A New Dream to a New Village 2008-2010

Our new village in 2008

Once a mustard seed is sown and someone available waters it, it grows into a surprising giant tree.

Similarly, while 2004-2007 were years of sowing and planting of the RSDA, the following years were for watering and consolidation. Its amazing to see the tremendous change that took place between2007 and 2010 both to the kids in the project and the community.

With God's abundant blessing  and people's generosity on our side, the impossible became true. The rapid growth of the organization did not only leave us with an inspiration to improve it but of creating it into a children's new village. And as you look on the picture on the right and below, you will get a sense of what I am talking about . They portray our new Rubanda Solidarity village. We are trying to put up strong structures as our strategy for long term saving and little land maximization. This will enhance our great quest for quality education delivery to kids in Rubanda community. Its also our concern to provide employment and market  to the community by building an organization that is community focused, creates employment to the massive unemployed youth and provide market for local products like wood, food, bricks and by-products like charcoal, extra in the community. Knowing quite well that many parents can't afford paying school fees for their children and also that many children are orphans, we are also developing a program of providing parents or guardians with opportunities of paying in kind. This could be in terms of food or labor service to the school to be translated into cash for school fees.

To the youth in particular, we are developing an income generating skills program. This program includes; revolving fund scheme, knitting and sewing, animal and agricultural farming, brick and block making, mushroom growing, extra.  We would like to deploy and viable skill at our disposal for be able to assist the massive unemployed youths and mothers who provide over 75 % of household survival incomes with limited or no financial management skills nor ownership. Please look at these pictures below that take you through our new school dormitory construction, a project initiated in 2008 and completed in 2010 with funding partnership from Brasilita and Cuore Amico organizations.

2008:construction of the new dormitory

A2008: dorm walling



2008 dormitory Basement

    

 

2010

 

 

Parents come to visit their children on a VD 2009



2008: Kids enjoy new skills

The Dream continues 2006-2007

2006: Class & dormitory construction

As the project progressed there was more certainty that this was a right project to the right community at the right time.

Eminent was the Impoverishment, high levels of school dropouts, illiteracy, diseases, increasing land crisis, fragmentation and erosion, growing crime and name it. And guess who was the most victim; children, youths and women.

At that time, any one who took little time to observe what was happening in the community truly observed that things were going from bad to worse, deem light to darkness and something urgent was badly needed to avert the situation.

2007: Newly improved classes

Inspired by the same observation an initiative already launched in 2005 continued to grow steadily between 2006 and 2007. The community was getting more involved and participative, a spirit that is project friendly and continues to nurture and sustain our  program projects.

Rubanda Solidarity today is proud of being able to reach out to many families and children. Through our meager financial resources we have been blessed by the Lord with generous hearts who are jointly working hard through to eliminate the already accumulated darkness that had hoovered over the community. Together we are lighting up an immeasurable candle for the children and the community through various activities like child education support: sponsorship that includes access to food, better sanitation, healthy care, clean clothing, safe drinking water, security, quality education, family support and so on.

2006: Kids tour their new compound

From no school, no student we had 90 in 2004 and 286 in 2012 with 22 candidate students sitting for first Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) this Year. Their success is a big boost to our kids, our school and the community. We appreciate the contribution of all those behind their making and success.

Together we are not only creating a big smile to these little children but raising up a future for generations to come. Our continuous pledge, therefore, is that Rubanda Solidarity Development Association remains true to its vision and mission and continue to offer opportunities to people of good will to reach out to the needy. This will facilitate us in recreating the world a better place for all even the poor. 

2006: Kid arrival at the new classes

Please, follow the string of pictures below to relive our 2006-2007 development activities that confirm our journey together.

