The education system as we've come to know it

Over the time we've spent here, we've got to learn A LOT about daily life and the culture here. In particular, we've got to spend a lot of time in different schools around the community, both government and private, refugee & local. My time spent with the kids, the headmistress/masters and the teachers themselves have taught me a lot. I've talked with a lot of people in the community about the state of the education system here; from school fees and tuition costs, to the quality of the teachers and curriculum. It's bee very eye-opening but it's also been weighing heavily on my heart. If things in this country, and for that matter, all over Africa, are going to change, it's going to have to start with these kids and the education system.

Primary school kids (equivalent of kindergarten thru 7th grade) are in school from 7am to 4:30pm everyday; grades 6 & 7 are in class til 6, sometimes 6:30pm. By looking at hours alone, one would assume there's a whole lot of learning going on; but to be honest, I'm not sure that's the case. The kids repeat information regurgitated from their teachers whose face is usually planted in a workbook. Posters spouting English phrases are often spelled wrong (and still not corrected after we point it out). There is no creativity involved in the lesson plans thus none transferred onto the children and critical thinking is not only not encouraged, but often discouraged as shown through their "fill-in-the-blank" homework questions. Every single day, fill in the blanks. All the student has to do is flip a page back in their notebook and change a few numbers or words from their in-class examples and boom! homework's done. Questions during class are not addressed. In fact, a child is usually caned (beat) if s/he asks questions because that means the student was not listening to the wise words of the teacher. This lends itself to explaining why many adults we work with do not ask for clarification or just carry on without asking about something s/he does not understand.

The majority of teachers in Uganda, like in most all of Africa, chose teaching as their profession because nothing else quite worked out. Often times, they failed to graduate the Western equivalent of high school yet could still obtain a teaching certificate. And off they go, teaching the next generation-their only example in mind being their former educators...

Government schools, which are supposed to be free because they receive money & supplies, charge fees to every student. It's a wonder where the money goes: The teachers, especially at government schools can go a whole term (3 months) without getting paid. Most of the time it's because the government is holding onto the schools allocated funds, certainly one reason why the kids are being charged, but explaining nothing about the end destination for the parents hard earned money. Is it becoming easier to see why many teachers are so unenthusiastic and detached from their work?

The kids are certainly well disciplined, that much is sure. They listen and repeat every word their teacher says, always in unison, because if they do not, they know they will get beat. There's no hiding of the fact that the teachers continue to beat their kids, either and if you are like me, you thought this was illegal. Well, The Ugandan Ministry of Education has outlawed beating in schools, but Parliament is still undecided (where's Museveni & his bribes now!?). We are going to begin introducing ANTI-child beating workshops to the teachers in hopes they will begin to discover new ways of disciplining the children rather than taking up the cane. It's going to be very interesting so stay tuned for more - and if you have any suggestions, good articles or information to help us, please email me hluboff@gmail.com. International sources are better since we don't want to come off as snooty Americans who never beat their kids - I realize the irony!

There are kids who've had to repeat a grade maybe once, sometimes twice. However not totally unusual even in the U.S., there is no help whatsoever for children who may have a learning disability or who just need a little extra help. Often times, parents will refuse to pay school fees for a child to repeat a grade (more than once), leaving the child to wander the streets. HOPE school, for one, is often very generous when it comes to school fees, taking into account the family situation and helping out (turning a blind eye) if possible.

These wonderful, smart children, like children all over the world, are given this chance to get a leg up in the world, to accomplish something through education. It's often easy to tell which kids have support at home and which kids need help, but with a system so seriously flawed, it breaks my heart to think of the kids that will indeed get left behind.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

One thing I really tried to focus on in coming to Uganda was that change is hard. It's difficult, slow-going and always met with resistance but alone, none are good enough reasons to not even try in the first place. Just how much resistance we'd meet, much less from whom...well I couldn't really prepare myself for that.

I set off last August with some goals of my own in mind for the following 10 months. I knew full well once we settled in and got to know our new community, we'd be adjusting those goals to make them more personal for the people actually intended to benefit in the long term. One such goal, and probably the biggest, was to create some kind of after-school program for the 5 area schools in Ndejje and after we spent some time in the classroom with the kids, it was very apparent the after-school program was much needed. Many kids lack creativity and critical thinking skills, they are never encouraged to explore different situations. Questions are frowned upon. And so we moved forward, cautiously and slowly with our partner school HOPE, dipping our toes in to create such a program where kids would be encouraged to be creative, to use their minds and feel ok to ask questions and not just repeat what their teacher said.

