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Letters from Uganda
Letters from Uganda Study Study Study Study Study Study Study Study Study Study Study Study O Study you are indeed need By O. Ronald
I am Felix. I have been a student in Kitgum High School for my ordinary level since 2003. I am going to join a comprehensive nursing school in either Kalongo or Laesi after passing or if I pass the interview. I have been very happy on receiving the book you sent to me because reading it has made life more easy than doing any other thing, and I am still happy I have to thank the Almighty Father for that.
With great honesty, I would like to thank you for the story book you have given me. I do pray that the Lord God should bless your richly. I am also appreciating God for your book. I like reading stories very much because I want to know more about other places. I like reading the book you have given me very much. The part that makes me more happier is Everglades National Park. Thanks for giving me such a nice storybook.
I am glad to acknowledge for the readers books and other books made by young children, which we received from your office. I humbly inform you that our pupils liked them so much and they greatly admired the way their fellow children designed them. They were also interested in pictures and other drawings the books contained. Not only pupils in AVSI group picked interest, but also other children and teachers in the school community were pleased. We look forward to receive more books in case there is any given chance. Our pupils developed sense of making some related books once they are provided with materials required. We also encourage them and we promise to help them when necessary. We greatly thank you for all the services. God bless you always.
Dear Sir/Madam
To the American Friends c/o AVSI Distant Support Programme-Kampala
Dear Friends of AVSI,
Dear Friends of AVSI,
Dear Friends of AVSI,
Dear Friends of AVSI,
Dear Friends of AVSI,
Dear Friend of AVSI,
I am so happy to communicate to you through this small letter. How are you over there. I hope you are fine. Back to me – I am okay. I am called Denis as mention before. I am a student of above college and I am a senior two this year. Our home is located along Kampala Road in Koro Abiu Camp, which is 50 KM from Gulu town at a village known as Mumorach. Where I always used to stay during holidays with my guardians together with my brother who is a disabled person and his name is Opiyo David. He have no way neither to walk nor to move from one place to another. I always care for him by giving some assistance where necessary. When I am in school, I like participating in leadership where we have head boy and assistant prefect at different post or level. I also like cultural dances, music, and drama, debating club, painting pictures but there is a lack of materials to make it nicely. And for me, I like drawing pictures of music instruments the most.
It is a bright brilliant chance to write to you through this letter. How is life going on well with you over there? Back to me. Things are well except working hard in academics. My main obligation in writing to you this letter is to thank you for what you are doing for me. The photo you sent me was very wonderful and interesting to look at. I would have drawn yours also but I am not very good at drawing but writing. I have decided to instead to write back to you. I am going on well here but we the children of Northern Uganda are still suffering in camps because of this war, but when I get opportunity to study, so I am working hard to achieve my goals through your struggle of paying for for me my school fees. In my school I love activities like acting and straight talk club because it has helped me a lot to continue staying safe. So may the works of Thine Lord be blessed so that you continue with what you are doing in order for me to prosper and achieve my future goals. While at home I always endeavor to help my guardians with work like digging, housework, fetching firewood, collecting water. I pray that you may continue with such kind of communication.
I am an orphan, and I have one brother and sister. I would kindly request you to continue sponsoring me because if you stop, I will be hopeless on earth and I will have to stop studies. May God bless you.
I am now making 18 years old by the June 21st. I have lost all my parents in the 20 years Northern Ugandan War and now I am living with my Uncle. I have only one sister because we were born only two but however in Uganda here people can deliver more than two. In this year I am now in Senior-Four and am going to sit my examination on November this year. I am doing 10 subjects which include mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, history, commerce, Christianity, and fine art. So much and I hope that I am continuing to do it but am lacking the materials due to small space’s why I didn’t draw well. In the month we are in dry season where there is a lot of sun. All the grasses are drying off because the sun is very hot. I am praying that may God bless you for your work because I like you all.
