Criteria

We look for students with leadership potential: those who will start businesses, become doctors, and make Africa and the world  a better place.

To be eligible for consideration a child needs to be smart and/or have a special talent (like art or music) and have leadership potential. We look for bright children with a vision, a dream — kids with that spark in their eyes. Children must be living below the poverty level. (In Uganda that is a family income of $2 a day or less.) We give special consideration to children who have been traumatized: AIDS orphans, former child soldiers, child laborers, children from abusive or neglectful families, children in child-headed families, and street kids.

We prefer to take new students while they are in primary school, preferably in 3rd and 4th grade. However, we also take in a few first year high school students (8th graders) based on their national 7th grade exam scores.

Selection Process

We have a rigourous selection process which includes looking at report cards, talking with teachers, neighbors, and (most importantly) the child. Our staff observe candidates at school and visit their homes often for a year or more. We start the process in March of each year and take in new members in December and January.

1st Stage: Identify Potential Candidates

We find possible student-members in a number of ways:

(1) Our staff does outreach in five districts: Kampala (central), Gulu (north), Pader (north), Pailisa (northeast), and Rakai (south). Most of our students enter the process from this targeted outreach. Our staff have established relationships with local schools and community leaders who recommend children. Our staff make three or four visits to observe the children in school and get a feel for their personality. We also look for bright children who may be out of school because they have to work.

(2) Schools recommend high performing students who are about to drop out for lack of money.

(3) Students come to us. We are becoming well known in Uganda as a result of our proven track record.

Once identified,.

2nd Stage: Application, Observation and Interviews

The second stage starts with the student and his/her guardian (if there is one) filling out an application. We look at report cards and national test results. We interview the child, teachers, neighbors, and family members. We also observe the child’s performance and interactions with peers and family at school and at home.

Talking with and observing the student is the most important thing. We listen closely as they tell us their vision, reveal their their dreams. We look for that special something that sets them apart from the crowd. It can be a sparkle in their eyes. It can be their determination to excel.

We are looking for extraordinary young people: survivors who refuse to be beaten down — kids who want to fly.

One example: Ronald is a former child soldier.He lost his right arm in battle. He witnessed his dad being hacked to death with a machette. He lived in a small hut in a refugee camp with his mom, who was so traumatized she could not care for him. He had been out of school for four years. Yet, when we entered his hut, we saw he had written on the wall, “No Excuses”. We knew this was a child who deserved to be in our program.

3rd Stage: Final Decision

“Finalists” are invited to the L.E.A.D Uganda house in Kampala for a few weeks to participate with our other children in academic and leadership workshops. Teaching at the top schools is in English. Many children from the rural areas do not speak English, so this is their chance to get a crash course. We observe how our students interact with others. Are they leaders? Do they particpate? Are they givers or takers? Do they help with chores? Do more than asked? Take the initiative? Having them at the house for a few weeks gives us insight into their character.

Farm Team

This year we started supporting promising primary school students by paying their school fees at local schools. There are students who are not exceling academically because of trauma or family issues, but we feel have potential. We counsel these students and give them a chance to prove themselves.

This year, three students from our farm team got 1st grades on the 7th grade national exam and became members of the core program, One of them, Edward, had the second highest score of all our 7th graders taking the test. He wanted to go to school so badly. We could see he will do whatever it takes to be successful. That is what we look for.

Having a farm team allows the students to work hard and surprise us. We like finding diamonds in the rough.