Gyriadda Girls Participate in a Girls Empowerment Workshop 2/12

One of those communities, St. Kizito, Gyriadda faced several struggles over the past two years, which initially had delayed the building of their school. A major challenge was the discovery of a defilement case right before their project was to begin. JLMC found out through its Girl Power Program that the nursery school teacher was sexually abusing his girl students, and had been for several years. When the community members learned of the abuse, they felt they had no recourse since corruption is so rampant within the local justice system and the teacher was so well known within the community.

Another struggle facing the community has been impoverishment. Because of the high poverty in the area, the community members struggled to gather local resources: sand, stones, and clay bricks required as a co-investment by JLMC to construct the school building. In cases like Gyriadda, JLMC must exercise patience and provide encouragement as communities together find solutions to issues that delay their progress. Community contributions are critical to deep development; it builds community ownership over a project, ensuring the community will maintain the project well into the future.

With the help of JLMC, the Gyriadda community has overcome many of their struggles one by one and has made great progress in 2011. Through JLMC’s Project Justice, a human rights workshop was held for community members to promote the rights of women and children and to prevent more cases of sexual abuse. As a result of the workshop, the community was successful in chasing the teacher involved in the defilement out of town with the help of local police.

As of November 2011, the construction of the school is back on track. The roof has just been added to the building, which will have three classrooms and an office for the principal. JLMC also contributed to the construction of a latrine for teachers and students.

Skilled Labourers Work to Add Roofing to St. Kizito, Gyriadda’s School Building 2/12

Teachers, school board members and PTA members received two professional development workshops to improve the learning environment of the school and to help increase student performance.

63 girls participated in three Girl Power workshops to increase their capacities for self-empowerment, leadership potential and social survival skills. When asked during the first Girl Power workshop of 2012, girls reported no cases of defilement since the sensitization campaign. A major success!

Yet, despite these magnificent accomplishments, the Gyriadda community, as well as the four other school communities sponsored by JLMC, still have many challenges to overcome. Many of the schools lack chairs and desks, critical for a conducive learning environment. Instructional materials are also limited in many of the schools.

Access to health care and health education is limited, and income generation activities in the schools to support extracurricular activities like drama and sports is nonexistent.

In 2012, JLMC has exciting plans for its Universal Education Program, which hopes to address the aforementioned challenges.

JLMC will

• Provide furniture and instructional resources to improve learning environments
• Provide the opportunity for schools to generate income  to give students lunch and opportunities for extracurricular activities
• Increase student and teacher’s ability to deal with relevant health issues in their communities
• Increase the capacity of school management committees to manage operations, solve community problems and supervise education through capacity building workshops.
• Increase the capacity of teachers to deliver well planned lessons
• Ensure that schools meet national standards as laid out by Department of Education

However, JLMC cannot reach its goals without your support. Here are ways you can help:

For only $1,000 you can  furnish an entire classroom, so that children are not seated on the floor during lessons.

For only $100 you can help fund a much needed professional development workshop for teachers and school boards.

For only $200 you can help fund dental hygiene outreach.

Donate today to further improve the lives of the thousands of children that JLMC serves through its Project Universal Education.

George William

Construction Supervisor

George William was the fabrication Genius behind JLMCF’s Universal Education Program. He worked with our Project Coordinators to create school building plans and then transforms those creations into safe and shining learning environments where eager and knowledge hungry Ugandan children can thrive.

George William was a person whom you would never hear gloat, but we will not hesitate to brag about the wealth of experience that this accomplished man brought to our team. A moment in his presence told the story of an individual with a steady and true wisdom that comes with years of life and building experience. He was well known and respected within the communities we serve and came highly recommended by our Project Coordinators. Before joining us on our first ever school building project, George William worked for decades in building schools with Plan International. He never failed to continually design feasible and appropriate blueprints, budgets and plans that incorporate JLMCF’s methodology and vision. He commanded a quiet respect within every community he worked with, while at the same time setting an essential standard for ethical building practices. George William had a knack for transforming perceived community constraints and limitations into opportunities for creative building solutions. He acted as a professional mentor and guide to both skilled labor and unskilled volunteers, who were contributing to the building process with an aim to achieve capacity building, community ownership and participation. Since joining our team as Construction Supervisor in 2008, he had proven an efficient builder, maintaining quality and safety, while still coming in under budget, which allowed for JLMCF to spread our resources across a larger population of communities in need of school buildings. George William had a gift for turning our big ideas and inspirations into real life sanctuaries for learning. Our favorite grandfather who certainly got the job done will be greatly missed and always honored.