Fresh off the December/January break, we began the new school year with an organized three-day a week program. We'd talked with the Headmistress and the Director of HOPE to explain our plan. At their suggestion, we made information flyers and permission slips for the parents since, in this culture, the children are expected to do housework and chores after school and the parents would certainly wonder where their child was. It also became clear we had quite some work to do in sensitizing the community to the benefits of puzzles & stimulating games, art and free reading ; these weren't just fun activities, the kids will get something out of their time at the after-school program. Something they weren't getting in school...

Naturally, it was well received with the kids; however, slowly but surely the teachers warned their classes against attending. Attendance dropped a little. Next we were told parents were calling the Headmistress to inquire where their child was. Then the Director. (Against our better instincts, we believed these to be true even though we could never get the parent or child names from these calls...) Then we heard the children were being threatened that if they attended the Youth Center after school, they would be beat ("caned", usually 2-3 strikes on the arm or back of leg). We talked with the teachers in question and the Administration, but they sited exams a week & 1/2 away as the reason for their threat. Out of respect, we obliged and shut the Center for the last day of that week. Attendance was already about half what it usually was and while we knew their was most certainly another reason why this was happening, we could not make any progress. Then, last Monday some kids came to our house after school, maybe a dozen or so, all with cane marks on the back of their legs. I was outraged! We had shut our Center and stopped our program so the kids wouldn't get beat and still this was happening?! The HOPE Director and Headmistress agreed it was best to shut our program completely for "at least a week" until things settled. Well, things really weren't about to settle anytime soon... In discussing the future of the program, we were told we weren't respecting the culture, we weren't being appropriate and my personal favorite, we were too young to really know how to do this program. The reason I was here was to do this program and taking a shot at my/our ages was way out of line. I knew I was qualified for this. I knew had been respectful and felt I've followed cultural norms the entire time I was here. If anyone can compare the two cultures and work ethics, it seems a bit needless to say that it could be the person who has lived in both places...Nevertheless, we continued to fight for what we knew what could be a positive program. If only we had been granted some of the understanding we were trying to show. There had certainly been a lot of ups & downs over the past 7 months, the past 3 weeks have been my biggest challenge and unfortunately it's from the very people that are supposed to be working with us. As exhausting as it is and to be honest, as worn out as I am, there was nothing for us to do except fight for our Center, program and ultimately for the kids. We needed clear & immediate action to be taken. Together with SWB-USA, we've created a new set of "by-laws" for the Youth Center and stated a general direction for the program-of which an after-school program is most certainly highlighted. We've more clearly outlined roles and responsibilities. By learning that things needed to be written down in order to be taken seriously, it seems we've actually gotten somewhere and finally this coming Tuesday, we get to re-open our after-school program - free of threats on the kids, complaints by the parents and admin and we hope with the support again of the community.

Nalule, the footballer

Esther Nalule is one of our best girl footballers; she's a very gifted #2. But more importantly, she works hard and is determined. She's earned the trust of her teammates and can rally them, she's a great leader. She knows what is right and is confident enough to fight for that.

A few weeks ago, we did an activity with the kids to get them thinking about their dreams. While many girls chose nursing or teaching; Nalule chose football, here a typically male dominated sport. Ever since she shared her dream with us (not that we couldn't already tell!) she's shown some serious improvement, most impressively with her work off the field. She's expressed interest in joining a competitive team and she wants to go running in the mornings. Here, running-or roadwork as it's lcoally known-is done only if something is wrong or if you are sick (seems ironic right? Welcome to Africa!). At practices, where she used to slack on warm up laps, she's now leading the pack. She's encouraging other girls to keep running, too, and we've seen her pick up teammates after a goal was scored. But when she catches us watching, she'll take off in the other direction, laughing the whole way...

Angel [left], from St Andrews School and
Nalule from HOPE School have become inseparable.

What I most admire about Nalule is that she's reached out to girls from neighboring schools and welcomed them to the program. It's pretty remarkable to see, especially as you can imagine among teenage girls. When we first started working, the girls had this fierce loyalty to their school and the others girls that went there. Those were their friends;, but with the growth over the past 6+ months, it's a lot more friendly and for the girls team, that means a heck of a lot.

If Nalule knew I was writing this about her,
she'd cover this beautiful face and laugh hysterically!

A Second Chance

A couple of months ago I wrote a post about my buds Shandrack and Espware. They are truly special boys and in recent weeks I was given an opportunity to return some of my gratitude and hopefully give them, and their mother, a new start.

