Sending Children to School, Despite the Odds

*I wrote this article for HUMNEWS. You can see it published here:



When tragedy strikes, I often hear people describe survivors as resilient. I’ve been thinking about what that means and whether that describes the children at an orphanage in Uganda which I support – are the children really resilient or are they mere survivors?

There are 85 children at the Nzirambi Talent Development Centre in Kasese, Uganda, and it’s not unusual for them to be ill at any given time. Just last month, eight newborns were hospitalized with pneumonia, malaria and/or extreme diarrhoea. One of the star students, Ellen, 16, who is in her first semester at senior school, nearly failed her classes because of pneumonia – without access to a doctor for a month.

The reality is that children die of these illnesses at alarmingly high rates across much of Africa. In fact, the United Nations Children’s Fund states that four million children under age five die every year; of those, 1.5 million are from Eastern or Southern Africa.

The statistics are equally alarming in Uganda, which ranks as the 19th worst country in the world for child mortality where 188,000 children die every year before their fifth birthday. At this orphanage, we’ve lost eight children in the last two years.

With those statistics in mind, it was a relief this week when I got news that all of the newborns who had been hospitalized had recovered and were back home. Ellen is also doing better and has returned to school.

Against all of the odds, these children survived.

But when I think of the older children at the orphanage, including Ellen, I think I
understand more what it means to be resilient.

Currently, through the Nzirambi Education Fund, we are sponsoring five youth in their senior levels of school, each of them having been brought to the orphanage as a vulnerable baby.

Twenty years ago, there was no sponsorship program at the orphanage to provide funds and so the children didn’t always have access to healthcare or nutritious food.

There is no question the children carry emotional scars – this I know as they have shared tears with me telling me about parents lost to AIDS, a parent crippled in a car accident and a polygamous father who would not care for his only daughter after her mother died.

Still, they have thrived and managed to excel in their studies.

Now there are new obstacles for them at school: missing classes due to illness; no extra learning from teachers; overcrowded classes; and they are boarding for the first time away from the orphanage.

When Ellen was ill, I spoke to her by phone. She told me not to worry, that (despite illness so severe she was hallucinating) she will be fine – and more importantly, that she was eager for classes to start again. Before she even finished a round of antibiotics, she was on the bus for the six-hour ride back to school.

To me, that is what resiliency is about.

Time and time again, it’s what we see across Africa and around the world when families are struck with disaster or facing extreme poverty. It’s about surviving the unimaginable and forging ahead -- hopeful, optimistic and eager for future possibilities.

Just last week, the five youth we are currently supporting returned to school for their second semester. To give them a boost to make it through the school year, we

are looking into the possibility of hiring a guidance counsellor who can check in on them to ensure they are healthy and doing well in their classes. That way, if any problems arise – like one of them needing a doctor or extra tutoring – we can address it more quickly.

Thank you to those of you who continue to support the Nzirambi Education Fund. We've recognized the resiliency of the children and now we have an opportunity to truly help make their dreams come true. They so very much deserve the chance.

Want to be involved? Help send one of our children to school. Donate using PayPal on our blog or contact NzirambiFund@gmail.com. Also, you can join us on Facebook at http://groups.to/orphans

A Shout Out for Sponsors

On Thursday, October 27, the Nzirambi Education Fund will be hosting a photo exhibition at Pikto Gallery in The Distillery District, Toronto. More than 150
people are expected to attend this special event to show their support for the 85 boys and girls at the Nzirambi Orphans Talent Development Centre in Uganda.

The photo exhibition includes the work of Toronto photographer Brian Pieters who recently travelled to the orphanage. Through his images, we aim to introduce our supporters to the children whose lives they are making a difference in.

In addition to the photo exhibition, there will be a silent auction with 100 per cent of funds raised going to the Nzirambi Education Fund.

I hope you will consider showing your support for Nzirambi Education Fund as well, by offering an in-kind gift.

Your gift now will go a long way towards helping us reach our goal to raise $10,000
in 2011 so that we can ensure the children at the orphanage will be able to attend senior levels school.

Higher levels of education are especially critical for these children, giving them additional resources to become leaders in their communities and break free of the cycle of poverty that has defined their families for far too long. Your support will help these children so that they may be the next generation of smart, productive and well-educated Ugandans contributing to the future of their country.

We are anticipating that approximately 150 people will participate in this event and are asking for your support as a silent auction donor or food and beverage sponsor.

For this year’s silent auction we are looking for items with approximate values between $50 and $300 that would appeal to our event attendees. Examples of appropriate auction items would include: toys, electronics, restaurant certificates, travel vouchers, health and wellness items, art or house wares.

To offset costs and ensure we can raise the maximum amount possible for the children, we are asking for your support in providing food or alcohol for this event.

All sponsors for this event will be recognized through name or logo recognition on our day of event signage.

With your help, we can continue to inspire hope for children of the Nzirambi Orphan Talent Development Centre. For more information about our cause, please contact me at karensnider@hotmail.com.

