After driving for over an hour to get to one of Invisible Children’s (IC) partner schools in Anaka, Amy remembers, “My first thought stepping off the bus and scanning the grounds was ‘I cannot wait to tell everyone back home how successful our partner school is.’” It may seem odd to care deeply about individuals you’ve never met, work to raise funds for buildings you may never see, or donate energy and time to invest in the future of education in a country you’ve never visited, but that’s exactly what Amy and Rachael did with their classmates at Newport High School as part of Invisible Children’s Schools for Schools (S4S) campaign.
Click here to read about the full experience.
Invisible Children’s Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP) mentors reach out to students in a variety of ways, like monitoring the academic performance of students, helping them improve grades, and giving them the tools to live responsibly.
It’s a big job, being there to help students through the challenges they face academically and socially, so mentors have refresher trainings once every three months so they will be ready to deal with the issues their students are facing.
During the most recent training, the mentors were able to discuss counseling and guidance, psychosocial support and gender-based violence – topics that they need to understand in order to provide their mentees with the best possible support.
Kristie, the psychosocial officer for Invisible Children, explained that though counseling and guidance and psychosocial support might seemingly appear to be the same, they cover different areas of a student’s life. “Counseling and guidance aim at one’s career goals whereas psychosocial support is much broader, it involves one’s physical, spiritual and emotional growth,” she explained.
Mentoring requires being able to engage students and encourage growth in all aspects of life, to do everything possible to equip students to be the future leaders of Uganda. Students are admitted into the LSP program based on aptitude for academics as well as level of vulnerability. Overcoming those vulnerabilities with the help of a mentor places students on the path to success.
Our Teacher Exchange program allows Ugandan and international educators to create teaching partnerships with their counterparts, and exposes students to a world outside their borders. The program brings secondary school teachers abroad to team-teach and interact with Ugandan teachers for six weeks every June and July and sends Ugandan teachers to the U.S. to do the same in each December. By participating in the program, both Ugandan and international teachers expand their skill sets, share ideas, and improve their teaching methods.
The most recent batch of teachers in the Teacher Exchange arrived this week. They will be teaching alongside Ugandan educators over the next six weeks, learning about education in northern Uganda and engaging in a mutual exchange of knowledge with their partner teachers. This week, they have been exploring the town, learning about the culture and Invisible Children Uganda’s development programs before they move to their teaching sites.
Today, the teachers visited Mend to learn more about one of ICU’s livelihood programs – and to enjoy some impromptu dancing with the seamstresses.
Jolly shared the history of Invisible Children Uganda (ICU) and the current status of education in northern Uganda. “Teachers around the world are the same,” Jolly welcomed the teachers. “The human connection is what is valued.”
Jane is a teacher from Longbeach, California who has been teaching in London for the past 2 years. She saw the Rough Cut in 2005 and showed it to her students, telling them to “help in any way you can.” For Jane, the Teacher Exchange presents the opportunity for her to help in a way specific to her skills.
“More than anything, I’m here to learn, “she said. “I want the experience of being a student of another culture.”
Never too late to graduate
This past week saw 805 women and men graduate from Invisible Children’s (IC) Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) program. The graduation came after members of IC’s Village Savings and Loan Associations successfully completed a one-year course on basic subjects of numeracy, reading and writing.
Due to insecurity from the past war in northern Uganda, many members of these groups had been unable to go to school when they were children. For some, even something as seemingly simple as signing their own name was an impossibility. Now as adults they are at last getting the opportunity to learn these valuable skills.
During the graduation ceremony in Atanga, ululations filled the air as the groups danced and sang while representatives for each group received certificates for their members. The certificates were an acknowledgment of the tireless efforts and hard work each one of them had put in during the course.
With self-esteem high, they presented dramas and songs with the theme of education, leaving smiles on the faces of the congregation present. It was a magnificent occasion that proved that it doesn’t matter where you are coming from but what truly matters is where you are heading.
-Germina
Cleaning Up the Town
Normally Saturdays are for staying at home and relaxing, but not for the Invisible Children Uganda staff gathered at the main street round about in Gulu town to take part in the “Plant a Tree and Keep Gulu Clean Campaign” that started in May. A cloud of rising dust welcomed travelers into Gulu that afternoon as the determined volunteers swept the streets clean.
Volunteers from many local organizations showed up to give their support to the initiative, which will take place once a month and aims to promote hygiene and sanitation, and to replant the trees that have succumbed to extensive deforestation for firewood and charcoal. Seedlings for trees and flowers were given to several local schools, health centers and churches.
Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, the Local Council 5 Chairman for Gulu District who spearheaded the initiative, thanked the volunteers for the tremendous support. “The community should take part in the cleanliness of the town,” he said.
Despite the scorching sun, smiles were abundant and passersby cheered the busily sweeping and planting volunteers for their service to the community.
Read more of our blog entries here.
“I like debating because it needs critical analysis which can help unearth solutions to issues in the society,” comments Ben, a debater from Gulu Army School.
Click here for the story on the debate organized by The Legacy Scholarship Program.
Komakech Oginga, the head judge, mentions that debate allows students to “gain knowledge for unique disciplines that are not incorporated in their normal academics.”
I think this is “something we can all agree on”.
-Caroline
