water in the community of Bumwalukani with a new borehole at the school. Efforts are being made to provide clean water at the other schools we work with.

 

Medical Clinics. Perhaps AAH's most outstanding outreach program is its medical clinics, in Bumwalukani and Bupoto. Each year, more than 30,000 people use the clinics at these places, where they get treatment for malaria, TB, colds and cough, and many ailments. We are most fortunate to have as a partner the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC). FIMRC staffs and operates our clinic by the AAH school in Bumwalukani. Both clinics now provide lab services where samples are tested, and the Bupoto clinic provides maternity services for expecting mothers. The clinics have led to vast reductions in sick and death rates in these communities. Child mortality rates have declined dramatically. 

 

Community Health Outreach programs. Together with the help of FIMRC, AAH has organized a massive health education program in Bududa and Manafwa. Led by community health educators, the health education program reaches more than 30 villages across the two districts. Teams of patient education volunteers visit homes, address community gatherings, and talk to students at local schools about hygiene issues and how to take better care of themselves. They caution young girls about the dangers of early sex and teen pregnancy, they teach mothers how to cook nutritious meals for their families, and they teach adults how to prevent malaria and the spread of disease in their communities. They have also formed acting troupes that demonstrate their teachings through drama and satire. It was amazing to see these groups in action, and to appreciate that they do this for no pay, often walking long distances, in heavy rains, to reach their audiences.

 

Girl Mentoring Program. In both Bumwalukani and Bupoto, AAH has formed girls' groups. They meet regularly with AAH teachers and volunteers for special help and guidance. They receive academic support and career guidance, and learn how to deal with peer pressure and how to be leaders in their communities. AAH's special efforts with girls has been recognized by the broad community and mothers are asking AAH to expand these groups so their daughters can enroll.

 

Community Outreach. The communities in Bumwalukani and Bupoto have been mobilized in special ways to support the projects in their communities. In Bumwalukani, AAH helps the local community by facilitating meetings and engaging them in local self-help projects. The communities have responded by building roads, improving food supplies, and providing security to AAH assets in their communities. AAH outreach efforts have resulted in a more community based program that is eagerly supported by local people.

 

Nursing scholarships. Beginning in 2010, AAH began providing scholarships to local girls in Bupoto, and in 2011, in Bumwalukani to pursue a nursing education. To date, three scholarships have been awarded, with a goal of two new scholarships every year. In addition, AAH has sent three students to vocational schools to learn practical skills. The goal is to ensure that in a few years, locally trained people can qualify as nurses who can form the backbone of staff in the AAH clinics. In the future this program will be expanded to include other badly needed skills.

 

Secondary School scholarships. In addition to supporting students who graduate from AAH school, AAH awards scholarships to the top two students from selected local schools in Bududa and Manafwa districts. In 2011, AAH was supporting more than 35 such local students who are now at secondary school. This is in addition to the 166 students who have received secondary school scholarships on graduation from AAH.

 

Library Facilities. AAH has opened its library facilities to students from local schools and the general public. Students can come and use the AAH Library's reference books, and local communities come to use the library for meetings, or to read newspapers. Even people who do not know how to read are encouraged to come - they can look at pictures and talk to staff and students on duty.

 

AAH Radio Program. Perhaps no AAH outreach program has a wider reach than the radio program through the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation. Launched in 2008, the Wamanya Program on UBC reaches more than 1 million people across Uganda, delivering AAH programs and featuring AAH personnel. The program is delivered in the local language so local people can understand issues in education affecting their communities, and AAH staff and students field questions from listeners across the country. Renown Radio personality Richard Katami Bwayo moderates the program.

 

There are many other outreach programs too numerous to mention. AAH distributes sports equipment to local schools. It is involved in a teacher training program with Marymount University, and next year will begin a special effort with Lasell College. AAH policy of buying local foods to feed students has given much needed income to local communities in Bududa and Manafwa, enabling families to send children to school and earn better income. Its guesthouse provides accommodation for visiting volunteers and community visitors. Its school farm provides its children with training on better farming methods, and the community with a model project that can teach local people how to farm. Above all, AAH employees 46 local people in Uganda, providing them with income that is helping them improve their lives.

