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8 L.E.A.D Uganda Students Excel on National Exams!

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

6 of our 8 students taking their National 7th grade

Primary Leaving Examinations received 1st grades or A’s;

2 received high 2nd grades or B+s.

1st Grade – 6 students:
A+: Amos and Edward, A: Rahim, Kalungi, and Innocent, A-: Martha

Second Grade – 2 students
B+: Ojok and Shirat

All eight of our students were admitted to top high schools.
L.E.A.D Uganda has more students in top schools than any other NGO in Uganda.

We are so proud of them. Please join us in congratulating them for their hard work.

Amos: A+ / 1st Grade: 5 aggregates – Admitted to King’s College Budo

Amos received a score of 5. He was the best in his school. Amos, who lives in Kitgum and is orphaned by the war in the north had one of the highest scores of children from his war-torn rural district. The newspaper came to Amos’ school to interview his teachers for a story about Amos.Amos was admitted into high school at the legendary Kings College Budo, one of Uganda’s top schools.

Edward – A+ / 1st Grade: 6 aggregates – Going to Namugongo

Edward is a double orphan who lives in a Kampala slum. He has been in and out of school due to money problems. He applied to L.E.A.D Uganda last year. Monica told him if he did well on his 7th grade PLE exam, we would take him. He studied hard and did spendidly.

Edward was admitted to Namugongo, one of Uganda’s top high schools.

Edward is a hard worker. He is persistent. Even though we told him we could not decide until after the exam results were in, he come by our office two or three times a week during his school break to wash dishes and clean the compound. That is the attitude we look for in students: determination and a willingness to help. We are delighted he has joined our family.

Posted in 2011, achieve, educate, high school, L.E.A.D Uganda, primary school, student, Uganda | No Comments »

Kimbowa Elected

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Kimbowa Elected Education Minister

Kimbowa, whom the students call “Obama” because of his oratory skills, was elected Education Minister at Seeta High Schoo. He gathered 70% of the votes against two competitors. “The students liked him most because he is composed and smart. He voluntarily led prayers before the campign, so the students were familiar with him,” says Sanyu, his L.E.A.D Uganda sister.

PHOTO: Kimbowa’s campaign poster

Kimbowa transfered to Seeta High after getting a 1st grade on his 11th Grade / “O” Level National Exams. He was Head Prefect (Student Body President) at his former school. He chose to run for Education Minister, rather than Head Prefect so he could concentrate on his studies. Kimbowa hopes to earn a Government Sponsorship to university next year.

An email from last year: “It is such a great excitement to me to write to you again. How have you been since we last spoke?

Just to let you know about what I have been up to this term in school. I am now in my final year in ‘O’ level (11th grade). I have just handed over my office as the school’s Head Prefect. I have to do this because I need to concentrate on my studies and score highly on my final exams at the end of the year.

I am proud of my service to my school as its Head Prefect. In my time as head prefect, I managed to improve on the discipline of the students. Being Head Prefect enhanced my public speaking skill. Before, I was a very shy student.

This term we had an exhibition at school with the theme ‘Maximize Your Potential’. It was aimed at helping my school, the community and our dear parents and guardians to create opportunities from locally available resources like grass, trees, land, and animals. 32 clubs were involved including; the Agriculture, Red Cross, Debate, and Art Clubs. My club demonstrated how to make shoe polish from old, used up batteries. We also made banana ice cream, soap, and tea from dried and pounded lemon. We gave the parents a little taste of what we produced: tea made from lemon skin, crushed jackfruit seeds and cocoa seeds. You should have been there. You missed!

I oversaw the whole program. I supervised my fellow students. I showed them how to explain what was going on to the visiting parents. You know, I was dressed like a laboratory attendant! I really enjoyed the appearance, though my friends were amused. I can tell you that all went well according to plan. It was a great day.

Thank everyone for their help keeping me in school. Their support has really helped me to ascend to great heights. To be a club president is no small feat for me. I can not forget that before I was a child worker, making and selling envelopes for pills. I was out of school. Now I am becoming a leader.

I will work very hard so that I make you proud of me by scoring excellent grades. I now need to sign off. I must attend my biology class.