2006: Parents and Adm. parallel projects complete

2007: New school dining complete

2007: Kids enjoy their new dining hall

2007: The community tours the project

2007: The community admire school gardening hobby

   

2007: A 1st 7 solar bulb light is installed

2006: Novita, a school dropout trained makes school uniforms

2007: Women seek unity to eradicate poverty

Humble Beginnings of 2005

2005; Welcome to kids

I will never forget the experience of 2005 that followed the announcement of beginning Rubanda Solidarity nursery and primary school. As the voice of Kigezi (VOK) radio roared the beginning of the school we got an influx of people. Some were brought by enthusiastic parents and guardians but others come because their children pestered them for a new school. 

We received over two hundred kids in a single day and yet we had no premise of our own than a little rented shelter. Our decision was to take a few and return the rest of the kids home. It was the most saddening time I ever saw. Telling a kid who is happy to go to school to go back home. It was disappointing.

200: Negotiating the house rent

As time has proved, it's incredible how we often under estimate the size of a mustard see.  Rubanda Solidarity school began like a mustard seed that now is attracting many birds from near and far. The school that began with 90 students for a study year under a tree is now hosting 286 and only limited funds and space.

It began on foreign grounds, grew to hired field and slowly by slowly extended its roots into its own humus soils. This has taken us a journey of eight year with roots digging deeper.



2005: Orphans arrive at the school

 See the string of snaps captured as far back as eight years ago in 2005.



2005: Welcome to kids at a new school





2005: A new toy to attract kids to school





2005: School administration




2005: Children receive school uniform





2005: School staff





2005: out door kitchen

                                                                                     
                     



2005: Our new kitchen



2005:Children enjoy new facilities



2005: PTA Committee



The Dream & History of Rubanda Solidarity 2004-2012

 2004: Study Year

Volunteer teachers with new kids admired by public school students in the background 2004

This article is published by Fr. Dominic Tumusiime who is an indigenous son of Rubanda community, with an experience of vast traveling and Gospel mission work in Africa and USA as an ordained catholic priest. 

The article unveils the origins and history of Rubanda Solidary Development Association (RSDA) in Rubanda community. It also highlights how its existence inspired and given birth to  Rubanda Solidarity Nursery Primary School (RSN/PS), the first private primary school in Rubanda community. The mission of this school remains to have improved conditions of living through the provision of quality education to both boy and girl child. This would in a long run provide quality knowledge, build equality, enhance good employment and salary earnings, savings that enable other outcomes like; better resources to food, healthy services, housing, education, mobility and communication, leisure and others. 

A brief history of formal education in Uganda is that it has evolved  along the years. Before  Independence in 1962, schools were run by colonial powers and missionaries  of each church entity. But after independence things changes. Most of the colonial run school were taken over by the new government while missionary founded schools remained run by churches until later when most of the them were nationalized. 
Those nationalized schools started to receive sponsorship from the state and those which were not including seminaries remained private and self sponsored.  However, the greatest challenge of formal primary education both during and shortly after colonial rule in Uganda was to convince majority Ugandans that the white man's formal education system being imposed on them was of any value. Because many were highly suspicious of it being the white man's trap to steal away their children, property and corrupt their moral and social life. And when the issue came to girls' formal education, the resistance was double as it was believed that the girl would be easily morally corrupted, stolen or even educated to the advantage of the future husband's family.

 As time went on, state and church run schools performed side by side, people came to understand the difference and started to make choices according to their financial possibilities. And this historical factor has remained a measuring stick between private/church and government run schools. 

Another important factor between church and government run schools is that church schools are considered private and mainly sponsored by the community which has power to decide on its affairs of development with no unnecessary bureaucracies. The running depends on their funds those solicited from donors to top up. This makes a big difference in the governance and responsibility of the community between the two schools. For example, while government schools are supposed to be state run, there is never enough funds to fully equip the school with all that is needed including school meals and teachers, the biggest setbacks to children's morale. 

During my early inspirations into why children were dropping out of school, I was very much thinking of the lack of  meals at school but I had no facts nor a research to base myself on. As and opportune time seemed to have arrived, in 2004 assisted by Sr. Stellamaris Kyasiimire of the Good Counsel of Mbarara set up a study class of ninety students. Since our main concern was to find out whether our hypothesis of lack of meals at school was the main cause of drop out, we encouraged the community to contribute financially and make up a fund for a mug of corn breakfast for each kids every morning before entering the class.   The study class with to community volunteer teachers allocated in a public school premises under a big tree since we was no free room. 