Perhaps glad to have the opportunistic privilege to correspond with you for time. However, before I delve too much into the analysis of issues rather than simple statement of facts and more so please let me as well use this same opportunity to inquire about your health status, that is to say mentally, physically, and biologically. Otherwise, hoping that things are not all that bad. And back to the author, things are fantastic.
It’s a pleasure for me to communicate to you through this small letter. How are you over there together with your friends and family? Back here, we are still praying for peace in Northern Uganda. Back to my study. It’s going well, and I want to inform you that I have sat for my Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) last year 2006 in a school in Gulu called Mary Immaculate P7 School. And now I am in Gulu High School – a beautiful boarding school, and it’s a boarding school only.
You can see now the real abducted people going with them in the bush. Making them to carry big things which it is way difficult for them to be carry but they are forcing them to carry. They are also burning house with people inside, beating people, some of them also kill because of doing which they don’t want.
Letters from U.S. Students I liked doing this assignment because I knew I was doing something good for someone else, also it helped my skill in art. – Jacob T.
Doing the children’s book assignment was cool. I liked it because it was fun to be creative and write for a child’s mind. It was inspiring to know that I might bring happiness to a child in Uganda and India. – Kelsie W.
I wrote about 7 different stories and was only happy with one even though it wasn’t easy to draw. For me, the hardest part was trying to decide what to write and draw. – Anneliese K.
The assignment was really a challenge for me. I learned that writing a children’s book is not as easy as it may look but with work, they come out very well. – Shelby H.
The project was easy. I liked that we could do the book on anything we wanted. – Cody P.
I sincerely enjoyed the Children’s Story Project. It was great because you got the chance to put yourself in the place of children. I was able to feel like I was doing the most I could for them without being there. This project really made me want to go and be with the children and just love them. – Sierra A.
I loved doing the children’s books for the kids in Uganda and India. Not only did I have fun doing the book, it was for a good cause. At first, it was hard for me to think of something to write, but after the idea came to have pirates, the story followed. It was very hard to give the book away at the end. – Jamie M.
Watching the slideshow really made me feel sympathy for all the children and I enjoyed doing something to help them. I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment and would do it again. – Sam R.
When I started to write my book I racked my brain with all sorts of ideas. I thought about making an inspirational or dramatic story. Then I realized that these kids probably have enough drama in their life. So I made a book about a squirrel and how fat he was. It’s a story that I hope a kid will enjoy and laugh at. – Jimmy R.
I really enjoyed this project. Knowing that some kid out there will have my book makes me feel good inside. – Jenese S.
I loved this project! It was nice to know that a kid on the other side of the world would be able to enjoy my book. – Ayla P.
I decided to help on this project because I want to help people have a better education. You all deserve an education – that shouldn’t be taken away from you. I want to say good luck and I hope my part helps you learn something. Hope you enjoy this book.
I would just like to take the time to thank you for the project you have created. With this project have you have not only allowed us all to give hope to hundreds of children, but you have given me hope as well. It is so inspiring to see so many of us just working to help others. It makes me thing that maybe deep down, everyone really is a good person. Nowadays everyone is preoccupied with malls and TV, people just seem to care less and less, but with this project everyone has a chance to do something and make a difference. It just makes me so happy to be given the opportunity to do something good, and you have given me this. Thank you so much.
My name is Heather and I love to write. I especially love writing for other people. And when it is a person in need, I am way more motivated to write a good piece of literature. I was very excited to write a book for the program you developed. I had the pleasure of writing a Book of Hope to a lovely child in Uganda. I think this program is really amazing. I love seeing people care for their fellow man. It brings a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. I cannot believe how much some people care when the rest of the world is surrounded by a mean darkness. You bring a light to some of that darkness. Everyone needs that kind of light in their life, especially when the rest of it has been darkness. You are a role model to many people. I know you love doing what you do, and I hope only once again the near future, I will be able to help people to the extent you have.