I covet your prayers, Kimbowa

Posted in 2010, achieve, educate, high school, L.E.A.D Uganda, LEAD Uganda, leadership, student achievements, Students, Uganda | No Comments »

Sanyu elected to student government

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Sanyu Elected Uniform & Language Minister

Sanyu Nakyeyune, was elected Uniform and Language Minister at Seeta High after a three-way race. According Mrs. Kagoda, Seeta’s Headmistress, Sanyu is “is mature and knows what she wants. She demostrated the confidence and intellectual capacity to take on the ministerial role.”

Sanyu is the elder sister of Joseph, who was recently elected Head Boy of Budo Jr. School. At 10, Sanyu was head of the household, taking care of Joseph and Sarah. She has come a long way inthe past few years with the help of generous people like you and the L.E.A.D Uganda family.

PHOTO: Sanyu (right) in the computer lab.

Sanyu says, “My father died of AIDS when I was 4 years old. My mother died the next year. She left us in great sorrows with a 11-month-old baby, Sarah, 3-year-old Joseph. I used to stay home alone, as head ofthe family, and look after them when my elder sister and brother went to a boarding school

It was really hard for me to look after my little brother and my baby sister when I was 10-years-old. Can you imagine a 10-year-old girl looking after her sister and her brother? I had to to wake up very early in the morning to collect firewood from the forest, and fetch water from a borehole that was 1 km away from home. I had to travel a distance of 3 km to school every day on foot. After school, I dug in people’s gardens and washed people’s clothes to get money for food and to buy milk for the baby.

PHOTO: Sanyu in class at Seeta High, one of Uganda’s top high schools.

At that time, I thought my baby sister wouldn’t survive. There is a time when she got sick. I had no money to board a taxi and take her to the hospital. I didn’t have money for bills at the hospital and neither did I know what she was suffering from. I really lost hope.I thought my baby sister was going to die. Luckily she got better all by herself.

But God is great L.E.A.D Uganda came into my life. Ever since I joined L.E.A.D Uganda, everything has changed. L.E.A.D Uganda saved me from the sorrow of darkness.

Posted in 2010, achieve, educate, high school, L.E.A.D Uganda, leadership, student achievements, Students, Uganda | No Comments »

Teenager Eric Niles Helps Teens in Uganda

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

L.E.A.D Uganda received a $3,600 award from The Foundation For Jewish Philanthropies Teen Tzedakah Fund.

The effort to have L.E.A.D Uganda receive a donation was led by participant Eric Niles, who is the son of Dr. Charles and Ellen Niles. Eric has been aware of his parents’ involvement with L.E.A.D for a few years, and he wanted to do something on his own. Eric’s excellent presentation on behalf of LEAD resulted in the leadership program receiving the largest amount to a single agency.

The Teen Tzedakah Fund is a program designed to teach Jewish teens to embrace charity as a lifelong value. The seventeen teenage participants allocated $15,000 to Jewish and Non-Jewish agencies. Each participant gave a presentation to the entire panel regarding their favorite charity. The entire group then voted for the most deserving agencies, and how much money would be given to each.

Eric also collects used and new books from friends and family members, and sells them online in a bookstore he has created on Amazon.com. He has donated $450 from those proceeds to L.E.A.D Uganda. Eric is an outstanding young man, and we are proud to have him as a supporter.

Posted in 2010, Fund, high school, Students, USA | No Comments »

Rap Video

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Moses wrote and performed a rap song for L.E.A.D Uganda.

View the video.

Posted in 2010, Art, high school, Uganda | No Comments »

Students conduct workshops during January’s school break.

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

We train our students to be leaders: to see a problem and do something about it. Sanyu saw that our new students were shy and reluctant to speak up. So she enlisted the help of other students and ran a public speaking workshop for our dozen new students.

Many of our student-leadera held workshops and tutored their peers to help them perform better in school:

• Six of our high school students held workshops.

• 7th grader Amos conducted a workshop for primary students.

• Twenty students tutored and mentored younger students.

• Katongole held a workshop on getting into university.

• Moses won a scholarship to attend a leadership seminar in India.

Posted in 2010, college, educate, high school, L.E.A.D Uganda, leadership, middle school, primary school, student achievements, Students, Uganda | No Comments »

UNICEF Interviews Sanyu & Nokrach

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

UNICEF interviewed L.E.A.D Uganda students Sanyu and Nokrach at the United Nations recently.

