Dear Friend,
As America awakens to the consequences of its badly deteriorated relations with the rest of the world, please consider the work the Stephen Shames Foundation is doing in Uganda, Africa.
You may have seen the movie Blood Diamond and been shocked by the depiction of Solomon’s son, kidnapped as a child and forced to become a soldier in a brutal and meaningless war. You may have been dismayed by news accounts of the plight of millions of African youth orphaned by AIDS or languishing in refugee camps.
My many later visits to East Africa — from my first trip in 2000 documenting the lives of AIDS orphans to my last in 2006 where I photographed former-child soldiers living in refugee camps — convinced me that educating Africa’s future judges, doctors, political leaders, educators, and agronomists was the most valuable thing the West could do to promote democracy and prevent future civil strife and terrorism.
I started the Stephen Shames Foundation to help children like these become leaders. I hope you’ll join with us to support and educate a gifted child for the sake of Uganda’s future — and ours.
Our approach — locating forgotten children with innate talents and molding them into leaders — does more than just help a few kids. Instead, it represents a vision for the future: the strengthening of African culture and society, the alleviation of its poverty, and ultimately the creation of a safer world.
To accomplish this goal, we partner with, raise funds for, and provide financial oversight for Concern for the Future, a Ugandan-run non-profit.
Concern for the Future identifies very smart, motivated AIDS orphans, escaped child soldiers, refugee-camp children, street kids, and working children who dream of attending university but can’t because of poverty, AIDS, and war, and provides them with everything they need to succeed: school fees, books, supplies, food, clothes, medical care, and emotional support.
Our program is unique. While ensuring that our students are taught essential subjects such as math, civics, and computer proficiency, along with marketable 21st-century skills such as video and Web design, we also ensure that they are imbued with a strong work ethic and a desire to serve.
In the short time since the program began, we have watched our students achieve striking success.
With your help, the 75 highly talented youngsters currently enrolled will complete their high-school and university education and go on to help East Africa achieve a better, more prosperous future.
Please donate to the Stephen Shames Foundation by credit card or check. Credit card donations may be made on our Web site: http://www.stephenshames.org/
Sincerely,
Stephen Shames
Concern for the Future Staff
Monica Nankoma is the director of Concern for the Future. Monica has been a business administrator for ten years working with various companies and non-profits. Monica recently served as director of Life in Africa Foundation, which helps low income women through micro enterprise.
Ms. Nankoma held corporate positions at WeighTec International, a leading company in the field of weighing scales and calibrations; and Danitrax Uganda Ltd, a car tracking and fleet management company. Monica is the mother of three teenagers: Dorah, David, and Dick.
It’s Working
• 65% of our high school students attend the top high schools.
• 46% of our primary kids attend Budo Jr., the #1 school.
• In 1 year we doubled the number of students in elite schools.
Help us continue this incredible progress.
Help a child achieve his or her dreams.
Student Achievements
Two of our 8th grade students, John Baidu and Ntege Paul ranked #1 academically in their grades last term. They and three other students were admitted to Uganda Martyr’s Senior Secondary – Namugongo.
Ssekanjako Musa, a former street kid, got a top score on his Primary Leaving Exam and was admitted to Kings College Budo. His score of 6 agregates may be the best score ever achieved by a street kid. (Namugongo and Budo are the two best high schools in Uganda.)
Kasozi Hilda, Wasswa Charles, and Okello Ronald were elected prefects (presidents) of their class.
We are particularly proud of Ronald, who was, abducted, saw his father killed, and lost his right arm. His first term, he sat in the corner crying, avoiding other students. By the end of second term, he became class prefect.
Five students were admitted to Budo, Uganda’s #1 primary school, bringing our number if students there to eleven.
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 Shames
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.