Homevisit to Teopista Nakayemba 02.092M Micro Finance project by CALU

In the months of June and July every year it is when intensive home visits are made when the President of CALU and the US team visit the various homesteads of Migyera and Nabbingo beneficiaries.

She is a 10 year old girl coming from a very poor family of 7 children. Her mother carries the load of the whole family by farming and rearing goats on half an acre. The father is a cook in a local school but does not help much. Teopista being the last born, she got the opportunity of sponsorship and got the goat to help with her farming skills and get some income.

Teopista in the background, her mother on the left and the goats

This time around Teopista is in St. Lawrence P/S was picked from her dormitory to take us home to see her goat she received under the Children loan Projects. It was a good moment for her since she had taken some months without checking on her healthy goats since her sponsor paid her dorm fees. The brother Lubega Stanely 02.019M has been telling the stories about the progress of the goats since he also got one two years ago. She looks after her goat in holidays by taking it together with others to graze, gives water and cleans their sleeping ground.

After 30 minutes we reached a wide courtyard in Kyabakwezi village with over 5 goats resting waiting for the afternoon to feed on the brown grass. The mother who is also a beneficiary in CALU crafts group was found under a tree weaving her tray. It was a nice moment for us since we tested the raw cassava which was to be prepared for lunch, played with goats and sat on locally made chairs which were comfortable.

Her plans after selling off the kids is to pay for her loan slowly, pay for study tours organized by the school and buy other needs as well.

By: Juliet Nankumba

Sponsorship coordinator - CALU

 

Distribution of School Stationery to the Sponsored Children of Change alife Uganda Nabbingo

These are some of the beneficiaries of CALU receiving stationery

At every beginning of a new term,CALU  provides school stationery to all sponsored children in Nabbingo, a one of the suburbs in Kampala city.These include books,reams of papers, pens,pencils,geometry sets.

CALU sponsored children are given stationery to take to school which improves on the child’s learning environment. The distribution is done by the Social worker who does the monitoring of these children. CALU sponsors vunurable and disadvantaged children in Nabbingo.

These  children are identified and recruited by the social worker. The aim of sponsoring these children is to enable them go to school.Some of these children are total orphans and some are disadvantaged children . CALU sponsors these children so as to get a chance of going to school since some children don’t go to school because of different circumstances like some parents are not able to pay for their children school fees and so on.

So all in all CALU’s sponsorship provides educational support to these children.

BY Lilian Nabanjala
Social Worker,CALU

Growing a Desire to Share-in Leading Ideas

[Source of the video: ]

You have got to be careful if you take and consider social entrepreneurship, it just might change your life! Are you growing a desire to share-in leading ideas and learn from the experience of others advancing the role of entrepreneurs in development?

Social entrepreneurship is the process of pursuing innovative solutions to social problems (Wikipedia). It explores how one can empower people to work their way out of poverty, create jobs and drive economic growth where the power of ideas, know-how and resources can be harnessed to enrich lives and effect positive change.

This doesn’t ask much of me and you but to unleash talents to solve communities’ biggest problems by spreading the solutions and be role models proving that citizens who channel their passion into action can do almost anything.

Even then, there is a big question resounding in my mind of how to turn the ideas into an organization business case. Could social impact bonds, networks for potential collaboration and partnerships for good be the only way to realize the growing desire?
And how can social entrepreneurs attract talent when there aren’t high salaries and options?

By: Collins Kivumbi,
       Procurements and Business Relations, 
       Change a Life Uganda.

A Story About Sentongo Isaac's Project.

Sentongo Isaac is one  of the  children in Nabbingo supported by change a life Uganda  both in education and micro finance. Under the micro finance scheme, Isaac was given a loan of  50,000 which he used to buy  a piglet .
 unfortunately after some  months the pig fell sick. Isaac together with the mum  tried their level best to treat it using veterinary specialists   but the situation was worsening every now and then. Together they decided to sell it at a low price of 25,000 which the mum topped up to buy another one at 50,000. The new pig is now six months and looks to be healthy.

Above in the photo is Isaac with the new pig .

By Nankinga Cate, loans officer,CALU

...from Healthcare and Education

Recovering young malaria patient.

 

Dr.Fune of JerseyShore Medical in stocked pharmacy

 

The Migyera Health Centre

Malaria patient with daughter, Dr. Ronald and nurse

 

Photos from Progress Report ‘Migyera Health Center officially opened on July 4th’

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.