Hello. My name is Mallory. I am eighteen years old and I am currently attending Kenowa Hills High School. I am a senior and will graduate this year. I would like to thank you for giving me the time to write a book of hope and help to change a child’s life. I enjoyed doing this project and I hope that whoever receives my book enjoys it. I think the program that you are running is a great program. It gives older people a chance to write a book about hope, slavery, etc. and be able to express their feelings or show how you can make a difference. It also shows that you should never give up on hope and always push for what you believe. I would like to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to write a children’s book and hopefully help to change a young child’s life in Uganda.
I am writing to you because of the work that you have done with the memory project and the books of hope. I think that they are a marvelous idea and better yet they are for a great cause. I have had the pleasure of writing a book for some of the children in Uganda to read. I enjoyed this assignment because of the feeling that I got when I try to figure out the perfect plot, and not wanting to mess this up. This was a very creative and knowledgeable thing for you to operate. I believe that this will benefit many well deserving children all over the globe. I know that I felt some of the benefits in just writing it. Thank you for the opportunity.
To be honest at first when given this assignment I was pretty selfish and didn’t really plan on participating. This is very weird because I am very active in these kinds of projects and opportunities. Closer to the due date I began to throw a book together and I got even more excited about it the more I worked on it. Thank you for this opportunity and for taking these books for us. I believe that what you are doing through this mission is very helpful and will do a lot of good for many kids in the midst of darkness and danger. Obviously you believe the same thing and I commend you for being one of the few to take action and actually help those in need. I don’t know who you are or who will receive these books but I love you all very much. Thank you again. God Bless.
I would like to begin by thanking you for your contributions to children and more specifically those in Uganda. I have spent much time taking care of children (through my job in childcare) and it is frightening to me how society as a whole can ignore those in need. I am more than happy to do anything I can to help others, but most of the time, the lack of action comes from my inability to accomplish the final step of taking action. You are that final link for me. I adore the thought that some child may receive my book and perhaps will enjoy it enough to pass it on to their children. It seems to me that through literature and helping others, such as those children in Uganda, my writing and perhaps my name will (in a small way) become immortalized. That and the knowledge that I will be making a child happy, if even for a moment, is enough of a reward for me. I only wish others would do so as well. Thank you so much once again and I hope that the children will enjoy dreaming about the far away places that I also dream of.
I would like to thank you for taking my book with you when you go. It was a privilege to write this book for these children. Having hope is the most important thing in the world, and knowing that I helped a child have hope is an amazing feeling. Have a very safe trip, and may God bless you and keep you always.
I really appreciate what you’re doing. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in those children’s shoes. It must be very hard for them to have any hope at all. I just think it is such a wonderful thing to give these children any kind of hope. Making children write stories for them to read and to see what it might be like being hopeful may in some sort of way give them something to believe in. Thank you!
I would really like to thank you for bringing our books out to where they are needed. I appreciate the work you are doing, along with the work of The Memory Project. You are inspiring me as well as my classmates to go out and make a mark on the world. This has been a truly uplifting and amazing experience for me, and I hope to do something like this again. Thank you again for your help in this project.
I think that the Books of Hope is a very great idea and I am very happy to have been a participant in this program. It is great that someone is doing this and I believe that it will help child soldiers in Uganda very much. Thank you again for creating such a worldwide effort to help children that are victimized by war and hardships.
I loved writing a story that these children can relate to and plan to write many more in the future. I hope my story will bring hope and happiness to every child that reads it. I appreciate everything your organization does for these children. You make it possible for one person to make a difference and I support everything that The Memory Project accomplishes. Thank you for the opportunity to make a difference.
Thank you so very much for giving us this beautiful opportunity to give back to the children of the world. I mean it is such a great thing to do to keep kids away from drugs and other stuff. I hope these books will touch these kids’ heart like they did for us. We all put a lot of work into these books and I just hope the kids can tell this. This was a really fun project to do and I think more classes and schools should start doing this.
