May 2013 Newsletter

CALU Has A New Address! ChangeALife Uganda  Jean Semler, President Dave Thelen, Vice Pres. 46 Oakmont Lane Jackson, NJ 08527 732 833 1736 WHAT IS SUCCESS? 285 sponsored children attending quality schools. St. Lawrenc School Students. 82 students attend secondary schools, an amazing change and opportunity for Migyera and Nabbingo children. Nabukeera Mary is a student at St. Joseph's Secondary School. 23 students attend higher institutes of learning and universities like David, see his story on the right.  Ten others graduated and are employed in real estate, social work, micro finance, as an architect and in the steel industry.   Rolletah Nkawuba is a nurse at Rubaga Hospital in Kampala. Quarters for Water A sincere thanks for all those especially the schools and students who organized fundraising projects to help CALU our 2013 water project goal to install a pump and lay the pipes to connect the pump house to the water tower, school and health center.  Our goal is $82,000.  To date we have $17,700 with some donations still outstanding.  Remaining project balance $64,800.   $20 buys one yard of pipeline.    Can you help? A number of people instead of birthday presents, have suggested a $20 gift of a yard of pipe!  How creative! BE PART OF THE TEAM THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN.                 Quick Links CHECK OUT  CALU WEBSITE!           ADDRESS For your letter to  Uganda! Name of Child and  Number Code ChangeALife Uganda Foundation P.O.Box 23469 Kampala, Uganda

May 2013 Sponsored Pair Advance Toward Career Goals      David Sekyewa is one of the pioneer students sponsored by ChangeALife Uganda when it started in 2007.  David is one of four children and, even though his mother earns a living with her David a future chemical engineer small shop, it was not enough to cover his schooling. Thanks to CALU and his sponsors Bob and Barbara Purcell of Jackson, NJ and his own hard work and determination, David finished his primary and secondary education and is now in his first semester at Makerere University. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in science for a career in chemical engineering, and also is studying multimedia to be a cartoonist. With help from CALU, David lives in a hostel near the university, and visits with his mother during the holidays. David continues to receive counseling from the CALU team and corresponds regularly with his sponsor, Bob, who sends him encouraging letters. David hopes to work for CALU through college, helping with social work and office duties during holiday breaks.          _______________________________________________ Sandra hopes for a career with a tour company or airline, and plans to  continue her education.  Sandra Kobugabe, the fifth of six children, joined the CALU program in 2008 when Brick High School Honor Society, Brick, NJ agreed to sponsor her education.  At the time, Sandra was living with her sister and her family so there was little financial support for her fees for school. CALU and her sponsor changed her life.  She received schooling, counseling and guidance, and developed her singing talent in the school choir. Since then, she has completed her studies and earned a Certificate in Tours and Travel Operations from the Career Institute. She will become a member of ChangeALife Uganda Elite Achievers Club, an association of CALU graduates who support the organization.   2011 saw the formation of ChangeALife Uganda Elite Achievers Club when four university graduates who had CALU sponsors decided to give back to the organization that changed their futures.  Not only do these graduates give back by volunteering in their field of expertise, but each makes a financial contribution to the club's general fund to benefit the CALU program.  With each passing year new graduates join and the size of the club grows.       Fresh Eggs 4 Sale        $5.00/Dozen 9th grade Matthew Kho tends his hens Matthew Kho's combines entrepreneurship with his interest in helping the children in Uganda.  Matthew raises chickens and sells their eggs.  His profit enables children in Uganda to do the same.  He saves 20% or $1 from the sale of each dozen eggs.  $35 or 35 dozen eggs funds one project of 4 chickens, feed and shots.   The child in Uganda must repay the $35 loan to the micro-finance project pool by selling their eggs and chickens.  The proceeds then funds a project for another child. You can help Matthew grow the children's MicrofinanceProgram faster by donating on line at  www.changealifeuganda.org      QuartersForWater   DECA State Finalists Lauren and Emily Put Water for Migyera Within Arms Reach. Lauren Vetter and Emily Johnson, two students from Ocean City High School, participated in a community service project with their school's DECA chapter, promoting and fundraising for CALU's Quarters for Water project.  Through DECA, the Lauren and Emily make it happen!  students competed at the New Jersey DECA competition in February in which they were State Finalists.  For their project, the students sold crafts made by CALU women at local craft sales, pretzels at their high school, created a promotional video, and organized a fundraising contest with the Ocean City  Intermediate School. During the School's spirit week, "penny wars" between classrooms raised funds for Quarters for Water with the winning homeroom receiving a pizza party.  The Intermediate School students raised over $1000 for Quarters for Water, surpassing their fundraising efforts from previous years. Combined with the other efforts in their community, Lauren and Emily raised over $1,900 to bring us closer to our goal of clean water for our children in the St. Lawrence School.  ___________________________________________________________ QuartersForWater McAuliffe Students Celebrate World Water Day with Penny Wars for CALU!   A strong competitive spirit filled the air in the sixth, seventh and eighth grade social studies classrooms of Jackson, NJ McAuliffe Middle School the week of March 18-22, 2013.  Why all the excitement?  A "Penny War" pitted one classroom against another to see which could raise the most money to help CALU finish the last phase of the water project.  There couldn't be a better way to honor World Water Day than to help bring clean water to children and families. In preparation for the competition, students discussed the need for clean water in many parts of the world. They compared the daily amount of water used by people in Jackson with those in rural Uganda. They also viewed the water process at the Jackson Township Municipal Utilities Authority.                Under the direction of Mrs. O'Neill and Mrs. Gagliardi, Builder's Club students placed a collection can for each social studies class in the lunchroom every day of the week.  Students donated coins for their class to win points and other classes to lose points. Builder's Club students tallied the points for each class. The bagel party was a big hit for Mrs. Svoboda and Mrs. Kochis' winning sixth grade class. The generosity of McAuliffe students in raising $684.73 to improve the quality of life for the students in Migyera Uganda with clean drinking water was a true celebration of World Water Day.  QuartersForWater   Forrestdale Students Gain a Sense of Common Humanity   Mikey Murdock, James Melia and Patrick Kelleher, 8th grade students at Forrestdale School in Rumson, NJ, organized a successful Quarters for Water School initiative and raised $946 toward connecting our water pump and the water tower.   We know how water will change the lives of our children in St. Lawrence School, but how did the project effect the students of Forrestdale School?                        Meet Mikey Murdock, James Melia and Patrick Kelleher Did you gain any sense of the wider world? Patrick:  Yea, we're really a lot more fortunate than most people in the world are. How did it open your mind? James answered:  It gave me some respect for people Mikey:  Respect for the kids that have to walk miles to hold 40 pounds of water All:  Dirty water! James:  Not even clean!  When we can walk five feet to get clean water. Did you gain a sense of common humanity? James:  Yea, I guess it's kind of like we're all one.  We're all in this together. Patrick:  We all work together in this battle against dirty water. Did you learn anything about the needs and rights of others? James:  Well, everyone should have the right to clean water. Mikey:  Yea. James:  And I feel like we made a step for that to happen. Do you have a growing respect for difference or diversity?  James:  I have a lot of respect for the kids who want to help their families and don't go to school just to walk the miles just to get water that's not even clean for their families... Patrick:  It's survival... It's to survive. James:  It's like... it's... There's nothing that you can compare it to. Patrick:  Yea, we can't complain at all. James:  It's so bad.  We shouldn't complain. Mikey:  Cause they're there, and we have no right to complain. The children and families of Migyera remain grateful to you - individuals, families, groups and schoolchildren - who have made this "pipedream" a pipeline of clean water for them.