Melody Russell - Teacher-Exchange - Gulu, Uganda

Beautiful Acholi Dances

2009-08-11T02:57:00.000-07:00

One of the most special evenings spent in Uganda was one I hadn't been expecting. One afternoon as I was heading into town I was told that I boy was waiting outside to see Blake. This was how I met Francis, who was a student of Blake's last summer when he taught at Awere SS. After I called Blake for Francis, he asked me it I had had the opportunity to see any traditional Acoli dances yet. I admitted that unfortunately I had not had the chance.

Francis said that he really wanted me to see the dances so that I could tell everyone at home about them. He said he would organise the dancing if I told him when I could come. This was the final week which was packed with activities, but I suggested that some of us could probably go on Wednesday night. He checked his exam schedule and said that he thought it would work. The next day he was at the gate to confirm he would pick us up on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.

As promised, he was prompt (even early). Blake, Michelle, Francis, and I set off on our bodas (motorcycle taxis) with Francis leading the way. We drove through back roads and then we were driving on a narrow path through tall grass, we had to pass between some very large cattle. We had no idea where we were going. We had all assumed that Francis had organised some of his friends to dance near the school. The boda ride took almost half an hour when we pulled into a very small village and saw approximately 30 people ranging in age from 6 to 20 ready to dance. There were three woven chairs set out for us.

I asked Francis how he knew all these people and he told us that this was his clan. I can even really describe what an incredible experience it was. Others from the community joined us in watching the dances. Children who were too young, as well as elderly members of the community danced off to the side of the performers. We were treated to four dances:

Dingi Dingi - young women's dance
Laraka raka - courtship dance, where the men use toy axes to draw the women closer.
Bwola - the dance to honour royalty
I don't remember the name of the last dance, but I will get it from Blake

The performance lasted over an hour and the sun set as they danced. Afterwards everyone gathered around for our reaction. Then we were each served a bottle of soda.

We had to leave rather quickly as it was getting dark and the path was not exactly easy for the boda drivers, who had stayed with us for the whole time.

The experience though was just so special. I so appreciate Francis for arranging it and sharing his culture with us in such a powerful way.

Feel free to check out my facebook album for other photos: Beautiful Acoli Dances

Last few days in Gulu

2009-08-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

I'm am sorry I've fallen so far behind. I have many posts in the works.
Hanging out in Gulu
Acoli dances
Odong Robert Oryema, my partner teacher
The boys of Layibi
and thoughts on aid.

For now I am just enjoying the final moments with people I've met in Gulu. We leave Gulu on Saturday morning. That night we will stay at Jinja (the source of the nile) and Sunday night we are in Kampala. Monday night: airplane, Tuesday night: NYC, Wednesday night: Toronto!

Eeeeeek!

Safari at Murchison Falls

2009-07-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was our safari at Murchison Falls. On Friday night we went out in town to say good-bye to the group 2 Teacher-Exchange teachers (which means we are down to our final two weeks). Saturday morning instead of excitedly getting ready, we were trying to comfort the sick members of our group. A total of four people were feeling miserable. We passed around the immodium and advil and convinced them to still come for the trip.

To say the van drive was bumpy would be an underestimate for sure! At least I was not feeling sick before we set out. We stopped in Anaka to pick up the five teachers from our group who teach and live there. Anaka is a former Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. Since the conflict in the North ended (within the last couple of years), many people have left the camp and returned to their land. The school only recently relocated to their original site (within the past few months), having been displaced during the conflict due to sercurity concerns. Teaching in Anaka is certainly a different experience to teaching in Gulu, especially as compared to St. Joseph's Layibi College. I've included a few photos of the school (including temporary classrooms and the invisible children laboratory block). It was great to finally get the chance to see what it is like for the Anaka teachers.

We got back on the road and continued on to Murchison Falls. From the gate to the boat dock we saw elephants, giraffes, hartebeests, waterbuffallo, and more, all very close to the van. We were so excited! At the ferry dock, we protected our food from the babboons before boarding the boat. There were SO many hippos, nile crocodiles, waterbuffalo along the way. I was also excited to see the bee-eaters (birds) as it was African bee-eater habitats we worked to manage in Hungary on the Round Square environmental service project. The birds migrate to Hungary.

We had a lovely meal at Red Chilli's campsite and then went to bed early (wearing shower caps in case of lice) to avoid further illness. We were up before 6 am to get in line for the ferry in order to get out on the game drive when the animals were most active. It was a great game drive. We sat on the luggage rack on top of the vans and had a wonderful time. We even saw lions which are far from a guarantee. The last place we stopped was the delta where the white nile flows into Lake Albert. At this point, we were directly across the river from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It was sad to drop off the Anaka crowd on the way home but we will see them again next weekend.

For more photos of the safari follow this link to my facebook album: Murchison Safari Album

Physics is Phun!

2009-07-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

It is really hard to believe that I am wrapping up my first four weeks in Uganda -- just two weeks to go. However, it does mean that it has been long enough for the students to feel like they are getting to know me.

The senior 4 students are in exams now. They will write 3 papers for Physics, each one is over 2 hours long. One is a practical exam (lab exam). Robert has been busy this week to ensure that there is enough equipment for everybody. For this reason the class was split into three groups of 60 students and those 60 students were split between two classrooms. One classroom had equipment for the required mechanics lab and the other classroom had the materials for the optics and electricity labs, of which the students chose one. I was so impressed with their industriousness.

Because Robert has been so busy supervising exams, I have taught the last two senior five classes on my own (120 minutes yesterday and 80 minutes today). The senior five classes is comprised of more than 100 students. The photos on this page are of that class. As I mentioned, many students crowd at the very front of the classroom, so they are actually writing on the lab demonstration bench where I have my materials. Today I was 25 minutes late for class because it was raining and the bodas (motorcycle taxis) don't go when it is raining.

Typically, at the end of a lesson, a group of boys will come to the front with copies of questions from old exams and ask me to explain how they should be solved. It is so much fun, because since returning to Canada, I have only taught grade 11 Physics, and these questions cover topics from grade 12 and Advanced Placement Physics. Topics I really enjoy like torque and circular motion.

Yesterday when I walked out of the senior five class, there was a group of boys from senior four waiting with questions. We sat in the shade of a tree and reviews nuclear decay and standing waves. It was really fun. Seriously - even during summer vacation.

