Buiga Sunrise
Monthly Update April / May
Welcome to the Buiga Sunrise website where we post our monthly updates. Come in, take a look around, and read about all the good things that are happening. And don't forget to check out our photo gallery and visit our child of the month!
If you would like to learn more about Buiga Sunrise, or if you would like to make a donation please visit our main website at
Community Program
Our chicken barn is now complete!
Our chicken barn will house 200 special breed chickens. These chickens are "layers" that produce high quantities of eggs.
Our students are so excited for the chickens to grow so they can enjoy fresh eggs every day. This is such a treat ~ most people in the village can not afford meat or eggs.
We have bought the first 100 chicks. When these chicks mature we will buy the next 100.
Our chicks must stay in the barn to protect them from local diseases such as Newcastle Disease, IB, Gomboro, fowl typhoid and fowl pox. The chicks will be fully immunized by three months and will receive regular deworming tablets and vitamin A to keep them healthy
This is the house that we built for our chicken caretaker - Milly. She is the mother of one of our students - Kato Charles. Her daughter Babirye graduated from Sunrise last year.
Many, many thanks to Petland, pet store in Lethbridge Alberta, Canada. Their fundraiser helped us build the chicken barn and purchase the chicks.
Special thanks to Allan, Angela and all the Petland employees and customers. Those nickels and quarters really add up and here is the result! Your spare change will feed sixty children and help Buiga Sunrise become more self sustaining. The income generated from selling our extra eggs will be directed back to the preschool!
Here is Milly with the chicks. She has taken such great care of them, even keeping them in her house when they were tiny and needed constant supervision. She had a paraffin lamp to keep them warm and watched so they didn't fall in their water and drown. She has also vaccinated them for Newcastle disease and IB. Thanks to Milly's hard work all 100 chicks have survived and are thriving!
June / July Update
Wow, what a fantastic two months for Buiga Sunrise!!!
Our first bit of good news is about a very generous donation from our friends at Technip Italy. Their gift of Five Thousand Euros will go a long, long way to helping the children of Banda. We plan to use part of the money to buy material for uniforms and shoes for little feet. The rest will be used to maintain our goat program and health clinic. Each month has a been a struggle to stretch our budget and make ends meet. Technip Italy's donation has ensured that our clinic will be well stocked and our goats will be properly cared for. The children and families thank Technip Italy for enabling us to continue to provide these services. Webale nnyo, nnyo...
Secondly, we are very happy to announce that the First Annual Buiga Sunrise Golf Tournament raised $4,700 thanks to the generous support of our golfers and sponsors! It was a fun afternoon and 100% of proceeds have been donated to the preschool. So here's a huge thank you and a great big hug to Kyla Van Seters, whose hard work and organization made this day a BIG success! The tournament did so well that we plan to make it a yearly event.
We'd like to give a very warm welcome to our new friends, , Michelle, Albert & Family, Maia & Elaine, George & Grietge & Harry, Penny & Family and John & Kathleen & their 5 grandsons. Thank you for opening your hearts and choosing to sponsor children from Buiga Sunrise. Thanks to your kindness they will receive the food, medicine and schooling they need to grow and develop healthily. These things should be every child's right, but sadly many children are without these basic necesseties. Your support is giving the children of Buiga Sunrise the chance for a brighter future!
As you can see we've had a fabulous two months! Don't forget to visit our student of the month page and meet Francis - he's such a sweetie.....
Mille ringraziamenti ai nostri amici da Technip Italy! Come sempre siete bravi in tutto quello che fate, e la vostra donazione alla piccola comunità di Buiga Sunrise è apprezzata molto. Quotando Nelson Mandela: "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.” Speriamo che visititate l'Uganda per capire quanto ci state aiutando. A presto, amici...
PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO READ THE
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 UPDATE
August / September Update
October Special Update
Mulimutya bakwano (how are you, friends)? Greetings from Banda. We have lots of photos to share with you this month. Michael and his daughter Namikka visited Uganda in August and they spent lots of time at the preschool. Please read on to see what's been happening in our village.....
Our nurse, Lydia, has been very busy. People are spreading the news about the free clinic at Buiga Sunrise. Lydia has attended laboratory training classes and we are now able to offer free testing for malaria, syphlis and tuberculosis. It's very important that these diseases are properly identified so they can be treated with the appropriate medications. Often people try to self-medicate because they can not afford to go to a clinic. This can be very harmful and cause damage, especially to children.