 

As you can see, when you make a donation to AAH, you are helping more than a school. You are helping an entire community.

2011 AAH Reading Challenge - AAH Headmaster Tom Kitandwe submitted this report: The 2011 AAH Reading Challenge, 2011 kicked off on July 7, 2011. It was launched by John Wanda and his team from the US. John came with beautifully designed books by Lorraine Gandy and Lois Grubb of Arlington Traditional School. The theme for this year is Reading Safari around the Library. It is challenging students to learn a lot by reading books from many genres. AAH students are beginning to develop a natural liking of books and reading. This is an important skill but difficult to inculcate in the Uganda community as reading is not a priority in local schools. We greatly appreciate the help of Holly Hawthorne, Principal ATS, ATS Teachers Lois and Lorraine and the entire ATS community for putting together the core Reading Challenge books and printing them for all these years. We can never thank them enough. Students are reading hard and well on their way to surpassing the 13,000 books read last year.

 

Bupoto Clinic - AAH is proud to announce that beginning October 15, Dr. Lisa Umphrey, who has been the FIMRC Field Manager at the Beatrice Tierney clinic in Bumwalukani, will move to the AAH Bupoto clinic and assume leadership there. Dr. Umphrey is a practicing pediatrician and brings with her great credentials and many years of field experience, including her her two years of work in Bumwalukani. She will take over a clinic that is already doing sterling work, but one that will greatly benefit from her experience and management. For a community that has yearned for many years for a practicing physician, Dr. Umphrey is the answer to many people's prayers.

 

Dr. Lisa will be accompanied by Doug DaSilva, her husband and FIMRC volunteer. Doug will help oversee the Community Outreach program and help train staff in their outreach work.

 

Notable Progress at Bulobi - AAH's premier outreach project at Bulobi is going very well indeed. As reported in the last progress report, a memorandum of understanding was signed between AAH, Kamal Foundation, the Bulobi Community Council, and the District Government of Bududa to re-build Bulobi Primary School. Work on the building commenced almost immediately, and by July 15, the major school building had reached window level. We are hopeful that funding will be available to continue construction through the summer until government funding is in hand. Project completion  is slated for November 2011. If completed on time, a grand opening ceremony will be held in January 2012. This project, and the others promised by Kamal Foundation, is a true example of partnerships in action as we try to change education in Uganda.

 

AAH Students Put on a Show, fall just short - This July, AAH students participated in the annual music competitions in Uganda. As they have done in the past, AAH won the competitions at Zonal level, then at sectional, and again at district level, where they were selected to represent Bududa district at Regional Music Dance and Drama festivals on Saturday, July 30, 2011 at Bubulo Girls' High School. The festival which had 10 choirs in 9 districts and one Municipality saw Arlington Junior School representing Bududa district for the 4^th time in a row. AAH students competed in ten music items - poem, folk song, folk dance, original composition (African style), Drama, creative dance, set-piece (in Swahili), sight singing, speech and instrumental composition. We regret that we didn't make it again to the National Festivals having missed by a few points. Thank you all for the financial and moral support you gave to the choir for if it wasn't for your contribution, we wouldn't have had any headway on to this. We need to pat our backs for such success and we are also learning some lessons out of it.

 

What AAH Students need most - A new latrine. At a student meeting held on August 6, AAH students presented Founder John Wanda with their most pressing need - a new latrine. AAH's 340 students use one latrine, shared by both girls and boys. Built in 2004 when AAH had just 158 students, the latrine is no longer sufficient for its current level of students. While AAH has met many needs of its growing population, a new latrine was something that had not reached the top priority list of AAH planners - until now. Fortunately, recent AAH visitors, Bruce Leighton and Doreen Jones, who heard the student plea, have stepped forward with a donation of $2,500 to build a new latrine for students. Talk about immediate response! Thank you Bruce and Doreen.