Mrs. Lexie Jamison’s English 11 class at Lima Senior High Progressive Academy worked hard at creating a beautiful, touch book that will soon bring hope to a hurting child. These books can be given to a child at any age, but some are a little more advanced than other. All in all, it doesn’t matter to us just as long as a child’s face lights up when the book is given to him or her. We just only ask if you could send us something back, like pictures or notes, of the children receiving our books. Then we will know we have accomplished our task: to reach out across the world.
Thank you for letting us participate in books for hope. I enjoyed making the books. It is a good feeling to know you helped someone else.
What you do is really cool. So, I speak for all those kids when I say: THANK YOU!!!!
Thank you so much for allowing me to participate in Books of Hope. I hope you enjoy the books that we made and they make someone smile.
Thank you for the opportunity to help those less fortunate than us.
My name is Lauren Davies, and I am a student at North Farmington High School. The books included are sent on behalf of my school’s Interdisciplinary Study, Humanity in Crisis: Genocide. This past year, students participated in a school-wide study of genocide. It began with the history of major genocides, including the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the slaughter of the Native Americans, the current situation in Sudan and more, and then moved into activism. Each study spawned impressive projects devoted to human rights. Art students created thoughtful and reflective portraits of genocide victims. Television students edited documentaries, while math students crunched the human numbers. Journalism students created an award-winning genocide awareness magazine and English students organized community-wide book talks discussing related novels. Every teaching department added their piece to the project. Together, the school viewed movies such as Paper Clips and Hotel Rwanda as well as interviews and documentaries. Paul Rusesabagina, Lucien Niemeyer, Elie Wiesel, and many genocide scholars and survivors visited the school to speak.
Enclosed please find a $25 check and six books that members of the National Art Honor Society of Haddam Killingworth High School worked on during the school year. We really enjoyed creating the books and in addition to learning about the situation in Uganda, we all send our best wishes for the children and their families.
Letters from U.S. Teachers Thank you for this opportunity to make books for other children. It not only gave these children a chance to relate to other children around the world. It also gave them more meaning to their writing. We have been watching the power points and video clips on your website. The students were awestruck by the number of people sleeping in one area and the fact that they walk up to 10 miles everyday just to sleep safely. They see pictures of the fighting in Iraq and some even have neighbors or relatives fighting there, but they didn’t realize how war can and does impact children. I think they are more empathetic as to how other children in the world live. Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity of service to others.
We hope everything in your lives will soon get better. We will pray for you. I teach 8th graders at Carpenter Middle School in Maryville, TN. The books my students have written were done out of genuine concern for you and your problems. We have vowed to never forget.
Enclosed are the fables my 11th grade students wrote. It was a great experience. These students are “at-risk” high school students who need opportunities to learn about other cultures and to give back to the community.
I teach first grade at Grandview Elementary School in Ogden, Utah. When I told my students about this project and that they would be writing books for children in India who had been enslaved, they were very excited to participate. The process lasted several weeks. We talked about the structure of a story and how they should write about things that children across the world would relate to. Then they set about getting their stories down on paper without regard to spelling or any of the formal rules we usually stress. After the stories were edited and finished (and you can see that some are much longer than others), we decided on how to break them into pages. The students then drew their illustrations for each page and chose a title. I bound the books and copied them so that the students would each have one for themselves. I hope that these books will help the Indian children to learn English and also to realize that even in Ogden, Utah there are kids who care and want to help.
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for letting me and my students be a part of such a wonderful project! I truly believe each of my students grew as artists and humans throughout the course of this project – Each of them are very proud to have done something so special for someone less fortunate than themselves. As you know one of the mom’s had t-shirts made for the children. Then the business that printed the shirts was so touched they wanted to send each of the children another shirt to wear.
