More information from Invisible Children and fundraising update

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!

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

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

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.