Above: This is the primary classroom I taught art and drama in. I have a really strange look on my face, but I was speaking and Nan was translating. I guess I was in deep thought about the next thing I was going to say! That photo was actually taken in the first few minutes I was teaching my first class. I had a lot of FUN with these students, LOTS! But, when I look at that picture I know what is happening. I was trying to keep my composure as I scanned the crowded room and the conditions of the children. Below: Just a picture of the children's feet in the classroom while they did their art project.
Above: 248 children in one room with one teacher! It was pretty busy! And I had Nan, their daily teacher with me! Below: Leading some motion songs out under a shade tree. That's Pastor Paul, the head of the school, in the picture. He was ALWAYS busy, but he came over to see what we were doing under the shade tree.
Below: Some of the students and me as we walked out of the secondary school building.
A few years ago when I taught school in Uganda short term at the Nakateete School I was invited to a nearby home (a tiny mud brick hut) by a group of men whom I guess I assumed were leaders in the village or at least concerned citizens. Their "grandmother" had died and for some reason that was tied to their concern for water. Perhaps they had struggled to have enough water for her or perhaps she passed away from poor water. I don't know. They asked me to help them get some water in their school or village through a translator. It has haunted me for a couple of years and I have known that somehow, someway I would eventually do something to figure out how to do that. I have thought about it numerous times a day. The last several years I have shared much about my trip to Africa with my students. One of my students even won an international art contest this past school year with her painting of people in Africa getting a water well. So, I was thrilled when our Recycling Club at my school decided to raise funds for a well in Uganda, partnering with Holden Uganda Foundation. It took a little effort and a little detective work, but Pastor Paul, the headmaster of the school who doesn't even get one day off a year must be rejoicing, as well as all the kids. We raised enough money to put a well at the school with a couple of exterior pipes. And, it looks like next year we will have an opportunity, if all is approved, to raise funds to put a water well in the village of Nakateete. I just cannot tell you how happy this makes me. I have these photos and visions of small children, tiny ones maybe ages 4, 5 and six, walking the dirt path roads with big yellow jugs going for water. It's just not safe as many of them have to walk all day long to the water source and back. It's a long journey for a little one. And it seems to be the small children's jobs. This is what teaching is all about. Sometimes we just plant the seeds that will grow and mature many years on down the road and sometimes we are just lucky enough to see it happen right before our eyes! You can read more about Holden Uganda Foundation at:
http://holdenuganda.org
Above: I took this picture of some of the children doing their daily LONG walk for water. We were told they walked seven miles to a lake.