We sincerely thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this important effort. My students learned a tremendous amount in completing this project. In order to raise the funds to bind our books the students conducted a five-day bake sale. We also received donations from our Home and School Association, a college Professor and Ms. Watts, Vice Principal at De Burgos. The students truly enjoyed working and creating their books but more importantly working towards reaching their goals of completing the project on time and raising $400 to bind and mail their books. I would very much love to participate in this project yearly and present it to my Social Studies students as their “service project.”
I wanted to send a note of thanks along with our books. I appreciate the opportunity this provides us, as educators, to teach our students character by thinking of and contributing to those much less fortunate than ourselves. I do believe the students have given a great effort and did the work for all the right reasons.
My class at House Springs Intermediate School really enjoyed writing them and hope the children will like them. Please send any correspondence possible to let us know how the books were received. This experience was a wonderful community service project. Let me know of other opportunities you have available.
Thank you so much for the opportunity for us to participate in the Books of Hope project. We have learned a lot about the country and culture of India. We had a wonderful time creating these books and are very excited for the children in India to receive them. We hope that the books that we have made bring joy to the children who read them.
The fifth graders have really enjoyed working on these books and have put a lot of time and effort into the writing, typing and art work. They are most excited to share the books with the children in India. The books are probably appropriate for ages 10-12. Thank you for creating Books of Hope. It is a great way to create good will in this world. Keep up the good work and effort.
On behalf of the Tomlinson Middle School in Fairfield, Connecticut, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to be part of such an amazing project. Our students were able to take what they had learned about non-fiction reading and writing and create their very own picture book with a real audience and important purpose. This project serves both the students who generate the books as much as those who receive them. We feel privileged to have been a part of the 2006-7 project. We have shipped 90 books in total! Each of the books were donated by our PTA so every child had a “published” book to work with. We would love to hear from you and/or from the children who receive these books if this is possible. It would make the message of hope even stronger. As a community we would love to continue to participate in this project for years to come and we hope to continue our relationship with the Memory Project itself. Thank you again for this opportunity and we hope the children enjoy reading our books.
We are very excited to be sending our books to Uganda and have used this project as a springboard to study the current issues facing children living in Africa. As an art teacher I would like to personally thank you for the wonderful opportunity to be creative and help children on a global scale. Making the books was a great experience and I hope to et involved earlier next year.
This has been an incredible project for the students and they have all expressed how important this experience was for them. This was my last teaching year and personally to be involved in both projects allowed me to fulfill what I have taught about art making for 34 years: art transforms, communicates reaches through all barriers and is the common language between all peoples. I thank you for this privilege. Please know I have shared your important work with other teachers and I trust more books will come your way next year. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist your efforts. You have made a huge difference in the lives of so many children. There is no work more important. Many blessings to you both.
This has been such a rewarding and powerful experience for all of us. My students were able to create artworks that had real meaning and impact on another – and that is truly a gift. I wish you much success with these programs you are coordinating. I am sure that it isn’t always easy – but hope you take comfort in the fact that you are inspiring many people. You are making a difference to many! We are displaying our Books of Hope this week at our school’s Young Authors event.
Thank you for the important and wonderful work you do. My two seventh grade classes are proud to present your organization with these books and a check for $50.00, which they raised by organizing and conducting a bake sale during our school lunch periods. Thank you for helping those freed from bondage find a brighter future through literacy.
My fifth grade class and I made the covers out of polymer clay and liquid clay, baked and then drilled to loop binding ribbon to hold together. The story and illustrations are completely the work of the fifth graders. They are very exciting to have participated in this project and we hope some of the children will find the book entertaining and beautiful. My heartfelt wishes for God’s blessings over your program and the people of Uganda.
We had a great time making the books. We turned it into a month long project. We raised all the money through a bake sale and your suggested read-aloud event. We raised much more money than needed, so it is our donation to the project for you to use however you find necessary. Thank you for all your hard work of creating and managing such a great project. My students are very blessed to have been involved.