 

What AAH teachers need most - a computer in each classroom. At their meeting with the visiting US delegation, staff asked that AAH consider providing at least one computer in each classroom, and one in library and the staff room. Even with all the advances AAH has made, AAH teachers still manually grade and compile student's tests and work. No AAH classroom has a computer, and marks are aggregated by hand and given to the school secretary to type in her computer. The teachers want that to change. A computer will help ensure more accuracy, quickly tabulate results, generate tests, and help access new ideas and teaching content. If the computers can come with an internet modem, that would bring the whole web to the classroom. The cost of providing 10 new computers, some printers, toner and other computer supplies and the annual charges for internet connection is estimated at $8,000. This is where I am hoping for a Bruce and Doreen-like donor.

 

Other AAH needs - beyond the general costs of running the school, AAH students and teachers have asked for continuing education opportunities (scholarships, bursaries, fellowships, seminars, workshops), new textbooks and reading materials, and improving their sports field so they can play real sports at school. Lower level priorities include a school van, solar batteries, lightning arrestors, and a large volume copier and printer. The biggest need from the clinic in Bupoto was staff accommodation, better pay, and some computers in the clinic. These are all reasonable requests that we hope some of our existing (or new) donors can offer to support.

 

Women United for the Advancement of African Countries - Joyce Wanda, AAH Board member and co-founder, was a panelist at a conference in Boston organized by the Shalupe Foundation in July. She was joined on the Education Panel by Dr. Sheila Nutt, Director of Educational Outreach Programs at Harvard Medical School and Mr. Samuel Gebru, the President and Chairman of Ethiopian Global Initiative. The goal of the conference was to mobilize African men and women of the Diaspora to form an alliance for the development of African countries. Joyce's presentation about AAH efforts in transforming education in Uganda was extremely well received. She made many partners who are eager to follow the AAH example.

Abana Abanyole get together - Joyce Wanda was invited to represent AAH at the first gathering of the people of Bunyole, Uganda, who live in the US, held in Metuchen, New Jersey on the July 4th weekend. Joyce shared some tips from AAH and what AAH is doing both in the US and Uganda. The participants resolved to form an association and pull resources for the betterment of their homeland, drawing lessons from AAH. 

American University Summer Program - For the third year in a row, Prof. Gemma Puglisi invited AAH to present to students in her class at American University on what AAH is doing to change Uganda's education. Joyce Wanda represented AAH. The students in Prof. Puglisi's class come from many countries around the world, and they got to hear about AAH work and its impact in Uganda.  Early this year, Prof. Puglisi released her latest book that includes a chapter on AAH. We thank Prof. Puglisi for this outreach effort. 

Here is a quick update about the Sponsorship Program:

We end this progress report with an announcement of a sad loss. Last week, on August 2, 2011, AAH lost one of its stalwart supporters, a friend and long time advocate, Doris Hawthorne. Doris is the mother of ATS Principal and AAH Vice President, Holly Hawthorne and Mother in Law to AAH Board Secretary, Dean Scribner.  She has been an AAH supporter from inception. She has generously supported AAH's school and the school farm over the years, believing that equipping the students with good farming skills will improve their chances in life. Doris' husband, Robert Hawthorne, grew up on a farm and the family, including Dean and Holly, are strong advocates of AAH's School farm.  Doris has also supported AAH's many education programs, and has introduced many of her friends at Godwin House to AAH, who in turn, have given generously. Doris passed away peacefully in her sleep at Godwin House Hospice, in Falls Church, VA, surrounded by her family and friends. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Arlington Academy of Hope. You can join the family and friends of Holly and Dean by sending a contribution to AAH at P O Box 7694, Arlington, VA 22207. Your contribution will be acknowledged and the family informed. Let Doris' legacy with AAH continue even in her death, so that more children in Africa can benefit from her generosity. The board of AAH and all its friends and supporters wish to send their condolences to Holly, Dean, Shelby, Randy and the entire Hawthorne family.

 

Please see at this link the Obituary as it appeared in the Washington Post:

 

There are many ways you can support the Arlington Academy of Hope and further our efforts to make the dreams of a good education and basic healthcare come true for Ugandan children.

Please consider the following: 

John Wanda

Arlington Academy of Hope