This photo was taken at a monthly parent meeting. Our nurse is demonstrating how to properly use a mosquito net. All our students are given a free net when they start preschool, however it is necessary to remind parents that nets must be hung properly, holes must be repaired and the net retreated with insectide every 6 months.
One of Lydia's duties is to shave student's hair. People in the village generally shave their children's hair to treat ringworm, and prevent the spread of lice. Ringworm is highly contagious, difficult to get rid of and is treated with anti-fungal ointments.
This little boy was brought to the clinic with severe malnutrition. His little legs are tiny and underdeveloped. His tummy is swollen from parasites and he has a rash all over his body. He is so thin he has hollows under his eyes, yet he has such a bright smile.
The nurse took a series of photos that were very sad. I couldn't stop thinking about this little boy. What if it was my child? I showed the photos to one of our supporters and she offered to sponsor his family. A child should not be starving when we have so much.....
It took some time, but Silvia, our administrator found the boy and his mother living in a village several miles from Banda. The mother is nine months pregnant and the father was not with
the family. The little boy looked weak and had developed a large abcess. Silvia invited them to come and stay at the preschool in a spare room. Mother and child are receiving 3 meals a day and the nurse is tending to the little boy. We have invited them to attend our goat training program and their sponsor has offered to buy them a goat and the materials to build a goat shed. Little by little the boy's health is improving - we will keep you updated on his progress.
Here are some snapshots of the children in their classrooms. The yellow class, or the Sunshine Room, is for our younger students. The blue class, or the Rainbow Room, is for the older students who are ready to learn to read and write. The classrooms are filled with the children's art. They were so proud to show their work to "Father Michael" and Namikka.
This is Darius, a student in our Adult Learning Class. His wife is also attending classes and is involved in the Tailoring program. They have two daughters at Buiga Sunrise, Angel and Joanne.
Roger, our adult learning instructor, has expanded and started teaching additional classes in the neighbouring village of Kirondo. So far he has nine students but hopefully more people will start attending as they get organized. Attendance at the Sunrise class is good, with an average of 20 to 30 students.
Here is the Sunrise Team - we are lucky to have such a fabulous group working with us!
From Left to Right
Roger (front) - Adult Learning Instructor / Silvia's Assistant
Silvia (back / light purple shirt)- Administrator
Nalongo (front /white jacket) - Teacher Sunshine Class
Lydia (back / black shirt) - nurse
Milly Namugala (front / zebra shirt) - cook
Bonny ( far back) - veterinarian
Milly Nakagiri (white shirt) - Chicken caretaker & gardener
Mamma Kikawa (red jacket) - Teacher's Assistant
Jennifer (red shirt) - Teacher's Assistant
Gideon (back / white shirt) - Security / Maintenance
Noel (front with boy) - Teacher Rainbow Class
This is Milly feeding the chickens. They've grown a lot in the past month and are almost ready to start laying eggs.
When Michael took this photo all 100 chickens were healthy and doing well. Unfortunately there was an epidemic in the area and 66 of our chickens died despite immunizations and medication. We were luckier than many of the local people who lost all their chickens. Much of Mukono District has been affected.
We are in the process of building a wire fence around our barn to protect our chickens from further infections. The local chickens are allowed to roam freely and diseases are easily spread. When the fence is complete we will replace the chickens we lost.
The garden is doing well, we've been harvesting fruits and vegetables to supplement the children's meals. On the left are some banana trees and on the right is a boy enjoying a freshly picked carrot. Michael arranged for 100 bags of cow manure to be delivered in order to enrich the soil and increase yields. Our local friend, Joshua, has kindly volunteered his time to teach Silvia, Roger and Milly about organic farming. We will use our garden to demonstrate responsible, sustainable agricultural methods.
What a cute photo - three students with the preschool goats. The black goat gave birth to a kid, but sadly dogs broke the fence and the offspring was killed. Both goats are pregnant again and we are hoping for a pair of twins.
This is Rick - our male goat and proud father of all the Buiga Goat offspring. He's been a good breeder but our veterinarian has suggested it's time to replace Rick - lately he's been suffering from low libido. I guess Rick's job has been too demanding. It's time for him to retire. Bonny, our vet, is looking for a new male goat to take over Rick's duties.