After a year under the tree, we conducted an evaluation with an amazing results that confirmed our kids in the program were waking up very early and running to school. When asked by their parents why they go so are under the dark they would reply, "we do not want to find breakfast finished", many parents narrated. In the whole year program, we did not find any absenteeism due to food other than sickness or parents carelessness.

In 2005 together with two other students Valentina and Morgan from Roma Tre University in Rome, we carried out another research for our maters in Human development and Food security. In this research we found out that chronic poverty was another major cause for children's drop out. Because children provide labour for food production in almost all households. And school program would interfere so much with this provision that has no alternative source. This is a silent major conflict to food security. 

Back to RSDA. Rubanda  Solidarity Development Association started in 2002 through supporting a family that had adopted three orphans in their big sizeable family of eleven persons. The orphans had lost both parents to HIV/AIDS virus in the same month in 2002 leaving both of them at Rubanda health center where parents were being assisted. 

At the beginning everything is always atrial.  My first move then was to support a family that had adopted three of the five kids into their largely sized family of eleven persons plus three more kids with a project of five chicken layers meanwhile I continue to study the situation and find out a better solution. Soon the family project grew from one to twelve families and to thirty six in a difference of one year. 
What made this incredible growth was the system used in motivating the mothers who badly need other means of income as the main providers to most households. We created a small project of providing a start up capital for three chickens, construction of a chicken house and provide feed them for one month until they begin to lay eggs and make income to sustain the project. 
And the means of group expansion was a condition we put that each member who received chickens would commit herself to rear them crossbreed and return one chicken to the group. The returned chichen would then be given out to new members. This was tremendously successful. However, its main challenge was the endless bottomless hole of poverty they had to feed with very limited source of income.  " Its very difficult to think of saving when there is no dinner for the children nor keep an egg for another chicken when there is no dinner for children" one woman boldly exclaimed at one of the women's regular meeting. 
There were so many lessons drawn from the chicken project that encouraged us to think of more ways to support women and youth and prompted us to seek registration of our young organization. We started the process and in 2005 we were registered as a CBO (Community Development Organization)m targeting vulnerable Children, Youths and Mothers. 

The Rubanda Solidarity Development Organization is located in South western Uganda, Kabale district, Rubanda county, Ikumba Subcounty.   





 The origins of RSDA go  back to the invasion of the HIV/AIDS pandemic virus in the 1980s in Uganda and Rubanda in particular. The second reason was the increasing levels of poverty, growing number of orphans and widows  coupled by horrifying  primary school drop outs and chronic poverty in the community.

 For many years Fr. Dominic Tumusiime  who is a wondering why there was so much increase primary school drop out among kids in the only public government sponsored schools in the community not only in his family own family but in the entire community of Rubanda. Motivated also by increasing HIV/AIDS infection and serious social and healthy impact especially to increasing vulnerable children, youths and mothers Fr. Dominic pondered on what would be a timely solution.

sought for ways to offer some solution. vylnerable children trecking to find out the real causes of increasing poverty primary schools drop outs. Childing droping out of schools was incresingly getting getting out of hand. They had lots of resentments and many of them could hadly tell you their reasons but commonly express lack of money or lack of someone at home to assit them. Its was indeed a big problem within the only existing government public schools in Rubanda community.

Inspired by some kids who explicitly mentioned of hanger in the school, in the year 2004, I got curious to find out or confirm the hanger that kids had mentioned. With collaboration of Sr. Stellamaris Kyasiimire, a religious sister of the order of Good Counsel sister in Rubanda, I initiated a study year that involved 90 children. We opened up our pre-primary class program using St Andrew's goverment assisted primary school compound. However, our classes were under a tree due to lack of structures. For one year, two community volunteer teachers conducted classes from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. And every morning a cup of corn porridge was served to every kid.For every parent was asked to contribute 15,000 local currency equivalent to 6 dollar per year for each kid for breakfast evryday before the kids began their classes.

