Winter Snow Starts @ St Michael - Sandy

Hi, winter just started today at St. Michael-Sandy. Its awesome to see green trees turn into white trees, snow dropping on ones head as you walk under, grass snow veiled all and house tops losing their original mix of colors to white. Any way it's good for seeing and gardens.

Second KG Graduation 2012

Congratulations to all our graduands!

Please, join the parents and Rubanda Solidarity Nursery/Primary School administration to congratulate the 28 kids who successfully made it to grade/class one this year. They are cute. These children follow their 21old friends who made it last year 2011. We are very proud of them as they make our service real and the future bright. Please enjoy some of the snaps below taken during their graduation ceremony on December 2nd 2012.

From right Fr. Charles Lwanga, district inspector of schools, Sr. Beatrice and Mr. Innocent the head teacher hand certificates to the graduands 12.02.2012

Sr. Stellamaris and Teachers Angela look on as children pause for their group photo after graduation. Our school objective is to provide equal education opportunities for both boy and girl child. For the first time we have  equal gender numbers of 14/14 children in a class for both boys and girls.



 The guest of honor, Kabale district chief inspector of schools 2nd right, Rector St. Adrian's seminary and school chaplain Fr. Bonifance Katatika grace the graduation and admire children's' plays. 



Kids line up for lunch to join their graduands to celebrate



Parents look on as kids push through dust during sunny seasons and mud during rains with limited safe drinking and washing water.

Welcome to Rubanda-Uganda

Hello Paul and Winie Benvenuti, welcome to Rubanda!

We can't wait seeing you with us next months. Our kids have just left for home to enjoy their Christmas holidays and will be back to school early February next year when you have already arrived in Uganda. They are very eager to meet you  and are preparing to host you at their school facility.

Fr. Dominic's family, the organization and the school  staff are  also anxiously looking forward to welcoming you all to make sure you feel comfortable and become part of the family. Your visit adds great joy to us.
We wish you a happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2013 and above all, a safe journey. We have been told by father Dominic that his services there are spread out to three communities of St. Michael, St. John and St Aloysius. Please extend our greetings, love and prayers. to all of them.

Webare kwiija (Welcome)!

21 SIT FOR THEIR UPLE EXAMS

First CANDIDATES (21) who sat for their UPLE between 5-6th November 2012

The year 2012 will never be forgotten in Rubanda community, Rubanda Sucounty, Kabale district and Uganda. Its the year when Rubanda Sollidarity Nursery/Primary school has got its first primary candidates since 2005 when the school started.

Candidates before leaving the school November 7th 2012

The 21 candidates, 11 were girls and 10 were boys. Some of these students were among the first 90 pupils who assisted as a  study class to find out why school dropout was increasingly growing in government.  This was based on a hypothesis that lack of enough food at the household and lack of meals at government schools in Rubanda community was the major cause came up successful. The study found out that majority of the children in the community didn't want to go to school  because of fear that the little food at or prepared in their absence would be consumed by their younger siblings while at school. This made them to always find excuses to miss school.
With this discovery new life began for the children in Rubanda. The first private nursery and primary school were opened in 2004 to offer both day and boarding school opportunities. It was also to offer these same opportunities to both boy and girl children. With this school, life will never been the same again for children in Rubanda.

1st Candidates take a farewell photo 7th Nov. 2012

Today as you move in the village, you can hear children cry out to their parents to that they want to go to the boarding school while the day scholars are asking to be boarders or jump out of their beds so early every morning to rash to the school just not to find school breakfast over. However, their mind and attitudes are changing. They now love to read, invent and are getting more and more eager and curious to work hard and change life. They all speak of their big and wonderful future dreams. On the other hand, its amazing to see girls can confidently compete with boys. Something that was never encouraged by tradition and culture. They now do it without shame, fear or embarrassment. They are learning to be equal.