Here is Derrick ( in the blue sweater) and his sister with their Sunrise goat. Derrick graduated from Sunrise last year and is now attending primary school in the village of Kisoga. Derrick's mother participated in our training program and received a goat prior to his graduation. Money earned from the goat is used to pay for Derrick's school fees. Derrick is happy at school and his goat is healthy and content.
Our newest initiative is to organize the Sunrise mothers and create a Sewing Circle. The ladies from our tailoring class sent samples of their work home with Michael, so I could determine their skill level. Our idea is to create unique, high quality products and then find a means of marketing them to tourists in Kampala.
I'm going to Uganda in November - one of my goals is to get this project started. By helping our mothers gain an income we also help them become more independent and increase their ability to create positive changes for themselves, their families and the community.
The big event at Buiga Sunrrise this year was the first annual Arts and Sports Day. The Sunrise staff, students and parents all put a big effort into preparing for this special day. The objectives of the day were to celebrate, raise school spirit and educate the people of Banda. The parents, students and teachers divided themselves into two teams called "Houses" - they named themselves "Mugerwa House" and "Sentongo House". Each House competed in contests and scores were kept for each event. The events were divided into categories of Music, Dance, Sports and Drama. Below are some photos of the various events.
The Arts and Sports Day was open to everyone in the village. Over 200 people attended and everyone enjoyed the contests and entertainment. The theme this year was "Why is There Poverty in Africa" and "How We Can Eradicate Poverty" .
The drama events depicted men and women in the village feeling hopeless. Everywhere they look they see poverty - in the garden, in their place of work, in the school, in the church .... no clothes, no food, no school fees.
The musical presentations sang aboout hope and ways to overcome poverty by educating the children, creating plantation farms, becoming involved in local council, and practicing family planning.
Here are the children engaged in a spelling competition. They worked very hard to prepare for this day and began practicing in February. After the competition the students appealed to the families of Banda to please send their children to school.
This was a fun event - a water relay. The children of Mugerwa House and Sentongo house raced from one end of the verandah to the other, filling empty bottles with water from a bucket. The first team to fill their soda bottle was the winner!
After the children's relay the parents challenged the teachers to a water race. The crowd cheered them on and everyone was laughing. The teachers won this event much to the delight of their students.
The main sporting event was a soccer game between the parents and Sunrise staff. It was a competitive game and everyone played hard - Silvia, our administrator was so enthusiastic she almost broke her ankle! A good time was had by all...
Another entertaining competition was the tire race - the tires are almost as big as the children!
The children all lined up at the end of the day to receive a special gift. Namikka (in the pink pants) distributed little toy cars and Winnie the Pooh writing sets.
When the scores were added up Sentongo House had 726 points and Mugerwa house came out the winner with 945. A small cash prize was awarded to the children of Mugerwa house.
The students were all very happy with their prizes and gathered to show off their new toys. It's so nice to see their smiles - they appreciate the gifts so much.
Before Michael left he gave Silvia money to purchase two goats for a little party. The children had so much fun roasting the meat and having a bonfire. They also went to the garden and collected maize for their meal. The children of Mugerwa House decided to share their cash prize (awarded at the Sports Day) and bought everyone a soda pop. How sweet!
Here are the children posing for a group photo - they wanted to show you the corn they planted, harvested and roasted for their party. They're waving to you and sending you best wishes and smiles from Buiga Sunrise! Until next month - Take Care!
I asked Nakyanzi Jane (the mother of the malnourished boy in the August Update) to please share her story with us. I thought it was important for our sponsors to understand how poverty affects so many people, especially women and children. We are all citizens of this world and it is our reponsibilty to care for one another. Please try to imagine life if you were standing in her shoes.
Nkyanzi is 28 years old, she has two children from two different husbands and she is expecting her third child. Her father died when she was young and the family was left to care for themselves. Nkyanzi was her father's only child and he left her a small piece of land
Nkyanzi did not attend school and she married as a young teenager. After she was married she discovered her husband smoked marijuana and was abusive. She
Nkyanzi did not attend school and she married as a young teenager. After she was married she discovered her husband smoked marijuana and was abusive. She
Nkyanzi moved to a village several miles away and married her present husband who is the father of Joel Kamya, the boy in the photo. Nkyanzi soon discovered that her new husband has other wives and many children. He does not have a job and does not support any of them.
Nkyanzi has a small piece of land that was left to her by her father. There is no house on the land and her husband has not constructed a hut for the family. They have planted some potatoes and vegetables but it isn't enough to subsist. The husband sometimes burns wood to make charcoal for sale.