I had a challenging year this past year, where I had trouble getting through to some of the boys in my classes, especially in the grade 11 classes. It was very hard to watch really bright students seriously underacheive. Teaching a typically boy-friendly subject like Physics, I feel that it is very important not to alienate them. I have been listening to lectures by Dr. Michael Thompson (http://www.michaelthompson-phd.com/) on the matter. And I recently bought "The Minds of Boys" by Michael Gurian.

When I was first assigned St. Joseph's Layibi College, I was nervous about being in an all-boys' school. By the end of the school year at home, I was feeling better about the whole issue. It was especially nice that so many of the grade 12 boys seemed to enjoy talking with me about Science and life in general and also many of the grade 11 boys were achieving better results towards the end of the year. I left feeling optimistic about next year. This experience has further increased my confidence. The boys at Layibi seem to really enjoy Physics and often approach me with Physics or Math questions.

I just downloaded a video of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster to show them as an application of resonance. Now, I must head back to the school for the senior one vs staff football (soccer) game. Don't worry, I am not playing.

St. Jude's Children's Home

2009-07-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we visited St. Jude’s Children’s Home in Gulu. Children’s home is a more appropriate title than orphanage. In Uganda, a child is not only its parent’s child, but the whole family and community. Most children who have lost their parents due to the conflict, AIDS, or other causes are taken in by family or community members and raised as their own. In fact, often in a family, if someone has the means they will take over the care of their sibling’s children or at least their children’s school fees. Many of the people we have met are caring for or have cared for their nieces and nephews.

The children of St. Jude’s are there for many different reasons. Some are true orphans, they may have been discovered among the ruins of a village which had been raided, or for whatever reason, no family can be located. These children are in the minority. Most are there temporarily. Perhaps their mother died and their father is not currently able to care for them. Some children are there because their families are too large to be able to support all of the children and staying at St. Jude’s means that they get the opportunity to go to school. Some children are HIV positive and can be given proper medical care if the stay at St. Jude’s. There are currently 92 children at St. Jude’s with 8 “mothers”. One cannot adopt a Ugandan child unless they have lived in the country for at least three years.

Another amazing thing about St. Jude’s is their residence for families of children with serious disabilities. The homes allow the family to stay together while allowing access to proper care to serve the child’s needs.

We were really unsure of what to expect, or what was expected of us. We packed balls, and Frisbees, and I grabbed the bubbles I had brought with me. When we arrived, the children rushed over to the mutatu (van) with hands out-stretched. They were eager to play with us, hang out, and talk to us. Blake has been involved with the home for the past two summers and has taught a number of children about photography. Many wanted to use our cameras. Later the children sang and danced for us. It felt strange at the end of the visit just to say goodbye. I get the feeling that the children see a lot of bus loads of people who come and play with them for a while and then

drive away. I still think they are very happy to see anyone who will sit with them and listen even for a little while.

Summary of Goals

2009-07-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

One of the requirements of the Invisible Children Teacher Exchange Program is to produce a handbook as a record of the work we did together. It will serve as a reference for each of us in the future. I thought I would include the summary of our goals which appear at the beginning of the handbook. These are the goals that Robert and I determined would be valuable and also achieveable in the six weeks we have together. I want to thank everyone again for their donations which allowed me to be here working with Robert. We will work hard to ensure that your money was well-spent.

I have included a photo of all the teaching pairs from St. Joseph's Layibi College. Back Row: Sylvester, Blake, Edison, John Christopher Middle Row: Alfredo, Katie, Robert, Michelle Front Row: Brit, yours truly, Jennifer, and Raysa.

Summary of Goals

We will plan and present lessons together. Together we will examine lessons, evaluating multiple methods of solving a problem or presenting content. We consider the order of examples, working from simplest to most difficult. We ensure to describe solutions using general principles to improve student confidence in their ability to solve new problems. In presenting content we look for simple demonstrations which could be used, and simple real-life applications of the content.

We will work to produce an electronic copy of the ‘O’ level and ‘A’ Physics Teaching Syllabi. This will provide a document which can be easily updated when new syllabi are published on five year intervals.

For term three we will design a lab period or periods where students will rotate through six stations. Each station will contain enough materials and instructions for two individual groups to collect evidence and complete an analysis. By the end of the allotted periods, students will have completed six different labs. The labs will be selected from the syllabus or from previous exams. We will include additional questions to enhance the connection between the lab analysis and the concepts presented in class. The station approach allows many students to use the limited resources.

We will closely examine the resources available, including the digital science computer software provided by Cyber School Technology Solutions and the Ugandan Ministry of Education. We will discuss how best to make these resources available to students.

We will work to develop the necessary exams for term 2 and term 3. We will use the computer and printer available in the Physics office in order to prepare our own exams for photocopying, relieving some of the work from the office. It will also mean that electronic copies of exams are available for editing later, and encourage greater use of the available resources.

A flash drive has been left with Mr. Oryema. It contains copies of class notes, presentations, assignments, tests, and exams, in portable document format (.pdf) used by Ms. Russell in Canada. Additional resources include an electronic copy of the manual for the graphing calculator belonging to Mr. Oryema as well as copies of the questions, scoring guidelines, commentary, and student responses for Advanced Placement Physics B exams for 2003 through 2009 as produced by the College Board in the USA. The AP exams may be useful as they contain many questions similar in content as well as difficulty level to the Ugandan National Examination Board questions.

We will visit an internet cafe and explore how the internet can be used to find sample questions or additional resources for the teacher. We will create an email account for Mr. Oryema to facilitate continued sharing of resources beyond the dates of the teacher exchange.

We will contribute in a meaningful way to the round table discussions and research initiatives from Invisible Children. We will attend all round table meetings, arriving on time and prepared with the required materials. We will speak candidly when asked to share opinions and ideas. We will develop questions to be used in a survey of students regarding struggles in obtaining and maintaining education, balance of school life and outside responsibilities, plans beyond secondary school, and perceptions of economic value of university level education. We will then input the data into a spread sheet and analyse our findings.

A sanctuary not just for Rhinos

2009-07-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

With the first week behind us, the group 3 North American teachers went to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for the night. (http://www.rhinofund.org/). We left on Saturday morning after our book club. The 15 of us with our driver travelled three hours toward Kampala in a van designed to carry 14 passengers.

After lunch (served much later in Uganda than in Canada) we headed out to meet the rhinos. We drove into the sanctuary and then got off the truck to look for the rhinos on foot. We found three of them: two pregnant females and one male. At one point one of the females was within 10 m of us. The owner of the guesthouse suggested we back up slowly while the ranger said “Bela, go back. Go back Bela.” Surprisingly Bela the Rhino listened to the ranger.