 The journey to build this confidence has not been so easy. Though creating a sense of equal opportunities has been our major focus our main obstacle and resistance has been the culture, social and economic poverty. These are the major barriers to rural development However, our success has been great by creating a big difference in our gender sensitive education policies. For example in 2005 only 20% of our students were  girls compared to 80% of boys. Today things have changed with 45% boys and 55% girls present in our school capacity of 288 students.

Our great appreciation goes to each and every one who has contributed to this great adventure and opportunity for our children: parents and children, community volunteers, donors and administration 

Another Landslide hits Eastern Uganda

Another tragedy has hit the people of Bududa in Easter Uganda. Several people are reported dead, others still missing and many on the run in fear of continuous landslides according to monitor news reporter who provided the following report and an aerial picture.



"Aerial view of one of the areas in Bulucheke, Bududa that was hit by landslides following a heavy downpour on Monday. More than 100 people are still feared missing as more than 18 have been confirmed dead, according to officials on the ground. Two years ago, a similar catastrophe occurred and at least 200 people died in Nametsi, Bududa. photo by Steven Wandera". 

Sports and Local Donors

2012: "Yamba Abaana" Ministry community team

 "Yamba Abaana" Ministry is a new adventure in Rubanda Solidarity Development Association.

Its goal is to reach out more to the community through the parents and guardians of children on sponsorship program by getting them more involved in sponsorship activities. Its also to draw more attention to the need of local community involvement, support, and long term sustainability of the ministry.

 The name "Yamba Abaana" was chosen during a general meeting between the organization's administration team, parents and guardians of the child sponsored that sat on 18th February 2012. It comes from the Kiga native language of western Uganda and literally means "Help children". While "Yamba" means "help", "Abaana" means "children". And its considered a ministry because its founded on the principles of love and Christ .

The reasons why wording was preferred in a native language other than English was to make more sense to the community. The experience suggested that many organizations end up with foreign names that make less impact to the intelligibility of local communities. For instance, there is a general misconception in Rubanda that child sponsorship is a job done by rich foreigners. And yet we have many local people sponsoring, adopting and taking care of thousands of orphans, children with disabilities and less fortunate  and are hardly spoken of as sponsors. The picture above is one example of those generous community members who are selflessly sustaining the life of children in the community and holding up a candle in defense of children.They do a noble job.

2012: "Yamba Abaana" Ministry committee members

"Yamba Abaana" Ministry, therefore is a new tool of opportunities for anybody in and out of the community  to join hands to reach out to many children desperately yearning for a future.

All of us need to get on board and reach out to children in the community and a round the world as a common responsibility.

 Our "Yamba Abaana" Ministry that was initially launched in 2004 by a family adopting and sponsoring three children is now booming with 286 children on the program with over 50 of them having  been able to obtain sponsorship from both local and foreign generous hearts.
Acknowledging the miracles happening with the "Yamba Abaana" Ministry, we anticipate more volunteers and generous members on board a reality that prompts us to a good leadership system, good accountability and service delivery to children and the society.

As part of our foresight,we have expanded our management team to include community members. The second picture is of the members of the community to the "Yamba Abaana" Ministry management team. Part of their responsibility is to plan, implement and evaluate what the group deliberates. They also participate in identifying the neediest children since their number is more than available sponsors.They also take the task of educating the group and the children on: sponsorships, guidelines, funds, community contributions, parents/guardians and sponsored children responsibilities and expectations from both local and foreign sponsors.

 The limited committee that traces its origin as back as 2004 to serve three children and three sponsorships has since 2008 expanded to serve a group of over sixty sponsorships in 2012.


Why Need Child Sponsorships?

 Children are the future of any family, community and society and yet the most vulnerable and neglected in Rubanda community. And if at all their future is to make a difference, they need more attention and care, improved means of living and education. They desperately need quality education. But how will all this happen in a jungle of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.  It's only possible with combined effort of those who are able, educated and have an intuition of the future beyond today and tomorrow.