Nkyanzi and her husband have beeen staying with an elderly lady. She takes care of the woman and in return she recieves shelter. The elderly lady is also poor so they have little to eat. Nkyanzi developed boils on her breast when Joel was 12 months old and she could not continue breast feeding. Because of the lack of money Joel could not be properly weaned and was fed a diet of only potatoes and casava.
When Joel was nursing he was healthy and developing properly. He was crawling and reaching for objects. When he stopped nursing the poor diet caused him to lag behind. He could no longer crawl, or even sit up. He wanted to play and walk and crawl but he was too weak. His mother was very worried about him but could not afford to bring him to the clinic or the hospital. She could not even afford to buy him milk. Then Nkyanzi went to a burial ceremony in the village and heard about Buiga Sunrise. The next day she brought him to see our nurse.
Silvia, the administrator from Buiga Sunriose sent me photos of Joel and his mother. When I saw his picture I noticed his beautiful smile and his bright eyes. I thought of my little girl and I wanted to do something for Joel. I sent his photo to a sponsor and she decided to make a donation to help the family. I contacted Silvia and she invited Nkyanzi to come and stay at the preschool . Nkyanzi accepted the invitation and brough her son for medical attention. The nurse made a bed for them in a spare storage room and has been tending to Joel. The Sunrise teachers and parents brought clothing and bits of nutritous food to share with Nkyanzi and Joel. Joel only had one little piece of cloth and his mother an old dress. People are helping as much as they can, even if they don't have a lot for themselves.
With proper food and attention Joel is slowly improving. It has been 3 weeks and he is now able to sit, turn around and play. His skin colour is improving and his abscess has healed. Joel has an excellent appetite and eats everything. He likes his food so much he cries if someone touches it before he is finished. He is a very happy boy and loves to smile. He is interested in all the children and activity around him.
Joels's mother has been recieving instruction from our veterenarian regarding the proper care and handling of goats. Nakyanzi has also been helping care for the preschool goats. When she learnes all the appropriate information her sponsor will give her the funds to construct her own goat shed. Nkyanzi still has the piece of land left to her by her father. Once the shed is complete her sponsor will purchase two goats and with time Nkyanzi will be able to build up a small herd. Joel and the new baby will also have lots of fresh, nutritous milk. Until then they will stay with the elderly lady whose hut is on the edge of their land.
And the last bit of good news....Nkyanzi's elest daughter will be a new student at Buiga Sunrise. She is 4 years old and will start classes in January. Although Nkyanzi's village is quite far from Buiga Sunrise, the eldest daughter is staying with the grandmother in the nearby village of Kirondo. The grandmother has agreed to take the girl to school everyday. The girl came for an interview with our administrator and she is so happy to be starting school!
Nakyanzi Jane with her son Joel Kamya
November & December Update
Happy Holidays! Everyone at Buiga Sunrise is wishing you peace, love and good health. Your support has helped Sunrise grow into a community program that is an important part of many lives. I just returned from Banda and was so impressed with what we have achieved so far. We might be just a drop in the ocean, but our contributions ore certainly helping. Thank you all for being a part of our vision!
Here are some photos from my trip that I'd like to share with you. I have so many photos - it was difficult to choose just a few ... a picture is worth a thousand words. So, please take a look and see how your donations have been used in the past year. I hope you are happy with the results!
Here are some photos from my trip that I'd like to share with you. I have so many photos - it was difficult to choose just a few ... a picture is worth a thousand words. So, please take a look and see how your donations have been used in the past year. I hope you are happy with the results!
had one child with him and then decided to leave. She took the baby and went back to her mother's house. Nkyanzi was unable to care for her daughter so she left her with the grandmother and went to look for work.
A bulletin board displaying a class project. The children learn about health, nutrition and the five food groups.
An art project from class B. The children learn about friendship, sharing and helping.
Here the students are enjoying free play time. All the puzzles, blocks and toys were donated in 2005, when the preschool opened. The children love having the opportunity to explore and play together. We thinks it's important for children to have time to develop their individual interests and imaginations. It is also a wonderful time to teach important values such as sharing and cooperation.
The clinic is always busy and I met with a wide variety of patients that came for many different reasons - from deworming to diaper rash, from septic infections to malaria. I saw a child with a severe allergic reaction from touching a caterpillar - his hands and face were swollen and covered in hives. There were also children with measles and mumps. Everyday the nurse had patients waiting outside her door.