George William’s capacity building contributions to our programs and his expert building plans will continue to be drawn upon by JLMCF. Our school building projects are currently being carried out by his skilled apprentice, Mr. Akwong Janan Wilson, who has now graduated to Construction Supervisor through George William’s guidance and support.

In its recent past, Uganda faced (and still does) a huge influx of new students. President Yoweri Museveni enacted the Universal Primary Education statute in 1997, which basically provides free education to up to four children per family. According to Creative’s statistics: Uganda is one of the fastest growing populations and most youthful countries in the world with more than half of its population (56 percent) under the age of 18. Nearly two million children have been orphaned by the AIDS endemic or civil conflicts. To make matters worse Uganda’s population has doubled in the past 20 years and the Financial Times site estimates the education system will have to educate twice as many children in 15 years time.

Just Like My Child’s Project Universal Education focuses on working closely with communities that are ready to rise up and take their children’s education and safety into their own hands. We work through a “co-investment” model and have successfully built six self-sustaining school buildings. Part of our investment includes providing the community with the necessary know how to operate and manage the schools entirely on their own, without dependence on further aid. Universal Primary Education provides a safe and bright future for both the students and the educators.

Just Like My Child Foundation is committed to our educators and their continuous education. Our educators are provided with monthly workshops with professors and scheduled school management committee training sessions. The teachers are assessed and taught new ways of handling and teaching large classrooms of many different ages and maintaining and creating lesson plans.

The workshops also allow the professors and the teachers to reevaluate lesson plans, conduct in-classroom observations, and understand what new material, furniture, or training is further required for the various schools, classrooms, teachers, and students.

This was taken from a recent survey from several of our professors on the ground:

We expect that the knowledge we impart to teachers will be used on an on-going basis to assist students in the classroom and to impart to other teachers and new teachers.  The materials and curriculum put together as part of these workshops will be kept with Head Teachers of each school for reference and future use.   We also expect that further resources will come from the District or other organizations as relationships are strengthened between school communities and outside partners and tools are provided to community on future fundraising and development.

If you would like to help us help our Ugandan educators maintain their workshops and committee meetings, please donate here. You may also contribute to the schools for classroom materials or furniture at the same link.

Nearly 30% of her neighbors were infected with HIV, she was surrounded by dozens of orphans, and she was going to a school that had no books and barely a roof on the structure.

Recognizing her intelligence and drive, Just Like My Child Foundation, through the generous help of one donor, Jim K., began sponsoring Nalubombwe at one of the best elementary schools in Uganda.

Flash forward four years: Nalubombwe excelled so far in school and scored so well on her end of term exams that she was just accepted into THE best high school in all of Uganda.

Left to Right: Nalubombwe’s mother, Namagembe Topista, Nalubombwe Josephine, Tessa Davis

It’s almost incomprehensible to the residents of her village, Kikoiiro that a girl born into such a dim reality could be walking into the brightest future possible.

Thank you Nalubombwe for all of your very hard work to make this happen!

And thank you, Jim, for believing that the fire of knowledge can change the world. To be like Jim click here.

Please start a dialogue with us by commenting on the stories. We want to know what you think and what’s important to you!

and we would love for you to be a part of this special evening. On Thursday, October 13th, 2011 from 6 – 9PM, we will celebrate at the historic and iconic Don Room at the El Cortez on 702 Ash Street, San Diego, CA 92101.

The attire is Black Tie OR your most fun cultural garb that you never get to wear!

Opened on Thanksgiving Day 1927 and nestled atop San Diego’s Cortez Hill stands the historic El Cortez. The carefully restored landmark is this year’s host to Just Like My Child Foundation’s annual gala.

In one of the most exquisitely designed rooms in the state of California, we will honor those individuals who have truly helped us make a difference on the other side of the world. Since 1927 Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, William Jefferson Clinton and Barack Obama have all entertained in the 24k Don Room.

And stars from Elvis Presley to Spencer Tracy to Jimi Hendrix have spent time in this amazing space.

In attendance will be an intimate host of celebrities, spiritual and personal development experts, and passionate supporters. Join us for this exclusive autumn gala and enjoy an intimate audience with VIPs from Hollywood, publishing, personal development and more.

Plus, you’ll learn directly what life is like in the field and how your contributions are eradicating poverty permanently for thousands and thousands of people.

Please take a moment to secure your admission by clicking here.

Once you register, we will keep you updated on confirmed celebrity attendees, event details and the unbelievable live auction items we’ll have for you that money just can’t buy.

CAPACITY IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 230!
(NOTE: We have had a waitlist of 100 in the past – Tickets will sell out rapidly and we cannot increase capacity.)