The sanctuary has 7 of the 9 rhinos in Uganda. On the 24^th of June, one of the rhinos had a baby, which they named Obama. We didn’t get to go see the baby because his mother is very protective and thus aggressive. In 1986, there were no rhinos remaining in Uganda due to poaching. Two of the rhinos at Ziwa were donated by Disney and flown over from Florida and four others came from Kenya.

When we got back to the guest house, we grabbed water bottles and went for a short walk before sunset. The whole thing was so relaxing. We had dinner and people played guitar and sang around a bonfire. Before breakfast we walked out to a swamp but did not see the hippos or crocodiles that lived there. We were accompanied by Jesse, the sweetest dog ever.

On the way back to Gulu, the van stopped at the side of the road and our driver said that we had to pick up the conductor. Now we had 17 adults in a van with 15 seats. Needless to say we were very happy to get out of the van when we reached the IC house. Some people headed into town, others went to the pool at Acoli Inn, but I decided to stay in the quiet house and finish my novel, the first I’ve read since arriving.

In the evening I went to a cafe in town for dinner with one of the other teachers. While we were sitting there Jolly Okot, the Ugandan director of Invisible Children came in and talked to us for over an hour. She talked a little bit about how the war affected her family and her thoughts for the future. Blake and I left the cafe a little star-struck. Jolly is an IC celebrity.

A note to all my generous donors, you did not donate money to send me to a rhino sanctuary and on safari, those trips are optional and at additional cost.

Saint Joseph's College Layibi

2009-07-10T06:24:00.001-07:00

St. Joseph’s College Layibi (SJCL) is an all boys secondary school. In Uganda, secondary school consists of 4 years of ordinary levels (S.1 through S.4) and 2 years of advanced levels (S.5 and S.6). Students receive a national ‘O’ Level diploma at the end of senior 4. This diploma allows them to go on to vocational school and teachers’ college to become a primary teacher. If a student goes on to complete ‘A’ levels, they will be eligible for university. Their scores determine which programme they will follow. Students who receive above a certain threshold are given a government scholarship covering their university tuition at a public (vs. private) university. SJCL had seven S.6 students earn government sponsorship last year. The school is held in very high regard in the district.

There are 1200 boys at the school ranging in age from 12 to 25 years old. The reason for the presence of older students is that some students missed years of school due to the conflict or family obligations. SJCL is a boarding school, in fact all students are boarding. There are ‘O’ level and ‘A’ level dormitories. The campus is huge with blocks of classrooms, dormitories, an assembly hall, church, dining halls, and lots of green spaces. Students and teachers are often dragging chairs and desks out under the trees to study, plan, or mark in the shade.

In the ‘O’ levels, the class sizes are approximately 80 students. In ‘A’ levels, students have more choice in the courses. For example in S.5 there are 131 students who’ve chosen a Science programme and 38 who’ve chosen Arts. There are 108 students in the S.5 Physics class I teach with Robert.

The students are remarkably quiet in class. I guess they have to be. For S.5 the students line up at the door, some carrying chairs, and race in to sit as close to the front as possible. Generally the lesson involves a description of the concepts followed by dictation of notes and then some worked problems solved on the board. Students do not have text books so the dictation provides them with notes from which to study for their exams at the end of S.6.

The staff is primarily male. There are only 4 female teachers and 60 male teachers. Many of the teachers live in staff quarters. The quarters include a small plot of land where most grown corn to be dried and ground into flour. Classes run from 8 am until 4:30 pm but a full-time teaching load is 24 forty minute periods per week. At 10:40 am there is tea and corn or chipati for staff and porridge for students. Lunch is served at 1:50 pm (officially, although sometimes it is not actually served until 2:20 pm – 10 minutes before the end of the lunch period).

We are spoiled at SJLC. Most schools serve beans and posho (called Ugali in Kenya, a mixture of corn flour water – Blake says it could be describes as homemade playdough, but I think it is a little more granular than playdough). We have posho almost every day, but there is also rice or potatoes. When we are served beans they are mixed with cabbage. We are also sometimes served a ground nut stew (ground nut is similar to peanut), a spinach-like mixture with eggs, eggplant deliciousness, and once a week we are served meat (beef or goat). We are also given banana or pineapple for desert.

Overall, our school and teachers seem really excited to have us here and are very keen to work with us. The students are also remarkably hard-working. Even though the school is technically a public school, schools fees are quite high especially since boarding costs are not covered. The PTA raises funds to hire more teachers and supplement government teacher salaries, pay for maintenance and more. Families sacrifice a lot to educate their children and the students know it.

Just a side note, SJCL is one of few all boys schools, there is a sister all girls school called Sacred Heart. Most schools are co-ed.

“This ain’t no Elephant Graceland”

2009-07-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning we packed up all our things in preparation for moving from Elephant Graceland to the Invisible Children volunteer house. I then headed downstairs for some cramming before our bookclub discussion about “Song of Lawino” by an Acoli writer Okot p’Bitek. I am happy to have read and discussed the book as it is very important to the people of this region. At the conference we were discussing Chinua Achebe as one of the classes is currently reading “Anthills of the Savanah.” The teachers at the table asked if we had read “Song of Lawino” and it was so nice to be able to say yes! They were very pleased. I am hoping to pick up a copy of the pair of books “Song of Lawino” and “Song of Ocel” at a bookstore here before I leave.

After the bookclub, a woman named Molly came from the Awer camp with paper bead necklaces to sell. There is a group of approximately 30 women in the camp who make the necklaces. It was a very successful visit for their cooperative.

From there we moved into a discussion about the research we will be conducting with our partner teachers. At Layibi we are examining student life. We discussed research methods, data collection, and analysis. It was all very interesting for me because I have never done research. I am looking forward to all I will learn.

Finally we talked about what it meant to live in the house. This is when Amy, the teacher exchange coordinator made the statement above. Instead of single or double rooms including shower and toilet in each room, we would be living in a much more communal way. I am in a room with twelve beds – bunk beds, three levels high. There are three other multi bed rooms in the house. At the moment there are approximately 30 people staying there. There is one shower, although it does have hot water, which I have yet to enjoy. There is one toilet inside the house which is for pee only. There is an out door toilet for “not-pee” as well as two latrines which I have been advised against using unless there is no water.

We unpacked as quickly as possible before heading out for dinner at Boma restaurant. It was lovely. Five people from our group will be at an IDP camp during the week. The camps are actually being dismantled although some are choosing to stay as over the years, the camp has become home, and will remain as a town. We enjoyed our last night together but did not stay up late as the Layibi crowd had to get to school for 7:15 am. eeeek!