This has been a great project that has literally changed my students’ lives, and I appreciate your hard work and dedication. 7th graders often have a hard time looking outside of their own little world, and this has truly helped them expand their view and see things from a new perspective. I have also noticed, as a result of this project, that my classes have felt more unified and that they have seemed more ready to offer service. I was truly touched when I showed my students the pictures and videos and so many of them asked, “What more can we do?” This has been an incredible experience for all of us, and especially for me. I also want to quickly thank you for the follow up pictures that you recently sent. Although our books had not been sent yet, the kids loved looking at those pictures and seeing where the books will eventually go. Thank you again for everything. Getting the money together to send the books will be my goal for next year. I am now a true advocate of your program, please let me know if there is every anything I can do to help this project move forward! I would love to help in any way possible.
Thank you for presenting about Uganda, your trip and Books of Hope with the students at Falk Elementary School. Teaching through this service learning approach has been eye opening for me. I am pleased with the students’ engagement and comprehension. I am also pleased for the opportunity to collaborate with fellow university pre-service teachers in planning.
The students, teachers, administrators and community members in Massapequa have all embraced the Books of Hope project and took great pride in being involved. We are honored to be able to contribute to this very worthy cause. Enclosed you will find a check for $135 to cover the cost of books and board games that we will be sending to you by the end of the month. The students are largely responsible for the design and creativity of the books. They displayed a very mature and caring attitude towards the creation of the books from conception to completion. They were very moved by the images they saw and statement they heard from the films on your website. The students have a newfound appreciation for the things they take for granted as well as being enlightened about other cultures. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help these disadvantaged children in some small way, and thank for all you do to make it possible!
It has been an honor to be a part of the Books of Hope project. My students and I not only learned about children in other countries, but we also learned how powerful our words can be. Thank you for your time, your website and links, your email updates, and your dedication to helping others in our world. We hope that the books we’ve created and have lovingly sent will bring hope to children who have lost so much.
The kids really got into this project. It truly allowed them to create an artwork that was original in design, powerful in meaning, and memorable in concept. They have continually asked questions about the children who will receive these books. With this project, I was also able to instill the help of my dear friends who are working in Kenya. They sent us bracelets, which the students received once they completed their books. I admire what you are doing. You are creating a project where students are able to let their voices be heard and in doing so – make a difference. That is a true gift!
Thank you so much for organizing this wonderful project. My fifth grade class and their first grade buddies worked on them together and it was a very worthwhile experience for all. We would love to do it again next year!
Thank you so much for sharing your project. My students received so much from creating the books. Each day I showed my students pictures of children, housing, and land formations around the world. We looked at many books including “If the World was a Village,” which explains the share of resources in terms of 100 people in a village. It’s written for children. We also looked at “The Peace Book” by Todd Parr. Daily, my students thought about peace, the world around them, and the issues at hand. Creating these books gave them a sense that they too can do something to make a difference in this world.
These books are from South Milwaukee High School’s Psychology Classes. As the students studied about child development, several students decided to write for the children in Uganda. We had seen the PowerPoint and video clips. The whole class felt the videos were amazing and were very moved by the plight of the children.
Enclosed are 8 books that we created for your “Books of Hope” program. These stories are written by our 4-year old preschool class and are illustrated by the juniors and seniors in our National Art Honor Society. I made color copies of the originals which is why you have duplicates. I figured this would give you more books to distribute. These books are obviously for young children since they are written by young children and are purely for entertainment purposes.
It has been a pleasure researching India and watching my students create these books! Our students spent some time first studying slavery in American history and we learned about the Civil War and civil rights issues. Then we researched modern-day slavery and viewed the PowerPoint Presentation from your website. Some of our students bought T-shirts from “freetheslaves.com” and then we got busy writing and publishing our stories. We sincerely hope they can be put to good use. Thank you for making this so pain-free for teachers! Our best wishes are with you in this wonderful and life-changing mission.