The UNICEF podcast can be heard by clicking here:

Learning to be leaders in Uganda

If the link does not work, cut and paste this onto your browswer:

http://www.educationandtransition.org/resources/podcasts/learning-to-be-leaders-in-uganda/

L.E.A.D Uganda student Sanyu interviewed at the United Nations Radio.

This is what UNICEF said about the podcast on their website:

NEW YORK, USA, 8 February 2010 – UNICEF’s recently launched Humanitarian Action Report 2010, estimates that at least 1.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Uganda due to droughts, flooding, internal displacement and the return of at least 300,000 Ugandans following the cessation of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) activities.

Other UNICEF figures reveal that nearly half the estimated 2 million Ugandan orphans are orphaned due to AIDS, and the LRA has abducted more than 25,000 children since 1986.

Podcast moderator Amy Costello spoke with two Ugandan students, Sanyu, 14, who was orphaned by AIDS, and Nokrach, 16, a former child soldier, about their experiences and the transformative impact education has had on their lives.

“Maybe I’d be dead”

After losing both her parents to AIDS when she was very young, Sanyu had to drop out of school to take care of her young sister and brother.

Soon after, she met American photographer Steven Shames, and now Sanyu attends one of the top schools in Uganda. She is supported by Mr. Shames’ organization L.E.A.D. Uganda, an education and leadership program for disadvantaged children in Uganda.

When asked what she thought would have happened if she hadn’t become involved with L.E.A.D. Uganda Sanyu says thoughtfully, “I don’t know. Maybe I’d be dead”.

Becoming leaders

L.E.A.D Uganda student Nokrach interviewed at the United Nations Radio.

Nokrach says he was only 7 years old when rebel soldiers abducted him and forced him to fight in Uganda’s civil war.

After fleeing the conflict, Nokrach also became involved with L.E.A.D Uganda, and is now attending school, which he says has improved his confidence.

“I can lead my friends and lead the country maybe one day and I think I (now) have the courage and leadership skills… I believe I can make it,” he says.

Sanyu says education cannot be taken for granted.

“Education… is to do with the future and that’s how you can achieve your dreams and your goals,” Sanyu says. “I aspire to be a doctor… I want to fight AIDS that takes the life of many in my country”.

Posted in 2010, educate, high school, L.E.A.D Uganda, LEAD Uganda, leadership, Media, Press, program, student achievements, Students, Uganda, USA | No Comments »

National Exam Results – 8 Receive 1st Grades – Admitted to Top School

Monday, March 8th, 2010

At the end of Senior 4, students in Uganda take a natinal exam. 8 of out of our 9 candidates received 1st grades on the exam.

The eight were admitted to top schools for their A Level grades: Senior 5 & 6.

Kimbowa and Baidu joined Seeta High School. Juujo was admitted to St. Henry’s Kitovu. Stephen remained at Namugongo. Orach, Ongom, Ocen and Brian will go to Naggalama.

We are proud of them all. They worked hard. After Senior 6 these AIDS orphans, former child soldiers, child laborers, and street kids will go to university.

Posted in 2010, achieve, educate, high school, L.E.A.D Uganda, LEAD Uganda, Students, Uganda | No Comments »

12 new students – mostly girls

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

We admitted a dozen new students for the 2010 school year – which started in February. 8 girls and 4 boys were chosen. 10 are primary students. Nine of them were admitted to top schools: Budo Junior and St. John Bosco Katende. One 7th grader, a candidate class, is not allowed to switch schools this year. Our two new high school students are in top schools.

See our other new students

Posted in 2010, high school, middle school, primary school, Students, Uganda, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Sanyu on CNN’s Inside Africa

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

L.E.A.D Uganda student Sanyu was interviewed by CNN’s Inside Africa.

See the interview

January 9, 2010. Kampala, Uganda. Sanyu teaches a public speaking workshop for the fifteen new L.E.A.D Uganda students. “I did this because they were so shy and spoke so softly. I wanted to help them become leaders,” said Sanyu. Most of the new students are primary school girls.

Posted in 2010, high school, student achievements, Uganda | No Comments »