Rubanda Solidarity, therefore,  raises its flag high for quality education as the main Key to a better future and quality living in modern society. It's when people are educated that they should be able to distinguish right from wrong without ambiguities (not taken for granted).

Since its inception, Rubanda Solidarity has never lost its vision that changing the rural poverty conditions lies in providing quality education to young generations. This would bring about shifting of the trend of rural communities living for survival to investing for kids and the future. For this reason we concentrate on sensitizing individuals and the communities to make them more aware of education as a necessary means for change to a better life. And we are very excited of the progress done since 2004 and the new trends coming up.

Another issue that Rubanda Solidarity observed as a lost value is the diminishing sense of cultural unity in the community. Unity was and is power. But, unfortunately this has drastically changed due to modern social-economic pleasures that trigger lots of movements and separation of many families ans members search for jobs or better opportunities of life. However, in rural communities there still a big drive for unity as interdependence is an inevitable source of survival and poverty eradication. And funeral associations are some of these examples in Rubanda community.

One of the major challenges that Rubanda rural population faces today in their daily struggle for production for survival is limited, primitive and poor means of production. Rubanda depends on subsistence farming  with a hoe as their main tool of production. And this makes it difficult for farmers to compete with changing seasons. Unity is the only remedy.

 The same problem could be applied in educating children. There are many orphans and less fortunate children in Rubanda heavily depending on their extended poor families.There is no way one can think of quality education for these kids without paying recourse to the principles of unity for each other's support

Because of the great values community solidarity does to its members, Rubanda Solidarity is concerned over deteriorating sense of unity in the community. The modern economic pressure has thrown many into abandoning best community practices.  Our motto "United for success" is our means to all our development efforts. Revitalizing "unity is power" will certainly enhance relationships, promote labour force, multiply production, improve efficiency  and reduce conflicts and stress in between families and the community.

As an association , we are engaged in deploying and promoting all available opportunities that strengthen  unity. We target parents and guardians, leaders and children. And child sponsorship through "Yamba Abaana" Ministry is one of our best  vehicle of opportunities we have designed.

With this motto , the organization has grown from strength to strength with lots of projects for mothers, children and youths since 2004. Currently we are able to offer quality education for children, skills to income generating to mothers and youths. We are constantly building a sponsorship chain so that parents/guardians of  would be financially supported, their financial stresses minimized and best results attained. But we are still a long way to go as badly need more generous hearts to join us. .

"Yamba Abaana" Ministry 2012

2012: "Yamba Abaana" Ministry community team

 "Yamba Abaana" Ministry is a new adventure in Rubanda Solidarity Development Association.

Its goal is to reach out more to the community through the parents and guardians of children on sponsorship program by getting them more involved in sponsorship activities. Its also to draw more attention to the need of local community involvement, support, and long term sustainability of the ministry.

 The name "Yamba Abaana" was chosen during a general meeting between the organization's administration team, parents and guardians of the child sponsored that sat on 18th February 2012. It comes from the Kiga native language of western Uganda and literally means "Help children". While "Yamba" means "help", "Abaana" means "children". And its considered a ministry because its founded on the principles of love and Christ .

The reasons why wording was preferred in a native language other than English was to make more sense to the community. The experience suggested that many organizations end up with foreign names that make less impact to the intelligibility of local communities. For instance, there is a general misconception in Rubanda that child sponsorship is a job done by rich foreigners. And yet we have many local people sponsoring, adopting and taking care of thousands of orphans, children with disabilities and less fortunate  and are hardly spoken of as sponsors. The picture above is one example of those generous community members who are selflessly sustaining the life of children in the community and holding up a candle in defense of children.They do a noble job.

2012: "Yamba Abaana" Ministry committee members

"Yamba Abaana" Ministry, therefore is a new tool of opportunities for anybody in and out of the community  to join hands to reach out to many children desperately yearning for a future.

