Empower African Children Blog

“When the music changes, so does the dance”

By Agnes Kasule, program manager at Empower African Children

That’s the new logo of our Spirit of Uganda 2012 Tour T-shirts (pictured above). The African proverb speaks on a deep level to all of our students.

Half of those students arrived in the United States on New Year’s Eve to begin the four-month Spirit of Uganda tour. Meanwhile, the 21 primary and secondary students left in Uganda are carrying on their own dance.

Last November, the group returned to their respective villages/homes, where they each had to carry out a service project.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Phyllis’ first visit to Sanyu Babies Home was with Empower African Children... 

Phyllis Asiimire, 14, spent her school holiday volunteering at a home for babies.

 She observed that the home received many (although not enough) material donations, but there were not enough people to carry, hug, play, feed, and love the babies.

During this school holiday, Phyllis volunteered there for a week. Her day started at 6:30 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m. Her tasks included waking, bathing, dressing and feeding the babies, making their beds, laundry, helping in the classroom, and changing diapers — her biggest lesson of the her time there, along with learning the tragic histories of the babies.

She feels the experience has made a difference in her life, the lives of the babies, and the “mothers” who care for them. Phyllis wishes to see the birth rate in Uganda drop and for schools and communities to engage in teaching about the consequences of early parenthood. This, she believes, will curb the cases of child neglect and abandonment.

• Daniel’s uncle owns a traditional dance troupe...

Daniel Tashobya, 18, organized a behavioral change workshop in his uncle's community.

In his interactions with the troupe, Daniel noticed there was a general lack of respect for leaders, for each other, and time for prayer. He organized a behavioral change workshop for the troupe and other interested locals. He asked a teacher from the his alma mater, Taibah Junior School, to give a talk on HIV/AIDS, as well as a community development agent to talk about living and working with others. More than 50 people attended the workshop, which was so well received Daniel plans to have it annually.

• Jengo has the rare opportunity to influence people in two countries – Uganda and Tanzania...

Jengo Munawiru, 19, focused on teaching his community good hygiene habits.

His home is on the Uganda-Tanzania border in southern Uganda. Last year, he conducted a soccer camp and tournament in Uganda. This year, Jengo tackled hygiene in Tanzania, which, by the interest and help from a few individuals, spilled over into Uganda.

He started his campaign by cleaning his home, compound, and bathrooms. He then recruited five individuals, who went house to house teaching people how to clean their homes, compounds, bathrooms, and keep their babies safe. As a result, people started collecting their trash in plastic bags and burned it less often than before. He will continue to inspect and teach whenever he returns home. His hope is that those in his community have learned the importance of good hygiene and will maintain it.

When our Spirit of Uganda performers dance their way into your hearts over the next few months, we hope they are influencing you in meaningful ways. In the same way, we hope all our students positively influence others wherever they go — be it on a renowned stage in New York City on in a little village in Mitooma.

Agnes Kasule is program manager at Empower African Children and is based in Kampala, Uganda. She can be reached at Agnes@EmpowerAfricanChildren.org.

 

Sandwiches and Global Competence

By Cecilia Nipp

Ursuline students who traveled to Uganda in November reunited with their Empower friends on New Year's Eve, as students arrived in Dallas for the 2012 Spirit of Uganda tour.

I think a lot about relationships in my work as dean of diversity and global education at Ursuline Academy. We want our students to be competent and knowledgeable global citizens. But how does that goal become a reality in their daily lives?

At Ursuline, part of that global competence comes from developing relationships — that is, friendships — all over the world. Once a student has a friend in another part of the world, that part of the world suddenly becomes interesting and matters in a real, personal, and profound way. So, as we have deepened our partnership with Empower African Children, we have deliberately created the opportunity for relationships between our students and Empower students. We are guided by the timeless words of St. Angela, who founded the Ursuline order in the 16th century. She instructed the women in her company to “know each student by name” and to know the “special circumstance” of each student. This type of knowing — by name and circumstance — is exactly what we wanted for our students as we traveled to Uganda last November.