The woman in this photo is nearly 100 years old and is well known in the village. Her great grandaughter walked several miles with her to the clinic. Jaja (the Luganda name for grandmother) was complaining of chest pains and suffering from dehydration - her tongue was so swollen she could not swallow. She told us there was no food in the house because her son was sick and unable to work. I asked if she had anyone to take care of her but all her other children died many years ago. She takes care of several grandchildren, but they are too young to work. The nurse gave her a saline drip and some food to take home until her son was healthy enough to find work.
The woman in this photo is nearly 100 years old and is well known in the village. Her great grandaughter walked several miles with her to the clinic. Jaja (the Luganda name for grandmother) was complaining of chest pains and suffering from dehydration - her tongue was so swollen she could not swallow. She told us there was no food in the house because her son was sick and unable to work. I asked if she had anyone to take care of her but all her other children died many years ago. She takes care of several grandchildren, but they are too young to work. The nurse gave her a saline drip and some food to take home until her son was healthy enough to find work.
Buiga Sunrise organizes a monthly immunization clinic for all the children in the surrounding area. Kyetume Community Health Center (a government funded clinic) sends nurses and vaccines (left photo). The nurses from Kyetume give the children a general health check, vitamin A tablets to prevent blindness (middle photo) and weigh the babies to make sure they are developing properly (right photo). Information is recorded on individual health cards which are given to the mothers. Parents bring their mosquito nets to be treated with pesticide (bottom right). Nets are dipped in a solution, taken home where they are spread in the shade to dry, and then hung above the bed. Treated nets are the most effective way to prevent the spread of malaria.
While
I was in Uganda I met with the director of Kyetume Community Health Center and we
worked out an agreement for 2008. We decided that the Nurse from Buiga Sunrise will be trained to take over the responsibilities of the monthly
immunization clinic. She will pick up the vaccines, immunize the
children and keep all the necessary records. The nurse will also be
trained to do blood tests for HIV / AIDS and attend classes to learn
how to counsel people about the necessity of testing and how to
deliver the results when someone is positive. She will also learn how to help people connect with a support network if they
do test positve. All training will be given free of charge by our friends at Kyetume Health Center.
The goat program has grown nicely in the last year. I visited several families whose goats have successfully borne kids. The female offspring will soon be ready to reproduce and we need a new male goat. Our veterinarian has advised that we buy one new male and hire a second for breeding. We looked at several pure breed dairy goats - above left is a photo of one of the males.
Before leaving for Uganda one of our sponsors gave me a donation to purchase four goats. She wanted me to make up information packages so she could give them to her friends as Christmas presents. I thought this was a wonderful idea for a gift. While I was in Uganda I purchased the 4 goats and took some photos.. Above (middle and right) are photos of one of our students and his mother recieving their goat. Jonan was so proud of his goat that he wanted to show it to everyone. He has been talking about his goat for so long, eagerly waiting for it and promising to cut the grass to feed it.
There has been a lot of interest in the goat program so we have decided to expand the program and give people the opportunity to donate a goat. We have a long list of parents who have attended the training classes, built their goat sheds, planted the fodder and are now awaiting their goats. For a donation of $50 you can give a family the gift of self sufficiency. We will send you information about the family and a photo of them receiving their goat. I will update our main website with more information. If you are interested please send me an email to nicole@buiga-sunrise.org, and I will gladly give you more details.
B
Before leaving for Uganda one of our sponsors gave me a donation to purchase four goats. She wanted me to make up information packages so she could give them to her friends as Christmas presents. I thought this was a wonderful idea for a gift. While I was in Uganda I purchased the 4 goats and took some photos.. Above (middle and right) are photos of one of our students and his mother recieving their goat. Jonan was so proud of his goat that he wanted to show it to everyone. He has been talking about his goat for so long, eagerly waiting for it and promising to cut the grass to feed it.
There has been a lot of interest in the goat program so we have decided to expand the program and give people the opportunity to donate a goat. We have a long list of parents who have attended the training classes, built their goat sheds, planted the fodder and are now awaiting their goats. For a donation of $50 you can give a family the gift of self sufficiency. We will send you information about the family and a photo of them receiving their goat. I will update our main website with more information. If you are interested please send me an email to nicole@buiga-sunrise.org, and I will gladly give you more details.
B
December 4 was the last day of preschool. At the end of the year we registered 20 new students to replace the 20 graduates.