All of us need to get on board and reach out to children in the community and a round the world as a common responsibility.

 Our "Yamba Abaana" Ministry that was initially launched in 2004 by a family adopting and sponsoring three children is now booming with 286 children on the program with over 50 of them having  been able to obtain sponsorship from both local and foreign generous hearts.
Acknowledging the miracles happening with the "Yamba Abaana" Ministry, we anticipate more volunteers and generous members on board a reality that prompts us to a good leadership system, good accountability and service delivery to children and the society.

As part of our foresight,we have expanded our management team to include community members. The second picture is of the members of the community to the "Yamba Abaana" Ministry management team. Part of their responsibility is to plan, implement and evaluate what the group deliberates. They also participate in identifying the neediest children since their number is more than available sponsors.They also take the task of educating the group and the children on: sponsorships, guidelines, funds, community contributions, parents/guardians and sponsored children responsibilities and expectations from both local and foreign sponsors.

 The limited committee that traces its origin as back as 2004 to serve three children and three sponsorships has since 2008 expanded to serve a group of over sixty sponsorships in 2012.


Why Need Child Sponsorships?

 Children are the future of any family, community and society and yet the most vulnerable and neglected in Rubanda community. And if at all their future is to make a difference, they need more attention and care, improved means of living and education. They desperately need quality education. But how will all this happen in a jungle of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.  It's only possible with combined effort of those who are able, educated and have an intuition of the future beyond today and tomorrow.

Rubanda Solidarity, therefore,  raises its flag high for quality education as the main Key to a better future and quality living in modern society. It's when people are educated that they should be able to distinguish right from wrong without ambiguities (not taken for granted).

Since its inception, Rubanda Solidarity has never lost its vision that changing the rural poverty conditions lies in providing quality education to young generations. This would bring about shifting of the trend of rural communities living for survival to investing for kids and the future. For this reason we concentrate on sensitizing individuals and the communities to make them more aware of education as a necessary means for change to a better life. And we are very excited of the progress done since 2004 and the new trends coming up.

Another issue that Rubanda Solidarity observed as a lost value is the diminishing sense of cultural unity in the community. Unity was and is power. But, unfortunately this has drastically changed due to modern social-economic pleasures that trigger lots of movements and separation of many families ans members search for jobs or better opportunities of life. However, in rural communities there still a big drive for unity as interdependence is an inevitable source of survival and poverty eradication. And funeral associations are some of these examples in Rubanda community.

One of the major challenges that Rubanda rural population faces today in their daily struggle for production for survival is limited, primitive and poor means of production. Rubanda depends on subsistence farming  with a hoe as their main tool of production. And this makes it difficult for farmers to compete with changing seasons. Unity is the only remedy.

 The same problem could be applied in educating children. There are many orphans and less fortunate children in Rubanda heavily depending on their extended poor families.There is no way one can think of quality education for these kids without paying recourse to the principles of unity for each other's support

Because of the great values community solidarity does to its members, Rubanda Solidarity is concerned over deteriorating sense of unity in the community. The modern economic pressure has thrown many into abandoning best community practices.  Our motto "United for success" is our means to all our development efforts. Revitalizing "unity is power" will certainly enhance relationships, promote labour force, multiply production, improve efficiency  and reduce conflicts and stress in between families and the community.

As an association , we are engaged in deploying and promoting all available opportunities that strengthen  unity. We target parents and guardians, leaders and children. And child sponsorship through "Yamba Abaana" Ministry is one of our best  vehicle of opportunities we have designed.

With this motto , the organization has grown from strength to strength with lots of projects for mothers, children and youths since 2004. Currently we are able to offer quality education for children, skills to income generating to mothers and youths. We are constantly building a sponsorship chain so that parents/guardians of  would be financially supported, their financial stresses minimized and best results attained. But we are still a long way to go as badly need more generous hearts to join us. .