Sr. Stellamris Kyasiimire, teacher Angela  and kids 2004

Together with the community (children's) parents and guardians we agreed we raised 15,000 Ugandan Shillings equivalent to 6 US dollars for each child.
We found two generous community members to guide the kids as teachers.

A year later and evaluation conducted by Fr. Dominic Tumusiime, Sr. Stellamaris Kyasiimire, Mr. Rogers Orishaba and all the parents found enormous enormous Food was confirmed the major cause for children to resent going to school as most kids do not eat enough dinner, no food for packing while going to school, no school meals served  and no money to buy snacks during break. And most kids are worried of finding the little food available at home eaten by their little siblings staying at home.It was clear that food plays a great role in children's education by many parents commenting that conflicts had drastically dropped in their families between the involved kids and their parents than the kids outside the program. " Since this program started my kids always wake me up every morning to go to school and when I ask them why so early they say never stop saying, 'we do not want to arrive and find breakfast over' ", one of the parents joyfully  narrated. Coupled by other genuine reason like better standards of education and discipline observed among our study class kids, we decided to begin a private community school. However, we strongly believe that any community development must invest a lot on community involvement and participation for best results and long term sustainability. Consequently in the flowing pictures we give you a crew of what this journey was been like in 2004 and continues to be.

2005: launching and progress of the new community private school

Fr. Dominic-C, Morgan-R and Valentina sharing their research techniquies with the newly founded school PTA committee 2004

Breaking the ground for a new school 2005

Rubanda Solidarity School begins to stand 2005

Community Day & Boarding school 2005

The new school site gaining shape 2005

A trip Back From Africa

 

 Dear Friends

Steve Voehl and I left on January 25^th  for our long spoken trip to Africa. The 24 hour trip took us from Medford to St Francisco, Chicago – Brussels and lastly to Uganda landing at Entebbe International airport. Upon arrival on January 26^th we found Fr Julius Kabatereine from the same order with me waiting to pick us up for a one hour drive to the Apostles of Jesus Regional house where we received two nights accommodation before proceeding to south western Uganda.

The night we arrived, things changed and we soon realized that we were no longer in America. We had an electricity blackout just as we were being accompanied to our rooms. Darkness that befell our eyes  confined us to our rooms anxious to reduce the two days’ flight lag by taking a cool shower. But not until then were we told that there was no water for about two days. It was really frustrating for it was very hot and temperatures were highly unpleasant.  Two days later we left for Rubanda.

Tired and speechless, after eight hours long drive, crazy driving, and potholes, we finally arrived at Rubanda Solidarity Community School, the heart of our trip. Here, things were different. We were welcomed by cheerful and smiling faces of the school children that completely absorbed all the tiredness and fatigue we had accumulated as we traditionally hugged each other accompanied by a warm bath and delicious dinner.

To my amazement, it didn’t take long before Steve started familiarizing with the place, culture, and food which I was worried, for any person in a new place and culture. He adjusted so fast and started identifying the foods of his preference, like deep fried Lake Victoria Nile patch fish.  It was one of our favorite dishes along with Ugandan baked pizza. While enjoying the fish I recall overhearing Steve saying,” there is very little difference in foods with America except limited variety and the preparations.”  I admired his humility knowing where he comes from and how much he had to sacrifice to live as if he had nothing.

Sunday the 29^th,  became one of the most fascinating days when we went to church. While I was excited to be home and pray in my own mother tongue and with the whole body, it was different for Steve. I could see him trying to cope  with all  the African gestures with no word on his lips until I had to look to find an English missal for him. It was humbling for him and I recalled how I first felt the first time I came out of the sacristy at St Anne to celebrate my first Mass. I looked left and right and could not see any one like me and I said to myself, “Wow, is it only today?” I felt the same for Steve.

