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Durango Colorado Chapter    Projects for the Durango Chapter:Project 1 - Byana Mary Hill Boarding School Byana Mary Hill Boarding Primary School is situated in Kalungu sub-country, Balungu county, Musaka District. It started in May 1998 with classes from Baby to Primary five. The major aim of starting this school was to help children, particularly the poor and AIDS infected orphans, to get some quality education. We started with two classrooms and fifty-three children. Now after six years we have seven classes and a staff room. The number of pupils we can afford is limited by the resources we have. So far we have 150 pupils. Most of the pupils we have are unable to pay school fees. They are beneficiaries of the school in one way or another. The school fees is supposed to be 150,000 [Ugandan Shillings], per child, per term, but only 10% pay this amount. There are 40% who only pay half this amount; and the remaining percentage do not pay anything. The majority of pupils cannot afford to bring the requirements and 50% of the pupils are beneficiaries of the school in every way. Hence the amount of money we collect for the pupils is not enough to run the school, pay teachers and put up new buildings. The buildings we have are Project 2 - Ssejinja Widow's Ministry The Ssejinja Widow's Ministry, founded in 2005, is playing a big role in empowering and teaching widow’s self-reliance and educating them with basic skills of healthy hygiene. The widow's group has been engaged in making craft baskets for sale. The chicken farm is underway to be constructed to help with the long sustainablity and self independance. It is located in Katosi in mukono District. Project 3 - Teacher to Teacher Program Get your students excited about education through hands-on involvement with orphaned students in Africa Who knows more about the heavy responsibilities and challenges of a teacher, than a teacher? You can become a much- needed mentor and supporter of a teacher in Uganda. MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND OPEN THE DOORS TO A VALUED EDUCATION FOR YOU, YOUR STUDENTS AND ORPHANS IN UGANDA BY SPONSORING A TEACHER. YOU MAY NEVER HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE WHO PUT SO MUCH EMPHASIS AND VALUE ON YOUR PROFESSION- TEACHING/EDUCATION.TEACHER TO TEACHER PROGRAM DURANGO/UGANDA BECOME A TEACHER’S MENTOR and ADOPT A CLASSROOM IN UGANDA/AFRICA. Ssejinja Children’s Foundation- Durango sponsors Byana Mary Hill Orphanage/Boarding School in Uganda, Africa. On my recent trip to visit the school, I noticed that due to lack of school funds the teachers had been working without pay for the past 3 months. The normal primary school teacher’s monthly salary is 100.00-150.00 USD per month. They often ride their single-speed bicycles 30-90 miles over rough terrain to come to school to teach the children. Without pay, they struggle to feed and meet the needs of their own children and families, yet they are still coming to work everyday to teach the orphans and needy. Because these teachers know the value of education in breaking the horrible cycle of poverty, disease and despair, they remain committed. As you may know, it is very hard to teach other children when you cannot even feed your own. A teacher in Africa does not receive benefits, pensions or often even a paycheck. The profession is very undervalued and desperately underpaid. They do it because they care and believe in the future of these children who have no one. We have 600 children in Byana Mary Hill: 400 are orphaned and have no one. They live on campus; 100 are orphaned living in poverty often with HIV/AIDS infected relatives. This child’s education is the only source of hope to a future for self and siblings. These children live off campus. The other 100 do have one or both parents still alive who do pay some school tuition fees or volunteer at the school whenever possible; yet, they pay partial and slowly. A teaching certificate in Uganda can be acquired with just one year of education following High School. When suggesting this mentorship Teacher-to-Teacher program, the Ugandan teachers were so happy to think that not only would they be receiving a regular paycheck but would also have access to a U.S. teacher in Durango who cares and whom they would be able to learn from, share challenges etc.. Their goal is to best serve the children by increasing their own education yet be able to feed and house their own family as well. These Ugandan teachers have sent personal profiles and photos so teachers here could choose a teacher and classroom that they could bond with. I would very much like to talk to you more about how to get involved in this program if you’re interested. Please feel free to email and/or call me at anytime: 970-764-4608 or kathydarnell@hotmail.com Make a difference through Education. Global exposure is the beginning of Peace, Tolerance and Understanding. THIS WILL ALLOW OUR U.S. STUDENTS TO SEE FIRST HAND THE GREAT VALUE PLACED ON EDUCATION BY THE STUDENTS IN A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY. The way this TEACHER TO TEACHER program works: · U.S. Teacher selects teacher and classroom of choice to sponsor (from profiles) · Commitment Required: 25.00-50.00 per month – this will go DIRECTLY to your teacher’s salary. o Full salary per month commitment is available if one U.S. classroom wants to fully sponsor one Uganda classroom- Full Sponsorship= 100.00/month minimum · U.S. Teacher decide level of commitment and how to pay (personal funds, classroom involvement, fundraisers, parent involvement, etc..) · In Return, the sponsored Ugandan teacher and classroom will be open and available to communicate, get to know and exchange ideas & cultures with the U.S. sponsoring teacher and students. Because of the more extensive training and teaching programs in the U.S, the U.S. teacher will accept the role of mentorship- Trust me, BOTH sides will benefit equally!! · ONE TIME general donations are also very welcome- These monies will be used as a general fund for school supplies. Sincerely, Kathy Darnell, President – Durango Chapter Ssejinja Children's Foundation-501c3 P.O. Box 855 Durango, CO 81301 Phn: 970-764-4608. Email: kathydarnell@hotmail.com Website: www.ssejinja.org P.S. Please also feel free to contact me if you would like me to come and make a personal presentation to the teachers in your school. Outline Teacher to Teacher Program: Main Goal: Sponsorship for Teacher’s Salaries Byana Mary Hill school year dates in which teachers are to be paid. FROM: (Month)_______________ TO: (Month)_________________ General Age Groups of Classes:
1) Sr Rose (receives and administers the funds) |