Two weeks ago Wednesday, I was walking with the boys after school and something seemed off. They told me it was because they had to go stay at their father's house (they normally stay with their mother close to Kampala, about 4 miles from school). Their mother was planning to leave for a village up north for a while; she needed money. I had known for a while that things were tough, but never exactly how desperate things were. The father lives quite a bit closer to school, but the boys were terrified; their father's wife was horrible to them, she beat the boys and shamed them all throughout the neighborhood so no one would dare help the two of them (unfortunately this seems to be the rep most step mothers around here get). In seeing how sad they were, I knew I had to do something, but I wasn't quite sure what I could or even should do. I didn't know if their mother would even still be in town and I certainly didn't want to overstep boundaries, but the thought of these boys with that other woman broke my heart.

Fortunately, their mother was home when we arrived and in talking with her (through Espware, since my Swahili is not quite up to par!) I learned she, and therefore the boys, were actually being chased out of their house quite literally. She could not pay the rent - which was approximately $20 a month. However, in staying in that house, the boys were still too far away from school and transport was another $30/month. Then add in the cost of food, and this was rapidly becoming a situation far bigger than I imagined and it weighed heavy on my heart. Everything in me wanted to just give her what I could, but in doing so I knew I'd be betraying myself and even her; I would not have felt right about just giving her the money outright without helping her back on her feet and learning how to do so for herself; and thankfully Jacques was right there with me, ready to help when I talked with him the next day. He told me that while many of the kids we work with come from struggling families, this was one such case that was extremely desperate and something real had to be done.

Celebrating the boys move with some ice cream!
Despite his expression, I promise Espware was happy....

Now 2 weeks later, the boys and their mother have moved into a new place in Ndejje-about 10 minutes from where I stay and a short walk to school. As Shandrack exclaimed last week, they live "close to 4 of our friends families-now we can see them all the time!!" I feel better that the boys are safe, with their mother, and close to school; however, I'm really hoping to get their mother back to work so she can earn a living for her family. She has no help from the father and as if the situation isn't tough enough, it's very hard for women to get a decent job here. Jacques did tell me a bit about an association in town which, after paying a fee to join, women are grouped together and are then helped to start a restaurant in town. This group of women is responsible for the day-to-day operations of running the place and at the end of the month, each is paid a salary. A refreshing entrepreneurial spirit, for sure.

My humble plea
Because of donors like YOU supporting this work from the very beginning, I was fortunate to be able to help their mother pay for the first 3 months of rent. However, our work isn't quite yet finished. I would love to be able to help their mother get into the association so she can really create a life for her family. The association fee is about $220 and with that, she can begin earning a permanent living. So I am asking you to consider, if you can, donating in any amount to this family. I can promise you it will go directly to getting this woman back on her feet.

Espware & Shandrack outside their new house!!!!


Make a Donation Here
Under designation, please put my name & "For the boys"


THANK YOU for making this much possible already!

Celebrate the girls & women in your life!

Tomorrow, March 8 is International Women's Day!!
Aside from many events taking place all over the United States, it's now an official holiday in 48 countries worldwide-including countries throughout the Middle East and Asia, and even 6 countries in Africa. And of those 6, I'm proud to say Uganda is one of them. To be honest, I found it a little hard to believe at first, with many of the bizarre things women experience here tugging at my mind, but it's very encouraging to me that this day is celebrated in my current home away from home. In our classes and at the Youth Center this week, we've even planned a whole series of discussions on African women who've struggled to overcome insurmountable odds and have achieved their dreams (on the subject of equality, we did discuss African men last week!).

Since it began, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition. Year after year, it sees more and more countries join for the cause. New activities and traditions spring up all over the world each year; anything from political rallies and conferences to local women's craft markets, theatric performances and fashion parades. Girls and women are honored and celebrated with small gifts and flowers in some countries, whereas in others it tends to feel more like Mothers Day with more elaborate celebrations.

In recent years the day has made a shift from a somewhat boisterous tone of how much progress can still be made in this arena, to how much positive progress has been made, no doubt worthy of celebration. Though, even if it's easier to see the day as a celebration of women's rights at present, I hope tomorrow can also serve as a continued reminder of our sisters in developing countries where everyday is a struggle for them, just because they are a woman, especially young girls. Young girls in particular, the hope for the current generation, are at risk of falling into the same pattern of the women before them; a cycle which includes child-bearing, cooking and cleaning, and at least in parts of Africa, seems to begin shortly after the girl finishes the equivalent of 8th grade. Granted, more international attention these days is paid to what happens to girls, but what about what we can do to stop that from happening? The Girl Effect has some awesome information on what life is like for young girls in developing countries, especially in poverty stricken areas. It's a great organization and can be a great tool if you want to get involved or even just learn more. Women for Women International is also a great website for learning about women survivors of war and the fight for women's rights worldwide, but the website also lists many events taking place tomorrow. For those of you in NYC, if you can head to the BK Bridge to show your support for women worldwide! If you can't, the US Government has deemed March "Women's History Month".