At the closing of the Mass, Steve was introduced and invited to greet the community. It was the first time I ever saw Steve lost for words out of joy.  I admired his courage and humility when he came forward to greet the congregation in the shortest words possible that left everyone smiling with mouths wide open for more.

Time was not our friend; days were running fast as we had a big  agenda to accomplish. My priority agenda was to be with my family, my school children and staff, meeting friends and relatives, and take Steve around the community. On the other hand, we had projects to realize: improve my mum’s chicken house, teach gardening, construct school children’s toilets and bathrooms, renovate our school front fence and fix a new gate to improve child security. We also had to strengthen different community development groups like the revolving fund association, community solar light project, meet the community to find a lasting solution for water scarcity, initiate a “Yamba Abaana Rubanda Solidarity” that is an association responsible for child sponsorship, continue to strengthen the school drop out youth activities,  and continue to consolidate land for future developments.

Our daily activities saw Steve focusing on gardening as his most conversant area of need and the son of the soil left swimming in the sea of the whole mission-the community.

We are very happy that most of our planned activities were realized though we failed to see the completion of everything due to limited time. The chicken house renovation was delayed due to the disclosed plan for my parents to relocate their residence to a nearby place that is more accessible to the road as they advance in age. We had delicious meals with my family and recall the beautiful get-together sharing everything with Steve like a member of the family. On the other hand, the garden plan was slightly affected by the neighboring mobile chickens and hazardous soil insects. Chickens are the main source of family conflicts with neighbors in my community. Zero grazing would be the best but how many can afford it? Actually I recall Steve, frustrated by these chickens exclaiming, “Let us go and catch all of them for a slaughter. That would be the first failure in good neighborliness,”  I replied.

We were able to accomplish more than our time. We constructed twelve stance toilets and same number of bathrooms separating them by gender, sensitivity requirements (urinal & incinerator). This project has been exciting and interesting. It brought together and involved many community members and provided employment to many poor youth. It was also the first school in the whole district to have this kind of project to invest in improving sanitation for better health and quality education according to the district’s health inspector of school. For more information and enrichment please  contact me to see our –trip- and our work done in a photo album.

Our community and our projects have many needs that need prioritizing. Once the current projects are closed our immediate priorities are to continue to build up our sponsorship base, consolidate more land, construct a nursery school section at a separate location as required by the government provide better services to children, quality education,  and strengthen the existing income generating skills for school drop out youth and mothers.

Last, but most importantly, all this has been possible because of the generous hearts of many people from the local community, Grants Pass and Europe, who donated for our trip and mission. There is never nothing too little to the poor. Each contribution adds greatly to creating a difference. It’s indeed already visible as the community members witness the sign of your love and with Steve Voehl representing each of you in our community. It was an honor.

May God continue to regenerate his love within each one of us so as to be more visible in our world today.

Have a Wonderful EASTER of the Risen Lord.

A Journey Back Home For A Mission

 By Fr. Dominic Tmusiime,AJ

Dear parishioners of St. Ann's and friends

As days draw near for my vacation to Africa, I increasingly feel that, “I will miss you”

Being a missionary has challenges, such as missing home and friends, but also has its honey source, a sweetness in meeting other people, cultures and witnessing different environments. All these lead to a richer person with rich experience and diverse friends, all for which I am grateful. But I always loved to have my home vacation.

I recall my first missionary vacation in 1996 after a full three years in an Ethiopian mission. After three years in a very busy, poverty stricken but faithful and enduring mission, I felt so exhausted and in need of rest. But my vacation turned out to be another mission at home.

During my first early vacations I noticed a lot of suffering in the community. Situations such as the lack of clean drinking water and affordable lighting, among other factors brought about by acute poverty, prompted me to decide to do all I can to make a difference. This determination has left me with two mission fields; a field far way from home and that at home. Amazingly, I have seen both missions develop and grow, which reminds me that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. God needs us, especially when we are able to give our time for others.