The Nike Foundation and The Girl Effect’s The Clock is Ticking campaign is based on this truth and for the past few years has been reaching out to the world through their beautiful and inspiring animated video. This one is my favorite because the message is clear and honest – to the point.  One day I hope Just Like My Child can work with The Girl Effect and promote the Girl Power Project together.

One of the projects the Just Like My Child Foundation has undertaken is to implement a sponsorship program we call the Mandela Project — the focus is to create leaders who can in turn move their country forward.. It costs less than $1700 a year to send a child to one of the best boarding schools in Uganda. This includes tuition, room and board, and uniforms, health care for the child and the family, vitamin supplementation, transportation to and from school, canteen money, and incidental expenses.

According to Sister Ernestine Akulu, founder of the Bishop Asili Hospital in rural Uganda, sending our first student, Nyangoma Rachel to school will most likely save her life. Many students in this village who are not in school will become sexually active as early as 12-years old. With over 30% of the adult population testing positive for HIV, this is certainly a life-threatening behavior.

Since Nyangoma Rachel received her sponsorship, the Just Like My Child Foundation has focused on building schools rather than sending individual children to select schools making it possible for hundreds of children (boys and girls) to attend school. Previously, it  would have been nearly impossible for these children to go to a safe school. We are focused on building safe schools, educational facilities, empowerment workshops, and trainings to reach more Ugandans. The tremendous efforts have been paying off and now we have so many Nyangoma Rachel’s we almost cannot keep count.

It takes so little to help these children achieve their dream and with your help we can help many more children make their dream a reality. It doesn’t take much; click here to see the different ways you can contribute.

We had spent a good part of the day organizing the school supplies that my son had raised money for at his school. Today, we met with 50 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) who haven’t been able to go to school because they don’t own a pencil or a notebook. My son gave them each a package of supplies to get them started in the new school term. Throughout the week, we’ll be visiting the schools we have built and delivering the balance of the learning materials we collected and hauled over from the States.

Our newest team member, Tara Hixson, who completed her Peace Corps service in Thailand and has been a teacher for several years, was really moved by the linkages created by my son’s school helping to raise money for schools a world away.

To begin with, my shy little guy had to really get out of his own skin to raise nearly $3000 in a short period of time – he even had to be the “circle time” guest at the preschool class and pick up a jar of spare change from them. He was regaled with dozens of questions from curious little minds – WAY out of his comfort zone.

More than one child at his school approached me, together with their parents, to give me change from their piggybank. The parents were so grateful to have the opportunity to share a broader worldview with their child in a real and tangible way.

The administration of the school is insisting that my son return with a full PowerPoint presentation so that the whole school can feel connected to the effort.

Now, here in Uganda, the interconnectedness of children comes into full relief. They’re not just getting school supplies, they’re learning about what’s happening on the other side of the world, creating lasting relationships through letters and drawings, and maybe Skype! I’ll keep you updated on the fun throughout the week.

We’re off to a running start with raising money for school supplies. But we’ve just finished an assessment of the inventory of the government schools we’ve rebuilt and realized that some schools (entire schools) are functioning with just one or two textbooks!

I just can’t put up with that – we as an organization can’t tolerate it – and as a planet that depends on the mind expansion of each individual for our own survival, we must take advantage of the opportunity to help where we can. It will take only $50 per child or $3000 per class to make a school fully functioning for years to come. And we’ve got 17 classrooms to supply. Imagine that for just $50, you could supply materials for a child year, after year, after year. Please help us continue to make dreams come true for so many children. Just $50 will help children who don’t even own a pencil today create a future of peace, independence, better health and understanding for themselves, their children, and our world.

Find out more by clicking here.

The news of Bin Laden’s death has captured world attention, and it’s made me wonder, as civilians, how can we create our own counter-terrorism efforts? Here’s my story:

A few weeks ago I told my eight-year-old boy that I was going back to Uganda in May to work “on the ground”. Usually, he’s pretty “matter of fact” about it because it gives him extra time with Daddy at home and I’m gone and back in a flash. This time though, he got thoughtful and seemed sad, “I didn’t know you were going back to Africa,” he said.

My heart sunk a little bit as it usually does whenever I feel his disappointment, so in the next breath I said, “You can come with me, and then we’ll be together.” Now this is a conversation that’s been going on for several years. You see, I’ve raised this boy on images and video of the issues on the ground in Uganda. He’s spent afternoons sitting on my lap as I sort through photos of the children we’ve grown to love, and their parents whose burden we have begun to lighten.

He’s heard many stories about how deadly malaria is, and he’s even raised money at his school to buy insecticide-treated bed nets. Understandably, he’s been a little nervous about coming with me to Uganda and has always said “Maybe next time” when I’ve invited him in the past!