The Books of Hope you have received were created by Massapequa High School students in grades 10-12. We are located on Long Island in New York State, U.S., approximately an hour away from New York City. We are a coastal region, which explains why many of stories are about the ocean and sea creatures. The books were written and illustrated by English Writing Lab classes and Drawing and Painting Art classes. The books took approximately 3 months to complete. The original artwork was created using watercolor, oil pastel, colored pencil, collage, and pen & ink. We sincerely enjoyed working on this project and hope that you find our stories interesting. We were deeply moved by the stories and photographs of Uganda that we recently received from Ms. Thakkar. We feel privileged to have been a part of this wonderful program.
Our classes have greatly enjoyed working on the Books of Hope for the children of Uganda. It was a wonderful experience for us all. Over 300 high school students participated in the making of the books and students learned about the civil war and the tragic situation in Uganda by viewing the PowerPoint presentation and the videos from the Memory Project website. We recently celebrated the completion of the books with an evening reception thanking the students, administrators and community members who participated in and supported the project. We received the DVD just in time to show that evening. We were touched by the joy that the children expressed receiving the books. We feel privileged to have been part of this program. We hope that they will bring hope and joy to the children. Looking forward to working again with you in the future. Thank you for the passion that you inspire in others. We were honored to be part of this wonderful program!
I am very pleased with the quality of design and craftsmanship. The stories are frequently about learning to get along with others and to find your place in the world. Others are new versions of traditional tales. Some are about the life and/or life cycle of different animals. I’ve sent you a picture of some of my student artists and authors. As you can see they are very proud of their books. The Books of Hope Project touches their lives in a very special way. It has also touched our Board of Education and Faculty. Next year one of the Math teachers is going to participate with her Math classes to make elementary school Math books.
We have been excited since we heard about this wonderful project. My students and I jumped at the opportunity. Every year they write books for a project called YARC which is an acronym for Young Authors Reading Conference. We decided that we would bind two sets so that they would be available for this educational experience. All were in agreement and couldn’t wait to finish each book.
What an incredible journey it has been as a participant in the Books of Hope program. As a 7th grade social studies teacher, my #1 goal is to make sure my students are tuned into the history they are making. Our unit on citizenship turns into a lifelong lesson on social responsibility and community service. This year, we heard about your program and jumped right in. Nearly 120 kids participated in this project, resulting in some of the most stunning stories and artwork I’ve ever seen. The students worked in cooperative groups to create their original stories and also learned about what life is like for others around the world whose struggles extend far beyond anything any of us have experienced. The kids were amazed and jumped into action after learning about the situation in Uganda. We watched your videos & PowerPoint – very helpful in driving home the point and helping the kids connect. The images they saw and the discussions we had stayed with us throughout the year. One of my favorite teacher moments this year was during our last unit – the American Civil War. I asked my classes if that was the only civil war in history. Someone in each of my five classes mentioned the civil strife in Uganda. I screamed an internal “YES!!” If their awareness of others helped to make them more globally minded I had achieved my goal. I am so very proud of the love and extra efforts so many of my students put into this project. We all wish you a lot of success in building these programs up in the years to come. This was a unique and heart-warming experience that we will all treasure for years to come. Many thanks and best wishes for continued success!
My name is Rebecca Russo, and I represent the 73 campers of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin’s eighth grade division. Camp Ramah is a Jewish camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, and the mission of our eighth grade program focuses on issues of local and global responsibility that come with growing up. As part of our program, we spent a day discussing the meaning of a home country and learning about refugee situations around the world, including in Uganda. The book construction has been a welcome challenge as the students learn about author/illustrator studies. The project provides for every aspect in meeting the National Standards for the Visual Arts as well as our high school essential learner outcomes and expectations. Their dedication pages are developed with sincerity and friendship. The school and local
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