And with this, I have put at the top of my vacation agenda the following: to upgrade my mom’s chicken house, to sit with the kids at school for religious and social formation, to construct a toilet and bathrooms for children with help from our friends in Europe and from Christmas gifts from some of our parishioners and friends here, to meeting parents and different community members and groups for sharing, evaluating and planning for a better future.

Last but most importantly, I wish to meet my family and friends and narrate the wonders God has shown me as a missionary priest, including those from Grants Pass. I know I can’t find enough words to put it right but all I can admit is that God has been good to me. He has always pointed his finger on where to go and pointed me to St Ann’s Catholic community. I know that I will find a better way to share in my mother’s tongue when the time comes.

You are so special to me and I will greatly miss all of you but confidently say, “If I did not go then they wouldn’t have a reason to miss me”.

 Stay cool,

God Bless you all

24 Graduate @ Rubanda Solidarity School

The 2011 school calendar ended with  24 students graduating from nursery to primary school at Rubanda Solidarity school premises. 

Congratulations to you all !

The first of December 2011 will always be an unforgettable and historical date at Rubanda Solidarity Nursery and Primary school and the entire community of Rubanda. Amidst jubilations and excitement, 24 of the Nursery Top students graduated to Primary one.

The colorful day was graced by various  guests with Ms Vastine representing the district's Education officer, District Inspector of schools as our guest speaker, Mr Ruhumuriza as the diocesan education secretary, parents of the graduands and others, the community members, school children, staff and administration were all part of the colours of the day. It was indeed a moving and an inspiring moment seeing to see these young and great men and women of tomorrow in colourful gowns, a symbol of hope and a bright future. "This is the foundation of all future gowns/degrees to better life", the director general commented.

This cute boy reads the graduands' speech

Stellamaris K. & Teachers join graduands

In his opening speech, the founder of the school Fr. Dominic Tumusiime,  reminded the community that Rubanda Solidarity school stands for the community development through quality education to children.
 
He emphatically said, "Children are a responsibility for all" and this school is in the realization of this universal and noble call inspired by the very words of Christ, "Leave the little children come to me and do not hinder them for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Mt 19:14"

Students dance for graduands while parents & visitors watch

It seems, there is no way in modern times, how man can come out of poverty alienated of quality education which should be an integral development of a child. And nursery education has been curved to fill these gaps that children and the society would miss once not found in their families. Nursery education therefore is aimed at providing the backbone of education which our kids greatly need today more than ever before.

In their inspirational speech (see top right pic.), the graduands thanked God for giving them parents and guardians who  care unlike many kids who suffer and are not in school around their communities. For even some of these children's brothers and sisters are not in school because parents can't afford  the requirements or others even do not care at all of child education. They know of many of their friends still who are in public school and are not able to distinguish a from b even in grade two.

After their graduation the kids pointed at the future with a smile and hope

The graduands thanked the school administration for the good vision and mission " Improve quality of life through the provision of quality education to children". They hailed the commendable good work all their teachers, matrons and all staff are doing. When asked to mention one aspect of the good things teachers and all staff are doing, one kid said, " they teach us well in class and good manners". They also thanked the school  surrounding community (neighbours), for providing peace and security for them. 

With special gratitude, the graduands appreciated and thanked all their friends and school friends who partner with the school to make their life better and their school time an enjoyable time. "Thank you all", they conclude.
 Then, amidst cheers and laud acclamations from the  parents, visitors and the whole congregation, the graduands were matched to the high table for the last part of their ceremony where they enjoyed a delicious lunch before they left for their vacation in the company of their parents and guardians. That was a day to be remembered.

Some of the visitors who conferred certificates to the students 2011.12.01

This kid above handles her precious gown as she draws inspirations from the guests of the day into her own future carrier .  Let's wait and see what comes out of her as I remember being challenged by one kid who asked me, "Uncle, what's wrong with the adults of today? They do not give us advice, they only shout at us".

Certainly the society of today needs more role models that these kids can look at and rely upon to find a clear way into an easier but complex world.