Here are some photos of registration day. Students are selected based on their need and their parents willingness to be involved in the preschool. We give priority to single parents and orphans. Parents are also expected to volunteer in the classroom six times per year and attend monthly meetings. Involvement in the goat program, family planning program and adult education classes is optional
Here are some photos of registration day. Students are selected based on their need and their parents willingness to be involved in the preschool. We give priority to single parents and orphans. Parents are also expected to volunteer in the classroom six times per year and attend monthly meetings. Involvement in the goat program, family planning program and adult education classes is optional
Above Left - Parents lined up outside the office to register their children. We can only take in 20 new students per year, but many more parents come hoping for an extra space.
Above Right - A mother answering questions for our registraton form. Her daughter is one of our new students and dressed up in her best Sunday dress.
Above Right - A mother answering questions for our registraton form. Her daughter is one of our new students and dressed up in her best Sunday dress.
Above - Nalongo and Roger (teachers) are helping a new student make a handprint to send to her sponsor. Each lucky child at Sunrise has a sponsor that pays $15 per month so he or she can go to school.
Right - This father is one of the parents that came in the hope of finding an extra space. Two of our former students moved away so we had two extra openings. There are very few men involved with Buiga Sunrise - traditionally childcare is left to the mother. This man is a single father and brought his daughter and the daughter of his brother. His brother is mentally ill, and unable to care for the girl. The brother is caring for her in addition to his own children.
Right - This father is one of the parents that came in the hope of finding an extra space. Two of our former students moved away so we had two extra openings. There are very few men involved with Buiga Sunrise - traditionally childcare is left to the mother. This man is a single father and brought his daughter and the daughter of his brother. His brother is mentally ill, and unable to care for the girl. The brother is caring for her in addition to his own children.
When our students graduate we encourage them to visit us at Sunrise - who knows where they will be in 10 years time!? Sunrise is a community program - we don't want to close the door when our children move on to primary school. We want to be there to watch them succeed!
I went with Noel (our head teacher) to visit the former Sunrise students at their new schools. We had 21 students graduate in 2005 and 20 in 2006. Of those 41 students, 35 are still in school. One child, Trevah succumbed to malaria and passed away, the other five children have dropped out of school as their families can not afford the fees. I met with these parents and we are trying to help them raise tuition funds by getting the families more involved with the goat program.
Above is a photo of a school called Rasta Model. Several of our students, including Daudi, Uniset and Halima attend classes there. Daudi (photo right) was the top student of 40 children in primary class one. I reviewed his school work - he has extremely neat writing and excels in maths. Daudi loves school and is a straight A student - Congratulations to Daudi!
I went with Noel (our head teacher) to visit the former Sunrise students at their new schools. We had 21 students graduate in 2005 and 20 in 2006. Of those 41 students, 35 are still in school. One child, Trevah succumbed to malaria and passed away, the other five children have dropped out of school as their families can not afford the fees. I met with these parents and we are trying to help them raise tuition funds by getting the families more involved with the goat program.
Above is a photo of a school called Rasta Model. Several of our students, including Daudi, Uniset and Halima attend classes there. Daudi (photo right) was the top student of 40 children in primary class one. I reviewed his school work - he has extremely neat writing and excels in maths. Daudi loves school and is a straight A student - Congratulations to Daudi!
Above Left - Sunrise graduates at their school near the village of Kisoga. These children walk 5 miles to and from school every day.
Above Right - We have two Sunrise graduates at this school in the village of Kirondo. School fees are cheapest here but the students have no desks and few books. There are only two teachers but they are doing their best to give the children an education.
Above Right - We have two Sunrise graduates at this school in the village of Kirondo. School fees are cheapest here but the students have no desks and few books. There are only two teachers but they are doing their best to give the children an education.
These two Sunrise graduate girls were very happy to have visitors and show us around their school. The other students gave us a warm welcome and followed us on our tour.
Both girls are achieving good grades and showed me their work. They can spell, write and even do multiplication and division.
Both girls are achieving good grades and showed me their work. They can spell, write and even do multiplication and division.
Many of the Sunrise mothers are talented traditional artisans. They weave beautiful baskets, hats, purses and mats. Sunrise has started working with the mothers to form a program to help them market their products. We have hired an instructor who is skilled in weaving and beadworking to teach new techniques. The ladies in our tailoring class are also working to improve their sewing skills so they can make skirts, shirts, dresses, trousers, hats, handbags, and baby clothing. We hope to create a line of quality crafts that can be sold for a fair price to tourists. I would also like to purchase items and list them for sale on our website. We will keep you informed as the Sunrise Artisan Circle develops.