As for sleeping in a room with 11 other people, and next to a kitchen. . . I love ear plugs and eye blinders!

It has been almost a week in the house now, and I can say that it is a lot of fun. Not to mention the delicious food prepared by Doreen!

July 4th in Gulu

2009-07-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

The second day of the conference was July 4^th. Therefore our final dinner / party was also a July 4^th celebration. It was held at the Acholi Inn in the yard. There was a great feast and a dance party. There was line-dancing (see photo), a Michael Jackson montage, popular music from the area and lots more. When the Acoli music game over the speakers, many of our partner teachers tried to teach us Acoli dance moves. I don’t think we were completely hopeless.

One of the teachers from Layibi was SO moved by the whole event. He said that he just couldn’t believe the integration of ideas at the conference and the genuine way we were all integrating socially. After one of the Acoli songs, I thought he was going to tear up. He said he was so excited about the transformative experience ahead. I reminded him that it would be transformative for all of us. My partner teacher Odong Robert and his pal, another teacher John Christopher, had a rocking good time (photo at left). They were dancing and laughing so much.

At one point, the sparklers came out to great celebration. John Christopher kept saying “take my picture” with the sparkler, with the very tall teacher, with the cookie, with the brownie, dancing etc. At one point a man addressed the grouped. John Christopher and Odong Robert were so excited. He is the “president’s representative in Gulu district.” John Christopher of course instructed me to take his picture. Odong Robert said “If he is here, the security is good.” The politician chided us for not inviting him to the dance. Then he led a big congo line. I thought Odong Robert was going to lose his mind. Instead, he took a video of the dance with his telephone.

Some people paid the 7000 UGX (approximately $3.50) to go in the pool. All in all it was an amazing night filled with optimism and friendship.

Invisible Children Conference

2009-07-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

The IC conference was centered around advocacy and empowerment of teachers and students. We were welcomed by Jolly Okot, the country director of IC and Patrick Mduga, the program manager of the Schools for Schools initiative. Their opening message was to encourage a more positive societal attitude towards teachers, by first building confidence in pride in the teachers of Northern Uganda. Many teachers did not choose the profession but were instead assigned to it due to lower examination results. Part of the teacher exchange is to expose the partner teachers and the staff at the partner schools to teachers who are passionate about their job and feel that it is valuable. Jolly talked about an experience arriving at the airport in Dubai and seeing an escalator for the first time. How she was frightened and embarrassed at her ignorance. She emphasized how we learn best through experience.

On the first day of the conference, each participating school from the first two teacher exchange groups (I am group 3) presented on a variety of topics: improving economic standing of teachers, improving communication between students, teachers, administration, and families, meeting student needs given changing curriculum, using current resources to promote need for more resources, overcoming the hurdle of large classes, balancing personal and professional life, and managing with minimal contact hours. Each school presented on one topic, they would describe the issue and then present short term and long term solutions. At that point the issue was opened up to all member of the conference. I was struck at the degree of conversation, and number of solutions offered.

We would break off into small groups by school and discuss how each of the issues mentioned appeared at our individual schools. This was the first time our group met our partner teachers. There are six of us placed at St. Joseph’s Layibi College. Our partners were there as well as the director of studies. It was so exciting meeting them. Their energy is wonderful and they seemed to have an excellent sense of humour. Because it was our first day meeting, we ended the day with dinner at a fancy hotel. The conversation was easy and fun. We came home very optimistic about the next six weeks.

The second day of the conference was centered around empowerment of students. We participated in a fishbowl – observing students participating in workshops: basketball skills, drama, art, rapping, and hip-hop dance. The last three were fascillitated by the youth from the previously described Bavubuka All Stars in Kampala.

I was most fascinated by the art table. The students had never used paints or a paint brush before. The only art they had done involved paper and pencil. What completely blew me away were all the questions from teachers regarding the mixing of colours. They were watching Zuzu from Bavubuka mixing red and yellow to make orange and utterly amazed. She described how adding white could make it lighter, or adding blue would make it brown. Then a teacher asked how to make blue and she explained that blue is a primary colour. She explained that primary colours can be mixed to make other colours but cannot be made by mixing colours. I got goosebumps at the level of interest and excitement in the teachers and couldn’t help but think back to Jolly’s comment about the escalator in Dubai.

We met back with our school groups and talked about student programmes at our schools. We were regularly told by teachers at other schools that St. Joseph’s Layibi is one of the top schools in the region and we are very fortunate to be there!

The day ended with an exhibition of the student workshops. The rappers performed in a mixture of English and Luo – their piece was called “Power to the People of Gulu!”. It ended with the dance to much laughter and cheers. The students certainly did feel empowered.

All of the teachers, both western and Ugandan, felt that they had gained a great deal by participating in the conference. The goal of increasing excitement and positivity towards the profession was achieved.

Orientation and Inspiration

2009-07-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

We’ve had many presentations / lectures in the last couple of days. It is hard to know what to write about it all. I’ve filled two small notebooks already.
We’ve had a general overview of the education system in Uganda. Invisible Children (IC) chose to focus on Secondary Education as they realized that there are 100s of NGOs working with primary school and only 2 others supporting secondary schools.
As you are likely aware, I read a great deal about IC before I left, summarizing a number of their programs in an earlier post. I had a good feeling about their philosophy but one can’t help but have a little scepticism with any agency. I’ve been incredibly impressed with the people I’ve met, their thoughtful approach to projects, ability to identify what is and is not working, and implement new initiatives as needed. They are also committed to creating something that will persist.

Of the 90 people employed by Invisible Children in Uganda, only 5 positions are held by non-Ugandans and none of those are the most senior positions. Although I was familiar with almost all of the programs described, I was blown away at the thought that went into everything including how to choose students for scholarships, how to pay fees, roles of mentors, selecting contractors for building projects, choosing economic opportunities etc. Everything is directed by needs identified by people in Uganda. The schools which are part of the schools for schools fundraising provide a list of priorities determined by a committee of students, teachers, and parents. In year one, all schools prioritized clean water and sanitation.