Our time was an awakening of so much awareness for our students. The great privilege in which we live in the United States became clearer, as did the infinite potential Africa holds. We spent time — the most critical ingredient for relationship building — with the Empower students. Together with our new African friends, we shared meals, attended mass, rode on the bus, sang, chatted, painted, volunteered, danced, and just laughed and laughed.

Strong friendships were formed with great ease and joy. Today, our Ursuline students feel particularly close to the Empower students because now they know them by name and circumstance. We know where they come from and have experienced their culture. We know about their passion for Oreos and dislike of sandwiches.

We know Faith is the youngest but not necessarily the quietest.

We know Donna’s favorite American restaurant is Wendy’s.

We know what awesome musicians Moses and Brian are, and that they are patient teachers when faced with really bad drummers such as ourselves.

We know Noelle loves fashion, and Sharon is an expert hair stylist in addition to being a talented dancer and singer.

Our Ursuline students could tell you so many details about their Ugandan friends —from their favorite songs to what obstacles they have faced and overcome in their young lives. And, as in all good relationships, the love goes both ways. The Empower students have come to know the Ursuline students by name and circumstance as well.

We also learned that welcoming others works both ways. The joy of being reunited with our friends when some of the Empower students arrived in Dallas on New Year’s Eve as part of the Spirit of Uganda 2012 tour was immense and the laugher, again, abundant. How ecstatic we will be this week when we welcome Spirit of Uganda to our school! The children will not only perform but will also join our entire student body in a day of learning, celebration, and, of course, relationship building.

Cecilia Nipp is dean of diversity and global education at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, Texas. She can be reached at cnipp@ursulinedallas.org. You can find her blog at www.uadodge2011-12.blogspot.com. If you’re interesting in visiting our students in Uganda, please contact Rosie@EmpowerAfricanChildren.org.

A Lesson in Dignity

Jeremy Phillips, program director in Africa

Jeremy Phillips, Empower's program director, with his father at the site of Empower's future school.

As I drive in Kampala, I am fascinated by the vehicles on the road from the various other non-profit organizations. Many of them focus on orphans, AIDS, and “the least of these.” While I am sure the organizations do meaningful work, it occurs to me that some of their names, logos, and mottos are often geared toward the donors they rely upon and are not always sensitive to the dignity of the people they serve. It reminds me of a story my dad once told me that taught me an important lesson.

My dad was born in China in a missionary family and returned home to Oregon when he was 6 years old. His family’s home church took baskets of food to needy families at Christmas. Everybody involved enjoyed it and felt proud they could help the poor. When he was 10, his dad (my grandfather) died in a workplace accident at the power plant where he worked. They were not a wealthy family, so the loss of his dad also meant they lost their primary source of income. It was soon Christmas time. While they were grieving, friends from the church showed up at his house with a food basket. One might assume he was happy to receive the food, but rather than run to receive the gift, he ran and hid instead. Why? He felt ashamed that he had become one of the poor families that needed a basket of food.

My dad went on to spend his entire career helping others through non-profit work. But he never forgot the lesson he learned about the importance of protecting the dignity of those you serve so they can hold their head high rather than bear the stigma of their condition or be ashamed of needing help. As a child I did not know this story, but I saw the effects of this lesson my dad learned in the way he treated people and the way they responded to him.

If we are not careful, our helping can hurt the very ones we intend to serve. We can focus on their needs and ignore their humanity. I often wonder how a family in Uganda feels when one of those vehicles drives up to their house. They are genuinely in need — just as my dad was — but are they happy to see the vehicle or do they want to run and hide?

Our name, Empower African Children, if often shortened to “Empower.” It is a name that speaks of our student’s abilities and potential. I get the sense our students are proud to say they are a part of “Empower.” Whenever we communicate what we do, we try to keep the focus on where our students are going and what they are capable of, not dwelling on the challenges they have experienced in the past.

A recent experience at our students’ school leads me to believe we are successful in this goal. They go to one of the top private schools in Uganda, so the majority of the other students come from well-off families. While attending a soccer match between the Empower students and the school team, one of the regular fee-paying students watching the match approached me and asked if she could join Empower. She didn’t realize we are a scholarship program; she simply saw the quality of the children in Empower and wanted to be among them.

We want our students to always be proud to be associated with Empower and hold their head high — with dignity.