Sincerely,
Karen Snider
Nzirambi Education Fund
416 518 2844

A Rough Start to the School Year

In February four of our girls at the orphanage started their senior levels of high school, which is being paid for by our fund. These girls – Priscilla, Pelucy, Ellen and Patricia – are especially bright.

Priscilla and Patricia are twins and while their marks are similar, they have very different interests when it comes to the subjects they take. Pelucy had the lowest grades among the four, which I always thought was because she’s so chatty and playful – so easily distracted – rather than because of a lack of book smarts. Ellen is the strongest of the group with ambitions to become either a nurse or a TV journalist.

You could imagine how surprised we were to learn that the four girls did not do well in their first semester. On a score of 0 – 6, they were all falling short of passing grades.

Extra Tutoring
Instead of feeling disappointment, Monica and I were concerned of what was behind the low grades. As it turns out, three of the four simply needed extra tutoring andso Auntie Milly, the orphanage manager, hired a tutor so they could continue their studies while on break.

Ellen
The situation with Ellen was worrying. I received a vague message a few weeks agothat Ellen had been suffering hallucinations and nightmares. She was staying with relatives and we could not get further information. Terrified for the worst, Monica and I reached out to see what supports we could offer and to try and make contact with her.


I finally was able to reach her on the phone. She explained that a month ago she started to become ill and was not able to concentrate on her studies. On a six hour bus ride to the orphanage, she was so sick, that as I understand it, she was left at the side of the road. She eventually made her way to a nearby relative’s home. She was taken to a doctor who diagnosed her with pneumonia and gave her aspirin and cough syrup. Finally, she was able to make her way back to the orphanage where Auntie Milly took her to a proper hospital. Within days of taking the antibiotics prescribed to her she was on the mend.

On the Mend
I spoke to her again on the phone just today and she assures me that she is feeling stronger and is even headed back to the city to get ready for school. It’s been gut- wrenching to know that one of our children has been so sick from an illness that claims the lives of far too many children across Africa.

More Than Just School Fees
It has been a sharp reminder that the scholarship fund we have created for these children is meant to be a beacon of hope for them – hope that they can become successful and find meaningful work. But the reality is that the odds continue to be stacked so high against them.

From time to time, our support will be needed for more than just school fees because if all of the other issues are not addressed, they won’t succeed in school and our efforts will have been in vain. In this way, we can provide support to ensure they have access to medications when needed, tutors for extra lessons and whatever else may rise.

World Malaria Day: April 25

**World Malaria Day,instituted by the World Health Assembly in May 2007, is a day for recognizing the global effort to provide effective control of malaria

I remember this time last year writing with such desperation about the problem with malaria at the orphanage. The children had recently moved into a new home on a large plot of rural land. Malaria, however, was rampant at their new location.

So many house mothers and children were suffering from it when I visited the
orphanage in January 2010. Three of the children died that year because of malaria – one boy was ten, the other two were just babies.

The deaths were a shock to the orphanage – never before had they lost so many children at once.

On 33 acres of rural land neighbouring a national game reserve, you can imagine how bad the mosquitoes were. The children were getting bit while playing soccer at dusk, or sitting on the stoop of their houses after the sun went down.

The real problem, however, was that mosquitoes were breeding in the latrines. It was discovered that the House Mothers – possibly in an attempt to be frugal- were not pouring into the latrines enough of a special fluid that kills off the mosquitoes.

Once this problem was resolved, the situation did improve. While there continues to be some cases of malaria, it has not been nearly as bad. This year when I visited the orphanage, not one person was suffering from malaria (although the flu was making the rounds).

The situation at the orphanage is just a sample of what goes on across the country.

Malaria will always be a part of life in Uganda.

The Malaria Control Programme of Uganda states that: “malaria is responsible for more illness and death than any other single disease in Uganda. Those with low immunity, such as pregnant women, children under five years and people living with HIV/AIDS- are particularly
vulnerable."

Malaria kills about one million people every year mainly, children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda has the third highest rates of infection in Africa.

The experts are trying to do something about it.

Just this past week, it was reported that Uganda is testing three new vaccines that may help to prevent malaria. The vaccine is expected to prevent malaria in at least 50% of cases.

When it comes to treating malaria, the World Health Organization is recommending a new form of treatment that is safer to use than that which is normally used (quinine). I guess it’s not unusual though that the problem is that the new treatment (artesunate) costs up to three times more.

It’s frustrating, I know.

But, the one thing I’ve learned from being involved in the orphanage is that we can make a difference. By supporting charities that focus on malaria in Africa, you are helping to find a cure, test vaccines, ensure everyone has a bed net to sleep under and access to medications when they need it.

Helping our children succeed in school

During my recent trip to Uganda I learned that some of the orphanage’s older girls are struggling in school. Their grades are low and there is a real threat that at least one of them may not pass.

In Uganda, school is especially challenging because there are simply too many students and not enough teachers. I visited their school – dark classrooms with concrete walls and rows of tables to accommodate up to 100 students for every class with one teacher. There are no opportunities for extra help from the teacher or tutoring.