Schools themselves must come up with 5% of the cost of any project as a way of creating ownership and also demonstrating that after IC leaves, the school will be able to afford to maintain itself. Some of the exit goals that must be met for a school to “graduate” from schools 4 schools are:

Student: teacher ratio of 60:1
Student: textbook ratio of 3:1
Student: latrine ratio of 25:1

So IC started with the scholarship/mentorship program, then schools4schools to improve the schools and learning that the students were receiving but they realised that all this was meaningless if students went home to see their parents unemployed and didn’t see hope. This pushed IC to implement economic development initiatives and provide training to those employed in the programs on how to save money, and invest in their communities. Their latest initiative is to grow cotton. This area of Uganda is known for its fertile soil and with peace in the area now people are able to return home to their fields. 4000 farmers will grow organic cotton and Eden apparel (Bono’s wife’s company) has agreed to buy it.

One presenter specifically addressed our roles as participants of the teacher exchange. He said that it is simply the relationships we build with our partner teachers which will create change. Many teachers in Uganda did not really choose the profession and it is not always highly regarded by society. So simply sharing our passion is enough. After the teacher exchange each year the schools experience a “high” and motivation increases.

My new home is Elephant Graceland

2009-07-03T07:09:00.001-07:00

The drive to Gulu was long but there were some beautiful sights along the way. Especially breath-taking was driving by a section of the Nile River where there were rapids. . . soooo much water! Then just around the corner we had to slow down suddenly due to all the baboons on the road.

Our accommodation at the Tailoring School fell through and we were told we would spend the first week at a hotel. But no one told us ahead of time that we would be at Elephant Graceland Hotel! You have to love the name. We are staying one or two to a room and there is a bathroom and shower IN THE ROOM! This is quite luxurious compared to what we can expect for the rest of the stay when we will stay on bunk beds that are three beds tall and where there is one shower for 26 people. . . but that isn’t until Monday.

The night we arrived we unpacked. Actually there are still 8 people waiting for their bags. Someone suggested a craft fair. . . in each room we displayed all our wares from the market and described our purchases and compared prices. We had dinner at a place in town and then crashed. This is when we discovered the disadvantages of Elephant Graceland. . . the hopping club a few doors down which plays loud music late into the night combined with Skippy, the howling dog who seems to live in the alley next to our rooms and his distant friend, Enrique, who replies. Thank goodness for ear plugs.

The last two mornings we’ve had breakfast at Elephant Graceland on the front porch and then walked just over 1 km to the Invisible Children House for our orientations sessions. Last night when we returned home around 7:30 pm (it is already dark) we sat up and talked for hours about the program, education in general, the war, and more. I am with such a wonderful group of people. I am sure it will be an amazing six weeks.

Bavubuka All Stars

2009-07-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

We started the second day with breakfast at Backpackers with Whitney Houston’s “The Bodyguard” soundtrack in the background. We packed up the bus and headed to the handicraft market. This was to be our one day to shop for many of the items we would see there. I picked up a couple of masks from the region but others really cleaned up, making the most out of our 45 minutes.

From the market we headed to the Bavubuka House. This was a very inspiring place. We walked in and the walls were covered in children’s drawings. The Bavubuka (the lugandan word for youth) Foundation was founded by a Ugandan Hip Hop artist Silas “Bavubuka” Balabyekkubo and Canadian Film director Aaron Elton. Their goal is to connect youth from diverse background with music, arts, and sports. We arrived on “cipher Tuesday” so all the aspiring hip hop artists were together to write and perform. They call their particular style of hip hop “Luga Flow” because they rap in Luganda, the language in Kampala.
The hope is that the youth will support each other, mentor each other, and push each other. There are a number of rooms available in the house for youth off the street if they can follow the house rules: no smoking, alcohol, drugs, working at night, inappropriate language etc.

I had goosebumps as the caretaker spoke. He seemed so full of love, pride, and optimism. When he spoke of donors who had provided recording studio equipment, a press for making t-shirts, and soccer cleats, he said, “We are thankful to our donors. They believe in us.”

And they have big dreams. Their hope is to build a community centre on the site where they can have art, dance, and recording studios, classrooms, computer lab, photo lab, gym, and more.

We are excited because a few people from the house are coming to the conference in Gulu this weekend to share their experience with people working with youth in Northern Uganda. The people coming have never left Kampala so this trip will be an incredible experience for them I am sure.

Many of us left with souvenirs such as a Bavubuka All Stars Hip Hop CD, printed t-shirts, jewellery, and art cards as we boarded the bus for our 5+ hour drive to Gulu.

Has it really only been one day???

2009-06-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

We arrived this morning at 7:30 am Kampala time after two nights on airplanes. My flight to Heathrow was on a double decker plane, and then I hung out for 12 hours at the airport (shopping, eating, reading, napping). I have never flown British Airlines before. Their economy class is called “world traveller”. I got quite a kick out of my ticket (see, I even took a photo). Even in economy class we were given a little bag with headphones, eye blinders, toothbrush and toothpaste, and fresh socks! I laughed at the socks, but was happy to have them late in day 2 of travel.

There were ten of us on the 8.5 hour flight from Heathrow to Entebbe (50 min outside Kampala). Only two of us had our luggage upon arrival. Ironically, one of the first times I was actually prepared with three days of clothes in my carry-on and my bag arrived.

It took a while to get out of the airport with all the missing baggage reports and then we dropped our things off at the hostel and grabbed breakfast before heading out to exchange money and go to the grocery store.

Then we went to the US Embassy where a woman who works for US-Aid described their work here in Uganda and the education system in general. They had an acronym for everything: UNITY, PIASTRA, REPLICA, EDP, QUI, SUPER, BEPS etc. Basically their goals include providing funding for professional development for teachers, AIDS prevention in primary school, community integration into school life, and policy. A full 25% on US-Aid funding for education goes to Northern Uganda and includes other initiatives such as peace education, and performing arts as a means to disseminate messages.

Honestly, the woman sounded very frustrated with the situation. She talked about a “dependency-syndrome” – since primary school had been made free, the parents and community were less invested. Also teacher absenteeism is a big problem as many teachers work at more than one school in order to make enough to live on. I had to snicker a little when she said they were having trouble finding women teachers because “women can’t do maths” and Math is compulsory for teachers.

We then went to a secondary school located very close to the hostel. This was so interesting. After a general description of the curriculum, we were paired up with teachers of our subjects. I had a wonderful conversation with one of their Physics teachers. Physics is a compulsory course from grade 8 to 11. The teacher described it as the most loved and the most failed subject. We talked about curriculum, differences in teacher training and styles.

He mentioned a principal in Toronto who is from Gulu and writes a column in the Ugandan paper: Opiyo Oloya.