Jeremy Phillips is program director of Empower African Children and is based in Kampala, Uganda. He can be reached at Jeremy@EmpowerAfricanChildren.org.

 

The Strength Within

By Frank Roby, CEO Empower African Children

Joseph, pictured in the center, is preparing for the Spirit of Uganda's 2012 U.S. tour in ways that aren't always obvious.

You know that really dark wood called ebony? It is very hard, very precious, and actually so heavy it sinks in water. But I learned something new about it in Kenya last week when I was meeting with our social enterprise partner, Bata Kenya. The outside of the wood looks  very much like most other trees. It is the core that is so strong and dark. The bigger the tree, the bigger the ebony core. So when you see a large object carved from ebony, you know it came from a massive tree.

Learning more about this tree made my observation of one of our students in Uganda especially poignant. Joseph is one of our emerging student leaders and a great talent who will be traveling to the U.S. as part of the upcoming Spirit of Uganda tour. I saw the strength of ebony  growing within him as I observed his leadership and his attention beyond the music and into the overall performance. Joseph is talented and soft spoken. Our students are no different than any other group in that some are quiet and others, well, not so quiet. Joseph is a quiet study of Peter Kasule, Spirit of Uganda’s artistic director. He is a protégé much like Peter Mugga, our music technology major at Sante Fe University of the Arts once was.

Joseph is becoming who he is capable of becoming. He now sees beyond his role and into how the pieces fit together to make for a spectacular result. And this skill now allows him to adjust and adapt to circumstances. There is an African proverb that you will see featured on our 2012 tour T-shirts. It says, “When the music changes, so does the dance.” What a perfect statement alongside the image of ebony. A strong center, often hidden from view, but resilient, and able to be molded into something of great beauty — in heart, in character, and in knowledge.

That is Joseph. And that is the nature of Empower students. I can’t wait for you to meet them. May we all have a core like Joseph’s that when revealed, shows the beauty that stems from our inner strength — a strength that allows others to lean on us in troubled times. That is the character of what Peter Kasule is teaching Joseph and what Joseph is learning to do in turn for our younger students. And it is a measure for each of us as we prepare for this Holy season.

Frank Roby is CEO at Empower African Children, based in Dallas, Texas. He can be reached at Frank@EmpowerAfricanChildren.org.

 

Meet Sharon

Editor’s Note: Cecilia Nipp is the Dean of Diversity and Global Education at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, TX. Cecilia joined us in Uganda in March to explore future partnership possibilities with Empower African Children. The article below is taken from her trip blog, which can be found at ceciliainuganda.blogspot.com.   

By Cecilia Nipp

As you may recall, Empower African Children (EAC) is dedicated to orphans and vulnerable children. But what defines a vulnerable child? What does it mean to be vulnerable? Well, on Wednesday afternoon I learned first-hand what it means to be "vulnerable."

Sharon is a beautiful girl of about 15 who is one of the children sponsored by EAC. I spent some time talking to Alexis about whether or not I should write about Sharon's life because it is so painful and I don't want to exploit her or to expose her in any way. However, upon reflection, I know that it is a story worth telling - and, sadly, it is not an extraordinary story in this group of children - it's merely a representative story. I know also that if you were to meet this gorgeous young woman, you would never imagine her situation or the burden placed on her shoulders - I know because I could not have imagined it.

So, Sharon's parents were originally from Rwanda (pronounced "Ronda" as I have just learned). They were Tutsis who fled the Rwandan genocide in the 90's when most of their family members were brutally killed. Sharon's mother, who is sickly, has had five children - an eldest son who is very ill with diabetes and perhaps other illnesses, a second child who died, Sharon, a young son of about 10 and a baby girl. Sharon's father died recently of AIDS. Sharon's cousin, a 22 year old woman, also recently died of AIDS leaving a young baby girl who is now also under the care of Sharon's mother. Sharon's mother and the children live in a tiny one-room space behind a bar where many men come during the night to purchase and consume alcohol. There is no water, electricity, bathroom, etc. To say that it is not a safe environment for a young girl is the understatement of a lifetime.

