Kathy Darnell
President and Executive Director-Colorado.
Upcoming events:
- Craft Sales- dates & locations to be determined
Projects we're looking to fulfill &/or further develop:
Katosi widow's group
Chicken Farm- Income Generating Project
Education Program
Craft Shop
Women's center- Sewing classes
Byana Mary Hill - 600 student orphanange/boarding school
Internet service
Maize Mill
500 Mosquito nets at 10.00 a piece
Tractor
Teacher to Teacher Program
MENU (Things needed):
25.00/month for 8 months - Sponsor a Sewing Class students- girls who cannot afford to go on to school -
100.00 Sewing machine - each student will be given a sewing machine upon graduation (approx 100.00)
25.00/month Sponsors for individual orphans - tuition, food, shoes, school supplies.
10.00 Mosquito net - (our goal is 500 nets)
25.00- Twin mattress
75.00 - Queen mattress
55.00/month - Internet Service for Byana Mary Hill Orphanage/Boarding School
In Kind Donations and/or Sponsorship
Widow's Health Fund
Widow's small business education courses
Building fund- dormitories, chicken farm, piggery, women's shelter
Library
Craft Shop
If you would like to sell or purchase handmade African crafts and jewelry - please contact Kathy or Sally.
Anyone interested in hosting a fundraser event however big or small, please feel free to contact us.
Officers:
Kathy Darnell
Sally Dalen
Advisory Committee:
Dr. Bill Grenney - EWB-USU
Professor Terry Tannehill- Business Dept. FLC
Don May EWB-FLC
Dr. Will and Milly Lacey
Leah Bathen - Non-profits
Danny Whelan - Race Director
Volunteers
Brittany Holden
Eric Sarno
Ashley Darnell
Michelle Oliveira
Sierra Foster
Positions Open:
Board Of Directors
Advisory Committee
Events Director
Volunteer Coordinator
Fundraising Specialist
Medical Advisor
Kathryn Darnell, president and director
Ssejinja Children's Foundation- Durango Chapter
P.O. Box 855
Durango, CO 81302
Ph: 970-764-4608
Email: kathydarnell@hotmail.com
website: www.ssejinja.org
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Continuing Events
Continuing events:
- Presentations at schools, local organizations and events to encourage cultural awareness through pen-pal program, the Teacher to Teacher Program, fundraising and infomrational updates.
- Craft Sales
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Past Events
Every year in September we have a "Sunrise Over Africa" 8K run in Durango.
- April 4, 2009 International Dinner- details to follow
- May -June Trip to Uganda- All volunteers welcome- contact Kathy Darnell (970-764-4608) or Sally Dalen (970-385-5982) for more information
- September 2009 3rd Annual "Sunrise Over Africa" run
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December 2008 Volunteer Sierra Foster initiated the Women's "Bridge to Uganda" art gallery and silent auction featuring pieces from local woman artisans and the widows of Uganda. Thank-you Open Shutter Gallery, artisans of Durango and local vendors! We couldn't have done it without your generous support!
September 2008 2nd Annual "Sunrise Over Africa" 7K
Danny Whelan our official Race Director put together again a fun and successful event. Thanks to our sponsors San Juan Smiles (Dr Will and Milly Lacey), Peak Energy, Nature's Oasis, Sky Ute Casino, Your Running Store and others! Congratulations everyone, you made it happen and created another great event!
2008/2009 Sally Dalen has helped create and support a local Craft Shop for the widows of Katosi, allowing them to get together to make and sell their unique handi-work.
2008 Durango Ssejinja volunteer team (Kathy & Ashley Darnell, Eric Sarno and Molly Weibush) took a service trip to Uganda. The team worked with the children at Byana Mary Hill School and brought back stories and pictures from the children which we put into book form.
2008 Kathy Darnell received the Malayika award from Ssejinja Children's Foundation
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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: PROFILESKeep all teacher profiles updated- teacher’s leaving, new teacher’s coming and performance reviews on record. Please provide list of all eligible teachers.RESPONSIBILITY OF: ____________________ SIGNATURE OF RESPONSIBLE PARTY: ________________________________ OVERVIEW - U.S. SPONSORSHIP COMITTMENT & RESPONSIBILITIES: - U.S. teachers will choose a teacher, from the profile book, who they think best matches their focus.
- U.S. Teacher’s Minimum Sponsorship Commitment: 25.00usd per month during determined school year dates. – In this case 4-5 U.S. teachers can sponsor one teacher – the Ugandan teacher’s profile will remain open until sponsorship level reaches 125.00 per month.
- U.S. Teacher’s Maximum Sponsorship per one teacher is 125.00usd. – The Ugandan teacher’s profile will not remain open as long as he/she is being sponsored.
RESPONSIBILTY OF BYANA MARY HILL - Distribute funds to teachers, obtain signatures and report to Byana Mary Hill Administration (Sr Rose)
- Make sure all teachers know rules of correspondence.
- Profile may be closed or warnings issued if teacher does not remain in good standing with the school or begins to behave irresponsibly in correspondence- (soliciting of any kind) this will be determined based on Sr. Rose’s recommendation and U.S. Board review.
- **If a U.S. sponsor sends more money than the committed sponsorship agreement, this money will be spent for the specific needs or activities of the sponsored teacher’s classroom, to be determined by the sponsored teacher & Sr. Rose; or, as otherwise stated by the sponsor.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE U.S. Sponsoring TEACHER: - Send committed amount monthly for said period of time
- Be available via correspondence or email to exchange ideas, advise, consult or mentor Byana Mary Hill teacher.
- If they so choose, open their classroom up for a pen pal exchange program among the students in the classroom they are sponsoring.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UGANGAN Sponsored TEACHER: - Keep the correspondence professional. No requests for trips to America, further personal sponsorship, additional money, etc..
- Open classroom up for student interaction with the U.S. classroom.
- Use the U.S. Teacher as an educational mentor whenever needed.
Other than paying teacher’s salaries, our goal here is inter-cultural education, global exposure and building relationships. FUNDING OF SPONSORHIP MONIES - Sponsorship monies will be sent to Olivia Namuyanja who will deliver to Sr. Rose.
- Sr Rose will be responsible for dispersing monies to the teacher’s on payday. Teachers will sign when receiving funds.
- Any portion of salaries not sponsored by donors, will be the responsibility of Byana Mary Hill.
- No sponsorship monies will be used for any other purpose than the salary of the specified teacher’s salary, unless otherwise determined by the sponsor (i.e.: additional monies sent)
QUARTERLY REPORTS: - The Durango Chapter of the Ssejinja Foundation requires an accountability report on funds received by teachers (one column = amounts received from sponsors and, 2nd column = balance of salary paid by Byana Mary Hill.
- Before this document is sent to me it will require 4 final signatures:
1) Sr Rose (receives and administers the funds)
2) Albino Kimbowa (overseer and project administrator making sure the balance of salaries are paid)
3) Anatoli Sentamu (Director of the School).
*****The purpose of this is "transparent accountability" defined by U.S. regulations for non-profits, sponsor satisfaction and for us (you, Sr. Rose, the teachers, Mr. Sentamu and Ssejinja Foundation) - to know that we are all in agreement and "working from the same page.”
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