We then toured the school visiting the library, computer lab, art room, and girl’s residence. There are 3000 students at the school and it is ranked 10^th in Uganda. It was incredible to pass by classrooms with over 70 students at desks. The students were remarkably polite. I am really looking forward to getting to Gulu tomorrow.

Now to try to get some sleep although the music is pumping at this hostel tonight.

e-x-h-a-l-e

2009-06-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Phew! I can't believe the time is finally here. I am sitting at Pearson airport just waiting to board my flight. I expect them to start pre-boarding any minute now.

It has been a totally insane week of yearbook. I worked between 12 and 17 hours each day. Yesterday I got to school at 5:40 am (second day in a row) and at 5:40 pm we submitted the pages. At that point in time I had a friend sitting on my back deck waiting for me to come home to say goodbye and a party starting at 7 pm. Unfortunately, my apartment was still a mess, I had no groceries, and I hadn't even begun packing. But as usual all worked out. . .

I got home at 6 pm and Santosh, Rekha, Matty and I picked up everything resembling mess and moved it into my bedroom and closed the door. While discussing the fact that I had no food and still had to shower and guests were expected in 40 minutes, the idea of a pizza party came up. WHAT A PERFECT IDEA! I said goodbye to Santosh and Rekha and hopped in the shower.

Of course Aaron and Megan arrived while I was in the shower. I hadn't seen them since they were home from Cambodia last summer and their son Owen had grown so much (now almost two). Other guests arrived and I ordered the pizza. All in all it was a wonderful evening. I have such great friends. Also since I have dinner parties a few times a year, they are all starting to get to know each other. It was so good to see everyone as for the last two months it seems like I have been working non-stop and hadn't seen anybody.

I woke at 6 am this morning in my disaster-area of a bedroom and did some final yearbook edits. I will finally relax when I see the edits appear on-line. I have to say it is one beautiful yearbook! Sneak-preview at right. Not that I can take credit for the super cool table of contents, it was done by one of the students.

Matty and I walked to the coffee shop and then I had to have a nap. It has been a long time since I felt so physically exhausted. When I woke, we went to the drug store for some final necessities (like malaria pills, ear-plugs, and wet wipes). I finished packing with almost 40 minutes to spare. Not bad, if I do say so myself. The only thing missing was "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". I have NO idea where I've lost it. Sigh. I will google it and see what I can find out in preparation for our conference.

My flight is scheduled to leave in 30 minutes although it has already be delayed once and there is no mention of pre-boarding yet. Oooh, I see flight attendants, that is a good sign.

Ok, off to find some info about "Pedagogy of the Oppressed."

Stay tuned!

graduation and one week to go!

2009-06-20T06:49:00.001-07:00

This Thursday was graduation at our school, and also closing ceremonies for the grade 9-11 students. It was really wonderful. It is so funny because when I woke up in the morning I thought, oh I don't feel like getting dressed up, and this is going to be a LONG day (our first meeting was at 8 am and I got home at 11 pm). But of course, I loved it. It is so nice to celebrate the students' achievements. You also get a chance to appreciate the relationships you've developped with the students over the year or years as it is with some students. I had three students graduating who had been in my mentor group since they were in grade 9. It was amazing to watch them walk across the stage and think back to talking to them about what to expect in high school. I also thought about the grade 9 mentees I had this year and think about how soon they too will cross the stage. This year's grads have so many opportunities before them and I am certain they will do amazing things.

I can't believe that I leave for Gulu in ONE week! Today I will do some errand running as I will be working on the yearbook in every free hour between Monday and Friday. I have been told to bring lots of wet wipes for those in-between-shower days. And I have to find clothing appropriate to wear to school, they really like the women to wear dresses or skirts but they have to be approximately mid-calf length, and we have to wear a slip underneath. I found a few things in my closet but will find a couple of other outfits.

I watched the documentary War Dance last weekend, filmed in 2005. See the trailer below. It reminded me that although there is peace in the area now, it is very fresh. The children I will teach have all been touched by war. At one point in the film there is a break in the competition. They children are taken on a tour around Kampala. I found this part very touching as the children marveled at the multi-story buildings covered in glass, they played in Lake Victoria -- rolling up their pant legs, and they went to the airport to watch planes take off and land. It is really remarkable how many people live their entire lives within 100 km of where they were born. For these students, the trip to Kampala meant the world.

I am so excited to go. The next update will be written in either Heathrow Airport or Kampala.

Less than 5 weeks to go! Tentative teaching assignments and funds submitted!

2009-05-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

There have been many exciting developments since my last update.

The most exciting being teaching and accommodation assignments. We have been warned that all assignments are tentative and we should be prepared for last minute changes. But those of you who know me realize that I am going to get really excited about the assignments.

So I will be teaching high school Physics at St. Joseph's Layibi Secondary School 5 km outside of Gulu. It is an all-boys catholic school with 1200 students. See some of the students pictured at right. My partner teacher is Odong Robert Oryema. I can't wait to meet him! There are 5 other teacher-exchange participants assigned to the school.

We will be lodged at St. Monica's Tailoring School in Gulu town along with the teachers placed at Gulu High School. St. Monica's has electricity, running water showers, and flushing latrines which are luxuries not available at all accommodations. We will take breakfast and dinner at the Invisible Children house down the street. Transport to school is either by foot or boda (bike-taxi). I plan to buy a bicycle in Gulu.

I am OH SO EXCITED!

I presented to my school on Friday about the programme. It went very well I think. I couldn't get over how nervous I was at first.

You can see videos of the various schools through the following link: http://s4s.invisiblechildren.com/
There is a video for Layibi (where I will be teaching) and I used the Pabbo video in my presentation at school. Actually it is neat to watch all the videos.

I've submitted the $3987.49 USD in funds required for the teacher-exchange. Thanks to generous donations, I was able to raise $3692 USD towards the total. I have since removed the donation buttons from my blog. If you wish to donate funds to other Invisible Children initiatives you may still do so through the following website: https://secure.invisiblechildren.com/donate/

You may choose to support:

Visible Child Scholarship Program which as described, provides children with scholarships to continue with high school or university studies. Recipients of the scholarships are also assigned a mentor to support them through their studies. 91% of recipients are orphans due to either AIDS or war.
Mentor salaries and training. Mentors receive a variety of training prior to beginning work including psychosocial support, child protection, and trauma counseling.
Schools for schools. There are currently 11 schools in Northern Uganda receiving funds through this programme for infrastructure and supplies.
Microeconomic programmes such as the bracelet campaign and the new mend campaign. The program encourages beneficiaries to start their own small business with the money set aside in their savings accounts. Though this training is a recent development, people have already begun a number of successful businesses including cattle reselling, pig rearing, and even selling tickets to watch movies and football (soccer) matches on DirecTV. This opportunity allows a sustainable source of income for beneficiaries, enabling them to care for themselves and their families long after the campaigns have ended.
The TRI campaign with funds going towards advocacy, awareness, and events in an attempt to rescue the child soldiers of the LRA, bring them home, and provide rehabilitation

The Rescue! and fundraising update.