We went with Sharon to visit her family on Wednesday afternoon (recall that she lives at school thanks to EAC) so that I could better understand the situations of the children of EAC. It was a situation so filled with sadness and despair that it was hard to keep from crying. Sharon's mother did cry recalling how she had been able to afford a good school for her children when her husband was alive. She was also upset because her young son (who is so smart!) was sent home from school because he did not have black uniform shoes.

Of course, we left money for the shoes and I am so grateful that Alexis thought to take some much-needed groceries to Sharon's mother as a thank you for having us over. But of course, these are tiny gestures given the issues that overwhelm this family.

As I looked down at precious Sharon sitting on the floor in that tiny, dark room smiling at her mother and playing with her sister, I realized that all the hopes and dreams of her family are wrapped up in her. Sharon is wise beyond her years (as are most of these children) and she is thriving at her school thanks to the opportunity given to her by EAC. She is getting an excellent education and she is the one who must (and will) lift up her family. She is, quite literally, a shining light in the darkness. I pray that her family stays healthy so that they receive the benefit of Sharon's hard work. I understand now about being "vulnerable" and that these children would be in inescapable, impossible situations of poverty and hardship if it were not for EAC. Sadly, I also realize that there are thousands of other precious children out there who don't have EAC or anyone looking out for them - and I think that thought will stay with me long after I have left Uganda...

Francis Lubuulwa: U.S. Scholarship Student

Of course we know how great our students are, but we like it when other people notice, too – and recently Francis Lubuulwa, a U.S. Scholarship student, has been getting attention.  First, he was selected as the keynote speaker at Macy’s Passport Teen Night in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Francis had the fantastic opportunity to share his story with more than 4000 teenagers who attended this fashion show fundraiser, which is aimed at educating teens about AIDS. 

 

Next, upon learning about this accomplishment, one of his professors at Richland College nominated Francis for the college's Wall of Honor, an award given to those who have overcome great obstacles in their life. Richland's president presented Francis with the award at a ceremony, and now his photo and story prominently hang on the walls of his campus. The story is featured on the Richland College website, and begins: “Francis Lubuulwa is well acquainted with loss. His childhood in AIDS-ravaged Uganda taught harsh lessons. But through the tragedies he’s endured, Francis has learned hope.”  And the story ends on this note: “Francis plans to return to Uganda to establish his own human resources consulting company after finishing his studies at Richland. Armed with a 4.0 GPA, Francis is sure to be successful in his mission to spread hope in his homeland.”

 

Click here to read the inspiring full story.

Meet Francis

 

Editors Note: People often ask “what happens to the children Empower African Children supports when they finish high school?” The answer? We hope we’ll have impacted their lives enough that they qualify for higher education, trade schools, or are prepared to get a job. In most case's we continue to support the children through post-secondary scholarships. However, every child is different and so are their stories. We’d like to introduce you to one of them. His name is Francis. This is his story.

 

Francis was one of the dancers and musicians from the 2008 Spirit of Uganda Tour. He’s a bright and responsible young man, in addition to being musically gifted. Francis graduated from secondary school last year with grades that earned him a spot at Makerere University, one of Africa’s largest and oldest universities. This gave him an opportunity to pursue his long-time dream of performing and making music.

 

“When I was 9, I was introduced to the world of music and was inspired by the beautiful melodies and plays that were done by the school choir,” he tells us. “I have grown with a passion of wanting to compose and make music.  Studying it has been a long time dream for me.“

 

Earlier this year, during a casual conversation with Francis while bumping along in the back of a van, he opened up and began to share with me about his experience in the music program. I was blown away.  He’d just returned from a week of traveling through Uganda with a group of students. Their task was to educate people in villages while improving their performing abilities. Each morning, the group would be given a new assignment to perform live that same evening. It could be anything—a musical piece, a drama, even a speech. Within hours, they would be setting up a stage in a trading center and performing as soon as a crowd had assembled. These performances were geared around educating the audience on important topics, including HIV/AIDS prevention. Not only was this amazing training for the students, but they were doing important work in their communities.