Roger, our adult education instructor, has been doing such a great job that people have requested additional classes. This photo was taken in a church in the village of Kirondo where Roger has started teaching classes 3 days per week, in addition to classes at Buiga Sunrise.
Students are learning very quickly and they want to continue their studies. Roger has contacted the local council and has made arrangments to attend training classes to become a government-certified adult education instructor. He will then be given a government isssued syllabus and be qualified to give government tests. There are three levels in adult education and if students pass the exams they recieve a certificate for each level.
Students are learning very quickly and they want to continue their studies. Roger has contacted the local council and has made arrangments to attend training classes to become a government-certified adult education instructor. He will then be given a government isssued syllabus and be qualified to give government tests. There are three levels in adult education and if students pass the exams they recieve a certificate for each level.
December 4 was the Sunrise Graduation Ceremony. All the students were involved in decorating and setting up for the party. Both classes did presentations, dances and skits. Everyone in the village was invited to attend the festivities. The theme was education and the children had a chance to show off everything they've learned at preschool. After the ceremony there was cake, samosas, popcorn and soda.
Some of the parents from the tailoring program and adult education class have formed a dance troupe. In this photo they are performing an interpretative dance to relay a message about sanitation. The women mimed drinking water from the stream and then becoming sick. Each woman showed a different symptom - vomiting, lameness, loss of vision and fever. Each woman danced to the "doctor" who gave her a shot and a warning to boil water.
Dance is traditionally a very important part of Ugandan culture. Interpretative dancing is an excellent way to reach out to the community. Posters, meetings, and lectures are sometimes not enough. After the ladies finished their dance everyone stood up and applauded. People were laughing and discusssing what they had just seen.
Dance is traditionally a very important part of Ugandan culture. Interpretative dancing is an excellent way to reach out to the community. Posters, meetings, and lectures are sometimes not enough. After the ladies finished their dance everyone stood up and applauded. People were laughing and discusssing what they had just seen.
Above - The dance troupe performing a traditional dance. It's really amazing to watch this - I wish you all could have been there!
Above - Parents, children and community members enjoying the performance.
Every year the children look forward to graduation. It's a special day for everyone, but the best part of the day is when the children receive their gifts. All the smiles!!
The Sunrise kids would like to send a great big hug to Angela, Ryan and Hailey for sending each of them a toy to treasure. Thank you again - it makes the children so happy!
The Sunrise kids would like to send a great big hug to Angela, Ryan and Hailey for sending each of them a toy to treasure. Thank you again - it makes the children so happy!
Some random photos. Everyone likes to pose for the camera!
Some students relaxing after school when they've changed out of their uniforms.
This boy is one of the new students registered for 2008. He found the swings and was having a great time
A girl babysitting her little brother and giving him a ride.
This is Dan. He has Downs Syndrome. He enjoys coming to the school and helping out - he comes almost every day. He just had his hair cut by the school nurse and asked me to take his photo.
Students playing on a pile of old tires that were given to the school. You might not think this is great playground equipment but the children love it!
Special Update
While I was in the village I made arrangments to meet with Nkyanzi and Joel (the boy from the October update). Unfortunately Joel's father passed away and they were attending the burial ceremony in his native village. When Nkyanzi returned to Banda she went to live with her mother and I visited them there.
Joel's health has improved - his hair is no longer brown and the rashes have healed. He is still very small and thin and has not developed the strength to crawl - yet he seems very alert and bright.
On the far right is a photo of the grandmother with Joel
on her back. Joel had malaria and had to be carried to the village. His mother was too pregnant to walk so his grandmother brought him instead.Joel's health has improved - his hair is no longer brown and the rashes have healed. He is still very small and thin and has not developed the strength to crawl - yet he seems very alert and bright.
On the far right is a photo of the grandmother with Joel
Now that Nkyanzi does not have a husband it will be even more difficult for her to find food and the basic necessities. She was 9 months pregnant when I met her and has since delivered the baby. She now has three children to take care of and only her mother to support her. Her mother has a small house and a garden with some banana trees and sweet potatoes, but also has two sons (Nkyanzi's younger brothers) to feed. The boys help in the garden, but do not attend school because there is no money for school fees.