2009-04-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you have heard of Invisible Children's worldwide event "The Rescue". Yesterday, in 100 cities in 10 countries, thousands of young people "abducted themselves" and camped out waiting to be rescued by media and "moguls". The idea behind the event was to bring attention to the actions of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and attempt to get governments around the world to work toward 4 goals:

Rescue the child soldiers and apprehend the top LRA leaders.
Support the protection of civilians in LRA-affected areas
Provide humanitarian support for displaced persons
Support recovery and reconciliation initiatives in Northern Uganda

Here in Toronto, hundreds of people met at Dundas square and marched in groups of 20 holding to a rope to Queen's Park. Unfortunately 3 hours into the event, a severe thunderstorm rolled in. The sky darkened so quickly! Organizers handed out garbage bags which people wore to stay dry. The group were "rescued" by Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, and Rick Mercer.

Here is a brief video of the Rescue event in Gulu earlier this month.

It is hard to believe that I will be in Uganda in nine weeks! The time is going to fly by. Thanks to generous donations from friends and family, I have raised $3400 USD to date -- only $600 short of the $4000 USD originally to be submitted by Friday, May 1st. Since everyone at Invisible Children was busy with the Rescue event, we have been given until May 7th to submit our funds.

It is funny to think that hearing about the website freedocumentaries.org has led to me spending 6 weeks in Northern Uganda. I've been looking at photo albums of past participants in the Invisible Children's Teacher Exchange. I am so excited.

Second Submission of Funds and Itinerary

2009-04-05T12:27:00.001-07:00

On April 1st, a further $1000 USD submission was due to Invisible Children. Thanks to generous donations from friends and family, I have raised exactly $3000 USD to date, and these funds have all been submitted. I am only $1000 USD away from the final goal!

My flights to and from Uganda on British Airlines have been booked.

To Uganda
depart 10:30 pm 27 June: NYC-London-Entebbe arrive 7:45 am 29 June

From Uganda
depart 9:05 am 10 August: Entebbe-London-NYC arrive 10:30 pm 10 August

I am still waiting on final word regarding my flight to/from NYC from Toronto. It will likely be 11 August when I get back to TO.

A few weeks ago I made a doctor's appointment to get my shots. I feel like superwoman right now -- impervious to all kinds of diseases. I just have to double-check that I am vaccinated against polio.

Uganda and Invisible Children are always on my mind. My sister gave birth to my new niece this week. While she was in the hospital getting the top care, I couldn't help but imagine how it must be for women in the IDP camps. My little niece came into the world and all our minds fill with the opportunities she will have in life. I think of how lucky we are to have access to excellent free health care and education and to generally expect a life with little threat of violence or disease. I noticed the life expectancy rates this past week, ~51 in Uganda vs. ~81 in Canada. A difference of 30 years!

For International Women's Day, I went to see Eve Ensler speak. She is the author of the Vagina Monologues and has been working to support Dr. Denis Mukwege in the Democratic Republic of Congo as he tries to save the lives and souls of women who are raped as a tactic in the ongoing conflict there. Read the article she wrote for Glamour magazine last August: http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2007/08/rape-in-the-congo

It may sound like she would be a depressing speaker, but it is just the opposite. She is inspired by these women who have lived through hell but still have hope for the future. It is her belief that the best way to help people living in such situations, is to support them in helping themselves. From everything I've read, Invisible Children takes this same approach. I am very interested in their Mentorship program for students in schools in the Gulu district.

On top of helping fund the building of new schools and providing scholarships for students, Invisible Children provides salaries to mentors for the students. Many students are orphans due to the war or AIDS. The mentors monitor students performance in school, monitor their health, and simply talk to them about life, the past and the future. The mentors also work to educate the students regarding Acholi culture and traditions.

Of course as a participant in the teacher-exchange, I will also be working to support my partner teacher and partner school in the work they are doing there. It is expected that my relationship with my partner teacher and school will continue beyond the six weeks I spend there. I can't wait to find out to which school I will be assigned.

I've included an earlier video produced by Invisible Children which highlights the desire to support the people of Gulu in helping themselves.

"Meeting" fellow participants and submitting documents

2009-03-01T14:58:00.001-08:00

Well, I've submitted the first $2000 USD to Invisible Children. My fundraising total to date is $2450 USD (that's more than $3000 CAD)! The next date for submission of funds is April 1st, for another $1000 USD. I've signed all the waivers, acknowledging that travel in East Africa is inherently dangerous due to factors such as bad roads, disease, and political instability. A little different from the waiver I signed last week to go downhill skiing with high school students.

I've got my new passport in hand, with requisite embarrassing photo. When they tell me that I am not allowed to smile, I can't seem to avoid opening my eyes really wide like I am really surprised.

I finished the first book on the required reading list. "Confessions of an Economic Hitman". What a crazy book about the exploitation of a country's resources through financial loans for infrastructure. I thought it was very interesting, but I would like to read another book on the topic now. It certainly gives me the feeling that I have a lot to learn.

I think I will watch the movie "Last King of Scotland" this week. It is the story of Idi Amin from 1971-1979 in Uganda as told through a fictional personal doctor and confidant, Garrigan. In "Confessions of an Economic Hitman", I learned that Amin lived out his life in extravagant comfort in Saudi Arabia, after being exiled from Uganda for all the atrocities he committed there.

I've started to make contact with other teachers participating in the exchange this year. There is a total of 37 teachers going in three different groups. I am in the third group with twelve other participants. We all leave New York City together on June 27th. That is two days after school ends, I guess I better finish the yearbook on the last day this year, instead of spending 10 days of the summer vacation doing it. Although the three groups leave at different times, we all overlap for the International Teaching and Learning Conference.

One of the participants started a "group" on Facebook for IC Teacher Exchange participants. I am amazed at how many people are returning for a second or third year with the project. It has been wonderful to read their blogs of past years. Here is a sample:

Matt Michelin: http://www.ugandamatt.blogspot.com/ (returning for a second summer)

John Magee: http://mageeinuganda.blogspot.com/ (returning for a third summer)

It is great to see photos of the schools and read about the relationships formed.