We want all of the children at the orphanage to do as well as they can in school. And so, our team has created a special program to have one of the older children, Veronica, tutor the others.

Veronica has completed her final years of senior school and is applying to university, aiming for a fall acceptance. In the meantime, she is taking a computer class, as this will be critical for university. In the evenings, she will be tutoring the other students to help them pull up their grades. She plans to spend 1.5hours every evening with one student.

This tutoring program began April 1.

In return for her efforts, we will be paying Veronica a ‘salary’. I have spent considerable time talking to Veronica about her day-to-day expenses and we have agreed on a salary of $55/month. This will cover her transportation fees back and forth to school, toiletries, internet access and other personal items. She has also agreed to put $15 of that money aside every month to save for university.

I’m excited about this program because it’s a win-win for everyone involved. Veronica will have her first work experience, and learn to budget money for university. The girls who are struggling with their studies will, for the first time ever, have someone who can spend time with them and help them succeed.

Our funding is making all of this possible – we’re helping all of these children grow and do well in their studies.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

A letter from Ellen

*During my recent visit to Uganda, I was able to tell the older children that in Canada, we will be funding their education. They were excited and encouraged by the news - and each of them promised to work hard in school. In Uganda, internet is not common and, in fact, most children at the orphanage don't even know what email is. But, they do love to write letters. So, in a small attempt to connect all of you who have helped make the scholarship program possible to the children you are helping, I asked some of them to write letters that I could share with you. Here is one from 16-year-old, Ellen. That's her in the photo, wearing a fine African dress that was generously donated by Chrisa Hoicka.

To my friends in Canada,



It's me, Ellen, from NOTDEC Uganda. I am really happy for you people living in Canada because you have good, caring hearts for us children living at the Nzirambi Orphanage.

We are very happy that you have given a hand to support our education.

I want to tell you that we enjoyed our Christmas and New Year. Here in my country, Uganda, people burn old jerry cans, old motor tires and other useless things as a way of welcoming the New Year. I hope you enjoyed yours as ours.

As per now, me and my sisters, Patricia, Priscilla, Pelucy and Veronica are waiting our results, but Veronica is ahead of us, so she is waiting for her Senior 6 results that will determine her going to university. The rest of us are waiting for the Senior 4 results that will tell which school we are accepted to for Senior 5, which is an advanced level in Uganda.

I have written this letter with a lot of happiness. We have enjoyed our stay home with Karen, plus her aunt Lynn.

During Karen's stay, we have made some craft of making stars with different types of beads. We really loved that.

I love you all. From, Ellen Kabugho

**Just to update you, Ellen and the three other girls were accepted into their senior levels of school just this week. Our funding will be used to pay for their education. In 2 years, they will be eligible to apply for university.
***The beaded stars Ellen refers to will be used at Christmas to help raise funds.

Sweet Jane

On my last night at the orphanage, I went to visit House Mother Jesca and the babies in House #5. To my surprise, when I walked in, one of the little girls – about 2.5 years old – was running around the house and then vaulting onto a mat laying on the floor. She’d roll over in giggles and then a second toddler, Aaron, would run and jump on top of her. The two would then scramble back onto their feet and repeat the routine, squealing with laughter.

I said this was a surprise because the little girl was Baby Jane. Truth is, in the days I was there, I didn’t see Jane so much as smile, let alone laugh or play. She observes the others with such a serious face – her eyebrows creased and lips pursed tightly together. Even last year, I remember that she was such a stoic baby.

She’s really quite sullen!

I even asked House Mother Jesca if the child every smiled. She told me: “She has her moments.” And, on my last night there, she was clearly having one of those moments.

It was a wonder to watch the change in her, if only for an evening.

Baby Jane was brought to the orphanage on Feb. 12, 2009 by a probation officer and her uncle. Her parents had died, and the uncle was trying to care for her, but did not have the means. The child was brought to the orphanage naked and starving. She was so frail, the House Mothers couldn’t exactly determine her age, but assumed she was about 15 months old at the time. She had four teeth and was not even crawling.

She’s so plump and healthy today that it’s impossible to imagine her in the skeletal state that she arrived in.

Baby Jane is a reminder of the scope of what the orphanage does. They accept children who have been abandoned or left behind. Some of their parents die from many of the causes that continue to plague much of the continent – AIDS, malaria, maternal mortality. Some parents are killed or injured in car accidents because the roads are just so unsafe.

Too many are there because their families couldn’t care for the children properly and the children are malnourished and ill. And there are even more sad cases of children who were simply abandoned on the streets or at garbage dumps by their families. These stories are indicative of just how desperate the plight of some families can be.

The women at the orphanage love the children as if they are their own, helping them to cope with the trauma they’ve experienced at such young ages. They are raised to think of their House Mothers and the other 85 children at the orphanage as their own mothers, brothers and sisters.

The orphanage gives hope to these children who otherwise may not have stood a chance at surviving. And now the kids aren’t only surviving – they are flourishing.

*Photo by Brian Pieters