Buiga Sunrise is helping the family by getting them involved with our goat program. As soon as Nkyanzi and the grandmother finish goat training lessons (which begin in February) they will receive two goats which will be donated by their sponsor. Their sponsor also gave me funds to buy them five chickens so they can have fresh eggs. We've also made arrangments for Nkyanzi to pick up one liter of milk every day from a local farmer and Sunrise will pay the monthly bill. It's important that Joel receives proper nutrition so he can start growing and developing. In one year he'll be old enough to start coming to Sunrise where he will receive lots of care and attention to help him catch up with his peers.
Buiga Sunrise is helping the family by getting them involved with our goat program. As soon as Nkyanzi and the grandmother finish goat training lessons (which begin in February) they will receive two goats which will be donated by their sponsor. Their sponsor also gave me funds to buy them five chickens so they can have fresh eggs. We've also made arrangments for Nkyanzi to pick up one liter of milk every day from a local farmer and Sunrise will pay the monthly bill. It's important that Joel receives proper nutrition so he can start growing and developing. In one year he'll be old enough to start coming to Sunrise where he will receive lots of care and attention to help him catch up with his peers.
This is Babirye (photo right). She is the sister of Francis Mwangu (see the child of the month page).
Babirye has a terrible wound on her bottom that has been there since she was born. She is now two years old and the wound is getting worse. Her parents brought her to a doctor and he advised that they take her to the hospital, suspecting that the wound is cancerous. Babirye's parents can not afford the $50 to test her for cancer or the hundreds of dollars that treatment will cost (the father earns $1 per day as a herdsman). They brought her to Sunrise and requested that we find someone to help her.
Babirye has a terrible wound on her bottom that has been there since she was born. She is now two years old and the wound is getting worse. Her parents brought her to a doctor and he advised that they take her to the hospital, suspecting that the wound is cancerous. Babirye's parents can not afford the $50 to test her for cancer or the hundreds of dollars that treatment will cost (the father earns $1 per day as a herdsman). They brought her to Sunrise and requested that we find someone to help her.
Above is a picture of Babirye's father, her twin brother
Kato and her older brother who is a Sunrise graduate. They are
standing in front of their house. I went to visit them with the good news
that we had found a sponsor. The father informed me that medical relief workers came to the village looking for people who were too poor, too young or too old to see a doctor. They saw Babirye and took her to a clinic in another town. The mother went with the aid workers and the father stayed with the children. We asked the name of the clinic and the Sunrise nurse went to look for them. She found them in a small clinic but they had not yet seen a doctor in 10 days. Our nurse made arrangments to take Babirye to Mulago Hospital in Kampala where they took skin samples for testing. Babirye and her mother then returned to the clinic where she at least had a clean bed. She was discharged from the clinic several days later without a diagnosis or a referral.
The test results from Mulago Hospital came back 2 weeks ago. The wound is cancerous (from skin cancer) and they need to operate. Babirye is on a waiting list and should be in surgery within a few weeks. Babirye's sponsor has generously agreed to pay for all the costs. It is impossible for her parents to pay for the treatment - without intervention, Babirye will die. Being a mother myself, I couldn't imagine watching my child suffer. For a few hundred dollars, her sponsor has given her a chance. The operation is still risky, so please think of Babirye and hope that the surgery and recovery will be successful. She's a strong little girl.
The test results from Mulago Hospital came back 2 weeks ago. The wound is cancerous (from skin cancer) and they need to operate. Babirye is on a waiting list and should be in surgery within a few weeks. Babirye's sponsor has generously agreed to pay for all the costs. It is impossible for her parents to pay for the treatment - without intervention, Babirye will die. Being a mother myself, I couldn't imagine watching my child suffer. For a few hundred dollars, her sponsor has given her a chance. The operation is still risky, so please think of Babirye and hope that the surgery and recovery will be successful. She's a strong little girl.
We are very happy to welcome Sido from Holland - he is volunteering at Sunrise for two months. Sido arrived just after the new year and is organizing a Buiga Sunrise Football Club for the teenage boys of Banda village. Sido is an avid soccer fan and worked with his friends and family to have 30 soccer uniforms donated. The boys have cleared a field and have been practicing for several months in anticipation of his arrival. Soccer is very popular in Uganda and having their own team will create a great sense of community pride in Banda. Many thanks to Sido for all of his enthusiasm and energy in bringing this wonderful initiative to our village! We will ask Sido to send us more information and photos for the January 2008 update.