 

Upon telling me about this experience, Francis tossed in this gem of a statement: “…and I’m coming to Stanford soon.” Wait—what? Stanford?!? He went on to explain that a group of performing arts students from Stanford were travelling to Uganda for an exchange with the Makerere University students. The program included joint performances at the National Theater in Kampala. Afterwards, they would reciprocate. The Ugandan students would travel to Stanford and perform there. Last week, Francis and others completed the Stanford leg of the exchange. You read about it here.

 

We’re thrilled with the opportunities available to someone like Francis. In Uganda, music and the arts are major part of the culture and daily life. As Francis keeps working toward his graduation, he hopes to continue composing, performing, and producing music. It gives him the chance to pursue his passion while also helping to maintain his country’s vibrant cultural heritage, as well as producing new and upcoming artists. That’s been his dream for years, and Francis is on his way to making it reality.

 

Remembering Sister Rose

 

Who was Sister Rose? She was a pioneer. A saint. An entrepreneur. But most importantly, perhaps, she was a mother to hundreds of parentless children in Uganda. Sister Rose Muyinza died in Kampala last week after battling Alzheimer’s disease for several years. 

As a young nun in Uganda during the civil war years of the 1970’s, Sister Rose was different. She wanted to do more. She was one of the first to recognize the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in Uganda, and in 1972 she started a group called Daughters of Charity. Her organization won the support of Uganda’s President and First Lady, ministers of Parliament, and the leaders of the church in Uganda. All of them proudly supported her work caring for children. 

The matriarch of the organization, Sister Rose started and ran the Daughters of Charity Home in Nsambya, the Kiwanga Children’s Home in Mukono, and St. Kizito Sabina Primary School in Rakai District. She was well-known for teaching the children to sing, dance, and cook meals. The children would join her in providing catering and entertainment for local events, the profits of which were then used to cover school fees and purchase clothing and food for the children.

Sister Rose was a close friend and colleague of Alexis Hefley, Empower African Children’s founder. The two first met in 1993, when Sister Rose was caring for children in a home in the center of Kampala that had been abandoned during the Idi Amin years. The children had no material possessions, yet possessed a strong sense of community and support of one another. It was chaotic, yet beautiful—the epitome of poverty and abundance. When Alexis saw the children perform, she had a thought: If only my friends back home could see this, they’d support these children. A few years later, Sister Rose, Alexis, and a group of children arrived in New York City to tour the United States. Over the last 15 years, it has evolved into what has become the Spirit of Uganda today. 

Sister Rose lived out most of her life—including her final days—at the Daughters of Charity Orphanage in Kampala. Many of the staff and children of Empower African Children were cared for by Sister Rose. Her portrait hangs on the wall in Empower African Children’s house in Kampala, where she will always be remembered and honored for her contribution to the lives of children in Uganda.

Photos by Doug Menuez

Profile of Peter Mugga, US Scholarship Student

You might remember Peter from the Spirit of Uganda 2008 Tour. An extremely talented performer, he was our lead musician and the composer of several of our songs. Peter is just one of those guys who was born with a gift for music. For instance, he’s a self-taught musician who has mastered several traditional and modern instruments. There’s also the fact that he received the highest score in Uganda on the national exams in music in 2005.  

Without an instrument in his hands, Peter is a pretty quiet guy — but he’s passionate about music and determined to make a career out of it. In fact, at a small church service at one point along the 2008 tour, the pastor called for prayer requests. Peter wrote his down on a note and placed it in the offering plate. The note read, “Please pray that I can pursue my dream to study music in the United States.” We’re thrilled to announce that his prayer has been answered: Peter is one of our three newest U.S. Scholarship Students, now attending Richland College.

Peter’s dream has long been to study music technology, which isn’t currently a degree plan he could pursue in Uganda. What he’d really like to do is produce music in his homeland, hoping to provide opportunities for the many skilled musicians living there as well as raising the standard of local music production. 

As with all our scholarship students, Peter’s goal and vision has become our dream, too. We’d love to see him succeed, and that passion of his is a major part of the reason Peter was accepted into our U.S. Scholarship Program this fall. Peter arrived in Dallas in late December and started classes this week at Richland College. None of us are surprised to find that all of his classes are music classes.

We hope you get a chance someday to meet Peter. When you do, be sure to encourage him in his pursuit of making music. That passion has changed his life already. We’re hoping it will help change others’ lives, too.