So when he answered this time, “Yes, I want to come with you, Mama,” it was evident that he had carefully thought it through and he knew he was ready…

My love for my son inspired me to start Just Like My Child Foundation five years ago to help mothers and children who were in desperately vulnerable circumstances. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep my child alive, healthy, and educated and I wanted to do whatever I could to help other mothers do the same for their children. And, as a civilian, there’s no better counter-terrorism approach than to educate and feed the minds of children who are in situations that we just wouldn’t stand for in this country. As my hero Bono once said, “If you don’t do it for the humanity, then do it for the security.”

I’ve witnessed extreme poverty create extreme desperation. Either “we” get there first with education and a way to help families be self-sufficient, or terrorists do with hate education and big payments to families when one of their children becomes a suicide bomber.

I told my son about the many schools we have built in Uganda and how the government of Uganda doesn’t have the money to support the schools with basic necessities like desks, chairs, books, pencils, paper, chalk, etc. As a result, many of the students barely own a pencil, let alone a place to sit and study. If a child doesn’t have the right tools, it’s nearly impossible for them to learn. And when they’re not educated, the desperation just deepens because there’s no possibility for a compelling future.

My son is very committed to bringing as much as he can to equip these schools. So from now through May 12 when we leave, he’s hoping to raise $5,000 in donations to bring school supplies to children who dream about having what they need to learn and thrive.

Can you help him?

Nothing’s going to make him feel better than to know he can actually make a difference (it will also help him stop worrying about malaria). And, we’ll all be doing our part to bring our values of education and justice to children half a world away.

Visit www.JustLikeMyChild.com/donate to make a donation directly to his campaign.

There’s a drop-down menu that says “Where Would You Like Your Money to Go”

Select “School Supplies”.

or

Send a check directly to:
Just Like My Child Foundation, PO Box 22025, San Diego, CA 92122

But the most fun and fulfilling part of the trip was spending a lot of time with the six children we are sponsoring in boarding schools as part of our Mandela Project. Just three short years ago, these children were destined to live a voiceless, nameless existence in one of the poorest villages in the areas we serve — they, like so many others, were at risk of death through early pregnancy and marriage. Several of their parents were on the verge of death from AIDS. These six children have grown and have become such an inspiration to their villages and have made me so proud.

Today, our kids are BIG (they’ve grown so much).  They are speaking English, reading fluently and at the top of their classes. Their parents are on AIDS treatment and they are healthy with new income-generating businesses that are alleviating their heavy burden. The students are full of ideas and fun and have a bit of attitude like all good teenagers. Healthy teenagers!

Witnessing their growth and development is like a metaphor for all of our work in Uganda — slowly by slowly the seeds have been planted, the roots are strong, and the fruit of our work is ripening. The communities are thriving, the children are healthy, and the elders are growing stronger. With so much community in the air it makes one realize how small efforts make tremendous differences.

If you would like more information about Just Like My Child and it’s specialized programs, contact Vivian Glyck at info@justlikemychild.org.  To donate please click here

Can you imagine if we in the U.S. were in this situation? Sure we have serious issues with our public schools, including school districts increasing a classroom size from 22 to 30 students per teacher, failing schools, and low-quality teachers. Often we are asked to help out with supplies, and of course there are all those PTA “events” to raise funds for the school. But what if your only available choice was one school and that school happened to have over 100 students per class per teacher? AND your child had to share a desk with at least a dozen other students, with no books, resources, or even chalk to use on the cracked black board? As much as parents at the rural Ugandan schools try to close the chasm of need, most often the demands of the children cannot be met.

What would you do if this were happening to your child or at your child’s school? Just Like My Child has learned, after we’ve helped build six school structures, that in order for our schools to be more than just a building, we need to help fill the gap. Our first school, The Children’s Academy of the Collective Heart, is a private school which we have helped stock with amazing teachers, an extraordinarily talented Headmistress, and enough books and supplies so that every child can learn.

We are now leveraging the enormous brain trust we have at that school to help all of the public schools we have rebuilt. We are conducting teacher trainings and supporting the formation of parent teacher associations that help the schools maintain a clear and compelling future for extraordinary education. In addition, we are raising awareness and funds so that children in all of our schools can have books and other educational resources.

Just Like My Child wants every child in Uganda to have a safe place to learn, happy and well-trained educators, and the materials required for a promising future.

Through Just Like My Child’s “Project Universal Education” thousands of children will attend clean, bright, and safe schools that they previously would never have been able to access. Just $100 helps provide a Ugandan student with his or her own desk, school supplies, and textbooks for the entire year? You can help support our efforts by making a tax deductible gift here.