Happy Holidays. Happy New Year.
May 2008 bring you joy and fulfillment.

8-year-old Sarah Nantaayi drew these holiday pictures for you.

As 2007 draws to a close, we celebrate our children’s progress and their dreams for the future.

They are doing well in school. One-third of our students ranked in the top ten of their class this past term.

They remain committed to their education:

Okello Ronald’s Journey
by Stephen Magezi
Senior 2 student, Okello Ronald, is a former child soldier. Ronald was abducted at the age of ten. He witnessed his father’s death and had his right arm amputated after he was shot during a battle.

During his school holdiays in August, 2007, Ronald returned to his grandmother’s village in Pader to relax and help her with her daily chores. Ronald says, “I always look at her when she is seated cooking, lifting her eyes from the fire to the pot, I always wonder, ‘What is she thinking about? Is she thinking about the food she is cooking or trying to put togethert the scattered pieces of this war puzzle?’ I think the later.”

Okello was trapped in his grandmother’s village when floods hit northern Uganda just as it was time to go back to school. Ronald relates, “I used to love rain so much because we did not have to fetch water from the well but could use rain water to drink. As this could save our feet from having to walk long distances. But this time I wanted to go back to school and the floods closed the roads making rain became a very disagreeable guest in Pader.”

“One morning I heard an army helicopter coming to our village to deliver food. I now knew the time had come for me to go back to school, so I put on my shoes and waited earnestly.”

When the chopper arrived, Ronald walked straight to the commander and told him, “My name is Okello Ronald and I’m going to fly on your chopper because I’m getting late for my school lessons and it’s my last term of Secondary Level 2.”

The commander was amazed at the determination of this young man to continue his education. He allowed Ronald to fly with the army. Ronald made it back to school on time.

Donate

LEAD Uganda has two premium contribution levels: Sponsor and Patron.
Sponsors and Patrons receive a photo, letters from
their student, and progress reports from us.

Sponsors pay all costs for one child — $150 a month.

$150 a month — $5 a day pays for
everything a child needs to succeed: school fees, books, clothes, medical care, workshops in math, science, computers, and leadership, emotional support, counseling, and a family.

Sponsors are assigned a student. They receive monthly letters from their student, and progress reports from us. They may also receive photographs, drawings, and other materials.

Patrons donate $50 or $100 a month.

$100 a month – $3 a day - pays school fees (tuition), plus room, and board, books, and uniform at one of the best high schools in Uganda.

$50 a month – $1.50 a day – covers school fees for one scholar at a top school.

Patrons receive letters from students and progress reports from us. They are not assigned one student.

Please give what you can. Every donation helps.

$25 a month covers workshops in leadership, video, science, and writing, transportation home during school breaks, school visits, and staff support for one student.

$10 a month buys school supplies. clothes, shoes for one child.

$5 a month provides medical care and books for one student.

Please help a child achieve his or her dreams.
All contributions make a difference.

LEAD Uganda is a 501(c)3 non-profit.
Donations are tax deductible.

Newsletter Editor
Stephen Magezi, Deputy Director, Concern for the Future

Photography © 2007, Stephen Shames / Polaris Images

Please feel free to distribute or forward this newsletter to friends, co-workers, and anyone else you think would like to know about the situation in Uganda and our program.

People Magazine’s current issue (December 17, 2007) contains a four page article about our 8-year-old Sarah Nantaayi.

People Magazine PDF

Steve first met Sarah, a double orphan, when she was 11-month-old in March, 2000, at the funeral of her mother. (Her dad died before she was born.) Sarah’s 12-year-old sister, Rose, was made head of household. When Rose had a chance to go to boarding school, 10-year-old Sanyu took over.

Today, Sarah is in 2nd grade at Budo Junior School, the best primary school in Uganda. She is consistently in the top ten of her class at this elite school. Sarah was made “dorm mom”. She leads 60 kids in her dorm.

Sarah and her three siblings attend top schools thanks to donors like you, who support the efforts of the Stephen Shames Foundation.

Please consider sharing the holiday spirit with needy Ugandan children.

Transform their lives by making it possible for them to attend the best schools.

Donate

LEAD Uganda has two premium contribution levels: Sponsor and Patron.
Sponsors and Patrons receive a photo, letters from
their student, and progress reports from us.

Sponsors pay all costs for one child — $150 a month.

$150 a month — $5 a day pays for
everything a child needs to succeed: school fees, books, clothes, medical care, workshops in math, science, computers, and leadership, emotional support, counseling, and a family.

Sponsors are assigned a student. They receive monthly letters from their student, and progress reports from us. They may also receive photographs, drawings, and other materials.

Patrons donate $50 or $100 a month.

$100 a month – $3 a day - pays school fees (tuition), plus room, and board, books, and uniform at one of the best high schools in Uganda.

$50 a month – $1.50 a day – covers school fees for one scholar at a top school.

Patrons receive letters from students and progress reports from us. They are not assigned one student.

Please give what you can. Every donation helps.

$25 a month covers workshops in leadership, video, science, and writing, transportation home during school breaks, school visits, and staff support for one student.

$10 a month buys school supplies. clothes, shoes for one child.

$5 a month provides medical care and books for one student.

Please help a child achieve his or her dreams.
All contributions make a difference.

LEAD Uganda is a 501(c)3 non-profit.
Donations are tax deductible.

Newsletter Editor
Stephen Magezi, Deputy Director, Concern for the Future

Photography © 2007, Stephen Shames / Polaris Images

Please feel free to distribute or forward this newsletter to friends, co-workers, and anyone else you think would like to know about the situation in Uganda and our program.