I spent this past weekend near Algonquin Park with a group of cross-country skiers. One of the men there has been to Uganda three times volunteering to help develop computer databases for the government. It was so nice to hear his impressions of the country. His wife mentioned a high school in my neighborhood which is interested in projects in Africa. She is hopefully going to connect me with the principal there.

These things just confirm my idea around taking advantage of all opportunities presented. I've always been amazed at the connections and common ground I've found with people either through my travels, or even just books I've read. I talked with another man on the ski trip. He is originally from Hungary and we talked about the Somogy region, where I travelled in 2006 and 2007 with students for an environmental service project. I spoke with another woman there about the service project in Costa Rica comparing my experience travelling there with students with those of her son who teaches at a private school in Quebec.

I am so looking forward to meeting all the participants in this year's exchange, as well as my teacher-partner and students! I wonder where this adventure will take me and how it will shape me.

Thanks again for all your support!

Melody

More information from Invisible Children and fundraising update

2009-02-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

Ko pa di? (How's life today? in Luo language)

New fundraising total: $2150 USD (using current exchange rate). The exciting thing is that this means I've met the first goal due March 1st.

I received the 48 page information packet from Invisible Children. It contains everything from a packing list to language guide. The dress code for teaching is very similar to the dress code at school in Toronto.

It all feels much more real as I read about the vaccinations, accommodations and security, and itinerary.

The level of detail in the information packet confirms my confidence in the organization. It includes information about visiting people you meet in Gulu, eg. unscheduled visits are common and in those circumstances you should not bring gifts, and when invited for dinner gifts of mangoes or tea are appropriate. There is also a section on faith, emphasizing that Invisible Children is not a faith-based organization. They indicate that most people in Gulu will identify as Christian or Muslim and encourage participants to engage in conversations of faith as it is a very real and important part of everyday life in Uganda.

I enjoyed reading about establishments in Gulu such as the markets and local eating joints. One place, Bomah, is described as the place to go for a nice dinner or massage. The Kope Cafe shows movies on Friday nights. And at Abola Lapok, you can get a plate of chicken, cassava, and cabbage for under $2. Malakwan (don't know what it is yet) and sweet potatoes is supposedly a local delight.

The package included required reading / listening. I have the books now and am almost finished "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" by John Perkins and then will move on to "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire. I am amazed at how many people I know have already read the Freire book. I was also instructed to listen to "The Ethics of Aid: One Kenyan's Perspective" http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2008/ethics_of_aid-kenya/.

I also picked up a book about the history of Uganda ("Uganda: Tarnished Pearl of Africa") and "Girl Soldier: A story of hope for Northern Uganda's Children". I know that I will learn so much more in my six weeks in Northern Uganda than I can ever learn from books, but I hope that by demonstrating an interest in their history, and an attempt to move away from ignorance, I will communicate a respect for my partner teacher, students, and people in the community.

Acito Dong (I am leaving now.)

what a week!

2009-01-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

I know I said I was going to update my little thermometer every couple of weeks, but this past week I received a new donation EVERY DAY!

My new total is a very exciting $1977 USD.

I also received a message from PayPal this week saying that they noticed that I was fundraising for Invisible Children through this blog. They required me to provide information about collection and submission of funds. They also required comfirmation in the form of a letter signed by a director of Invisible Children Teacher Exchange that I am, in fact, authorized to fundraise on their behalf. I submitted all the required documentation this week. I must say that I am impressed with PayPal and their accountability for uses of their organizaiton.

Correction to my previous post: Invisible Children mails out their receipts for each year all at once. Therefore although I will submit your funds in March, April, or May, your receipt will not arrive until sometime in January 2010.

Tonight I received my Teacher-Exchange Acceptance Packet. This 48 page document details the documentation, vaccinations, packing list, itinerary, etc. I will peruse it tomorrow night and list some highlights on the blog. It all seems a lot more real now.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me in this project.
Melody

Fundraising Update

2009-01-19T18:09:00.001-08:00

Well, I am off to a great start. I have raised $1380 USD so far for the Invisible Children Teacher Exchange.

I will update the little thermometer every couple of weeks.

If you make a donation, you will receive email confirmation from me immediately. On March 1st, I will make the first submission to Invisible Children, providing them with a list of all of the donations. You will receive a receipt from them after that time.

Thank you so much to those who have supported me thus far!

teacher-exchange in Northern Uganda

2009-01-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

This summer I will be spending 6 weeks in Northern Uganda near Gulu. I am participating in the Teacher Exchange program through Invisible Children.
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMission/Teachers_Exchange

The photos of the lily and the children are actually from a trip I took to Tanzania in 2004. I had no idea that at this same time, not far away, Northern Uganda was into its third decade of conflict. Villages had been destroyed and children lived in fear of being forced to become child soldiers. Northern Uganda has experienced relative peace in recent years and a permanent cease-fire was signed between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Ugandan government in February 2008. Sadly, the LRA has since been committing atrocities in neighbouring DR Congo.

When I watched the film "Invisible Children" (http://freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=114) I was struck by these children's desire for education even amid the conflict in their lives. Their pleas with the documentary film makers to please not forget about them led to the development of the Invisible Children organization.

I visited the site after seeing the film and was thrilled to read about their teacher exchange program, now in its third year. There are many willing teachers in Northern Uganda where the student: teacher ratio is 150:1, but there is not a significant teacher training program. This led Invisible Children to create the teacher exchange. They pair up International teachers with Ugandan partners. We spend the first week learning about the culture and the Ugandan educational standards. For the remaining time, I will be team-teaching with my partner teacher and working with them to develop student-centered lessons. We will also attend an international conference on Education in Conflict.

I've been given the task of fundraising 4000 US dollars (~5000 CAD) to cover my flights and accommodations and food for 6 weeks plus the cost of a flight from Toronto to New York. I would greatly appreciate your support in this endeavour. Any funds raised beyond what is required (see how optimistic I am) will go towards providing additional support to the teachers in Gulu in the form of classroom materials and further training. Unfortunately, Invisible Children is a registered charity in the US only, which makes it difficult to get any kind of corporate sponsorship. If you have any ideas, please share them with me at melodyrussell@gmail.com.

I am lucky to be teaching at a school which places an emphasis on internationalism, service, and education. They have made a significant contribution, recognizing the project as professional development on my part.

Each year, Invisible Children produces a brief video highlighting some of their progress. This is the video released for Christmas 2008.