AUGUST 2005 - SOFT POWER EDUCATION NEWSLETTER

Dear All

World Soft Power Day – held on Saturday 21st May 2005.

Here in Uganda we held a Ride or Run the Nile Marathon. One competitor, Sander and his friend Raymond, nipped out from Holland on a flash T-mobile mountain bike to put us to shame and a group of local Ugandans peddled like mad and won prizes for shock of speed as well as style. Other fundraising events were hosted in France – delightful Madoc, only a babe, walked 300mtrs & raised $600 - Spain and the UK – where there was an exhausting swimathon. Overall £5,000 was raised which has gone towards the building of our Education Centre. Too those who took part or donated, thank you. To everyone else, get ready for next year….

In the blink of an eye we are already closing in on the refurbishment of the 20 government primary schools within the Budondo sub-county and listed below are the Primary Schools where we have been working since February 2005:-

Buwenda and Kyabirwa Pre-Schools – both our pre-schools have been re-painted and have had odd bits of maintenance work done – they look fantastic. There are large Disney characters and bright butterflies dotted over the outside walls as well as lions and new blackboards – both schools are a sight to behold. The pupils continue to wear their soft power t-shirts - for every ‘big’ person’s t-shirt sold a small one is given to a pupil, a great t-shirt incentive if ever there was one! Sarah Tilbrook thank you for your continued support at KCC for assisting in the classroom, as well as having your limbs used as a climbing frame.

Lukolo P/S – Meg Moulton along with 7 fellow students from New York, fundraised and brought over with them to Uganda US$5,000. Their donation went towards the building of a 2 classroom block - they also decorated 2 further classrooms with murals and teaching aids. With the money left over we have been able to refurbish another 2 classrooms & put 2 metal goal posts on the football pitch! This is one of our biggest projects to date, we anticipate being at this school for at least another 6 months.

Nssube P/S - volunteers and builders have worked tirelessly – building a water catchment tank, refurbishing a 4 classroom block and painting loud and vibrant murals (Steve and Mel your plastering skills are still spoken fondly of). Robein Leven Bank have donated more than 5.000 euro for the refurbishment of a 7 classroom block and the installation of a 50,000ltr underground water catchment tank. The school have recently raised money of their own and asked if Soft Power would supply the labour to build a teacher’s office. We are delighted that they have shown such initiative; hence we are helping them with the construction.

Butiki P/S – with the assistance of 8 enthusiastic volunteers from Madventure we have refurbished a 2 classroom block and head teacher’s office. With money from Sander and Ray (the keen cyclists) we are installing a 50,000ltr underground water catchment tank and with 2.000 euro from the Verboven family in Belgium we are refurbishing another 2 classrooms, 2 offices, a library and staffroom.

Kyomya P/S - several volunteer groups later, Kyomya has another refurbished 2 classroom block. Three groups of AVA volunteers have spent time working here, and at Lukolo. It is with their donation that three classrooms have been decorated and we have been able to refurbish the head teacher’s office with a new roof and veranda. A further thank you goes to Sheila and UK teacher, Kirsten Gould and her pupils for their continued fundraising for Kyomya.

Buyala St Pauls P/S - with great fundraising skills by Sheri Brake we have installed a 50,000ltr underground water catchment tank. Earlier in the year we completed the construction of a 4 classroom block, office and 6 stance pit latrine. Robein Groep is donating 15.000 euro to build another 3 classroom block and library.

Nawangoma P/S – we have built a much needed 8 stance pit latrine and over the past few weeks paint has been splashed over the classrooms and teaching aids beautifully drawn via the help of long term volunteers Ben, Nic, Dave and Fay as well as the many overland passengers up for a day of Rolf Harris painting.

Leeds University have pulled it off for a second year running with the dedication of student Sara James. This determined individual managed to organise two separate groups of students from Leeds (and other universities) to come to Uganda to volunteer. These inspiring students fundraised over £10,000 that has gone towards the building of the Education Centre that they are putting up with sheer determination and strength! With funding from World Soft Power Day and with the help of Dan, we had managed to get the foundations in, prior to the volunteers conquering the dizzy heights by erecting walls, windows and laying floors.

The Education Centre is the inspiration of Hannah (founder of Soft Power) and was designed by Ross Farquhar, who along with his wife Lise spent 3 weeks with us in May. The building is tucked away next to the pottery and medical clinic, in the middle of Kyabirwa village. It will inspire and educate with opportunities for drama, theatre, science, computer technology as well as housing objects of fascination for pupils and their communities alike. It is a long term project which we aim to have up and running by next year.

The Pottery has been going from strength to strength with our 4 local apprentices being assisted by volunteers, Beth, Bethan, Maya and Amber in not only beautiful wood paintings and prints, but drama workshops for children involving the surrounding primary & pre-schools children.

The Medical Clinic – for volunteers, Suzie Cox, Jess Walton, Ali Toomey and Sarah Commens a great thank you for doing outreach programs and malaria follow-ups – the results are fascinating.

To Gideon Fisher and his girlfriend Kes thank you for your enthusiasm and dedication in hosting a photography project. They gave 12 children from 6 primary schools a disposable camera and the images taken show how these young Ugandan’s view their homes, lives and country - they are touching and powerful. We will display the photos in the Education Centre.

Everything you have read is because of the continued support from overland companies, their passengers and crew, donors worldwide, people who have set up standing orders, committed long term volunteers, hard graft from our Ugandan builders, fundraising events hosted by wacky individuals and by you – for forwarding this newsletter on to your friends and family – you may have spent just a day with us, you may already be a donor or you may have been one of our exceptional long term volunteers, either way you have succeeded in helping us.

Further thank you’s to the Dodge family for their continued support, Ballard School in Hampshire, Killy & Jan Verboven, Sarah Flebus, Teri Thomas and husband, Ben James, Eric Reintjens - Director or Robein Leven Bank, The Class of ‘55 from Dunfermline High School, Fife - Scotland,Tiger Tops Development, Ballard School – Hampshire, Caltex, Rwenzori Water, Wauchope Uniting Ladies Fellowship and Epic Systems Corporation.

A word from Hannah Small - to you all, thank you for your hard work, great donations and fantastic support. I continue to be amazed at what we, as a charity, have been able to do. Whatever your input, please continue to spread the word and make as many people aware, as you possibly can, of what Soft Power is doing – this way we can continue making a remarkable and significant difference to the lives of the children here in Uganda.

Till next time.

Kind regards

Georgie Higginson
Project Manager