One of our friends made a comment yesterday (a joke?) that he heard someone say "women only get ONE day a year..." with the underlying subtext that you-know-whos get every other day. Be that as it may, as a woman, I feel inspired by tomorrow's events and the hope they bring; but also in working with young girls, I see the need for even just ONE day. And you know me well enough to know that next I'll be working toward figuring out how to incorporate the other 364 days into this party...

A true story of courage and love

In my time here, I've had the absolute pleasure of getting to know some of the most incredible kids I've ever met, and up to this point I don't feel like I've really shared those amazing personalities and stories with the blogosphere. I have honestly meant to, but really when I sit down to write I am never sure quite what to say. I'm left wordless. Many of their stories are very personal and cannot just be told without having earned their trust and gotten to know how their past has really shaped their future, their personality itself. The family I want to share with you today is one such case.

Abigail (6 yrs), Jeledi (10 yrs), Acheal (11 yrs), Jaelle (13 yrs) and Samuel (20 yrs) are possibly the most inspiring family I have ever met, and to me their story embodies love, courage, selflessness and determination.

They moved to Uganda in 2007 from Burundi due to the vicious conflict between the Tutsi and Hutu populations. Until now, I was not aware the conflict in Rwanda had even crossed borders, but it had and in a very ugly way. Their father was Hutu and mother Tutsi. Their father’s family came and killed their mother in front of them, and Jacques (we work with him at HOPE School) has said the same fate was in store for the kids, had they not fled. The father was in prison in Burundi when these 5 left, but could have since passed away there.

This unspeakable tragedy occurred when Abigail, the youngest, was just 2 years old. Samuel told me there were times when he wasn't sure if she could make it; after their mother's death, she shut down and would hardly speak. She'd constantly wet herself. Samuel has never talked about his emotions relating to this, nor has he said anything about his other three siblings; particularly about Jaelle and Acheal who were at such pivotal years developmentally.

Today, the kids, as I've said countless times before, are extremely intelligent and endlessly funny; Jaelle's a beautiful young girl and has incredible politeness, loyality and thoughtfulness about her. She loves to read and hopes to be a manager of a bank one day. Acheal's a great artist and he loves football, Barca is his team! He is such a leader amongst his peers, and with his thirst for knowledge, I absolutley know he will do incredible things in his life. Jeledi is following very much in his older brother's footsteps but still has quite a silly whackniess about him. He loves football, too, and already has a throng of ladies by his side. And Abigail, certainly the baby of this family, is hilariously cute and giggly. One minute she's just observing her surroundings, the next she's dancing, twirling and spinning out of control, singing to herself.

Last I want to share a bit about Samuel. When his mother has killed, he was just 16. At a time when he could be focusing on continuing school or even just being with his friends, he became the caretaker for his 4 younger siblings. He became a father and a mother all at once; having to provide and feed them, keep them together, love and protect them. He continues to study and learn English, which he can speak very well, and recently landed a new job at a nearby hotel. He's very generous and loves to surprise his brothers and sisters. Like yesterday, when I went over Acheal could barely contain his excitement to show me their latest surprise-new sheets! Jaelle's favorite where the purple flowers and she just couldn't believe I liked the yellow better!! I am truly, absouletly in awe of Samuel - what he has done for these kids, what he has sacrificed and also accomplished for them and himself, truly is the mark of a selfless, amazing person.

It's hard for me to even imagine such an atrocious tragedy as genocide, but to know someone I've come to love and care for, kids so innocent to witness unspeakable actions, it truly breaks my heart. But in spending time with this family, I feel love, hope, kindness and a truly unbreakable bond.


Abigail, the little fairy princess


Jeledi will always take a break for a snap


The one and only, Acheal


Jaelle deep in her book,
always learning as much as she can


Samuel, the most incredible big brother


I am so inspired by this family and feel very fortunate to have gotten to spend time with them. I am eternally grateful to these five for everything they have taught me and will continue to show me through their love and generosity long after I've left Uganda.

Samuel's utter selflessness, Acheal's smile, Jeledi's laugh,
Abigial's free spirit & Jaelle's caring touch will always be on my heart.