Update & CASP in the News...

The work of Canada Africa School Partnership (CASP) has been highlighted in two Saturday Monitor Newspaper articles in Uganda.

CASP is a community based organization formally registered in Uganda. We support local decision making.

Kinu Primary School is being developed as a Model School where sustainable solutions for water and food are demonstrated (through school gardens and rain water harvesting tanks).

The next educational workshop for area schools will be held on June 12 -13, 2010.

1. Recent article:

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/Farming/-/689860/819816/-/wqt8a5/-/index.html

Excerpt:

Majority of school going children in Uganda most especially in rural areas attend classes on empty stomachs. This affects their concentration while in school and eventually impacts negatively on their general performance in studies.

A volunteer organisation, Canada Africa Schools Partnership (CASP) working alongside Ugandan rural schools in the districts of Kamuli, Iganga and Wakiso, is working out a way to ensure children grow food at school on which they can feed on without paying for it.

The organisation is promoting school gardening projects in over 20 schools where they assist schools to use their land effictively to feed their students.

Studies by Save the Children organisation show that majority Ugandans in farming communities do not have enough food to last the families through the dry seasons, which explains why one in four children under age five are stunted. And by having a meal a day, these children go to school only to sit in classrooms without benefitting much from the teacher.

Mr Moses Isabirye Lyagoba, the Country Director of the programme says they have chosen Kinu Primary School in Kamuli District where they would kickstart the programme to benefit nearly 9,000 pupils in 12 schools in districts of Kamuli, Iganga and Wakiso.

“Many schools have land but the school administrators and children need to be sensitised on how best they can fully exploit their land for better education by growing food to give children,” Mr Lyagooba says.

He says government has asked parents to send their children with food but available circumstances don’t favour the arrangement that calls for an intervention, if the UPE policy is to fulfill its objectives.

Mr Lwagooba cites Kinu Primary School in Kamuli with 51 acres idle land which is about to be used to demonstrate the proper use of land for the benefit of the schools, students and the communities in the school’s locality.

“We hope to raise a well planed school garden with short term and long term projects like tree planting,” he adds.

The country director says 1,000 pine trees have been planted on Kinu Primary School land and another consignment of 1,000 pine trees and 500 fruit trees have been given to the school to grow food for children and use the trees to earn money for other activities in the school...

2. Rainwater Harvesting Goes to Kamuli

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/Farming/-/689860/920838/-/xbc93h/-/index.html

Excerpt:

Water and sanitation are some of the most pressing public health challenges in Uganda’s primary schools. Canadian volunteer organisations in efforts to address the problem, are partnering with Ugandan rural schools to make clean water accessible to children through the Canada-Africa schools partnership (CASP).

Mr Moses Isabirye Lyagoba, the coordinator of the programme says that they have selected Kinu Church of Uganda Primary School in Namwedwa Sub-county in Kamuli District as the pilot school to kick start the water and sanitation project whereby schools will be helped to harvest rain water for domestic and farm use....

Clean water and sanitation are as essential to learning as good books and qualified teachers. Without these necessities, children have trouble paying attention in school, and many fall ill and have to miss class. In the long term, educational achievement is one of the most important determinants of health, life expectancy, economic productivity, and the wellbeing of future generations. In past years, the government carried out several national campaigns geared towards the provision of safe water as a way of preventing cholera, bilharzia and other water-borne diseases. Studies show that between 40 and 60 per cent of Ugandans, especially in rural areas and amongst poor urban residents, lack access to safe drinking water, according to Uganda’s directorate of Water Development.

Kids & Community at Water Tanks

Deputy Speaker Becomes Patron of CASP

Message from RT Hon Rebecca Kadaga, Deputy Speaker of the House of Parliament.

We are so very please Ms. Kadaga has become a Patron to the work of CASP.

Moses visits Kinu Community

In April Moses went to Kinu school to look at the community's use of the water tanks. He interviewed children and their parents as well as community and school leadership.

Here is some of what he found:

People were very happy that they no longer had to walk 2.5 km for water.

The quality of education has improved because children spend more time in class and less time collecting water.

Families are more comfortable sending female children to school because they no longer have to face the dangers of the long walk for water.

People are generally healthier in the community. Clean water has meant less water bourne disease.

Kinu Village Elder Letter

A Kinu Village Elder, Mr. Munyhente Godfrey, sends us greetings.

He says in a letter to Moses that the local community that surrounds the school appreciates the work that has been done by the CASP (Canada Africa School Partnership) volunteers in Uganda and Canada. The water tanks have had a significant impact upon the community and on the quality of education for their young people.

As a result of having the two 10,000L tanks on the school site, students no longer are walking 2.5 km daily for clean water and they are not missing large chunks of classroom instruction.

He states, "Some of them (students) have been loosing some of the subjects simply because they have gone for water but now things have been streamlined, educational standards have improved very much."

He continues, "The community around Kinu Primary School is very happy for what you have done. They are all enjoying the water you have provided for them."

He ends his letter, "May God award you accordingly."

Kimberley Public School: Student Questions

Classroom Questions 

Ms. Vree's Grade 2-3 Class at Kimberley Public School

Recently we were able to make a visit to this wonderfully dedicated classroom.  

They came up with the following questions and area of interest for Vanessa to photograph during her trip.

Show us with Photos:

how big the rain water harvesting tanks are

the structural components of the tanks (screens to keep debris out)

how the water is being used

who used the water from the tanks

the types of fruits and vegetables grown and available in that part of Uganda

what the school(s) looks like

the students at Kinu

the games kids like to play (do they play bobo?)

the clothes people wear and for what occasions

Everyday Life Questions:

do students have enough food and water?

do people have enough wood for building?

how do people find shelter from the rain during rainy season (umbrellas?)

Future:

These students understand that they have been given a gift of the opportunity to learn from their peers in Uganda.  They would like to know if they can do anything to assist the project next year.  They asked, "How else can we help?"

Garden Photos

Cassava plans with a few corn plants will benefit from recent garden weeding and tending.
Corn plants.
Banana trees will eventually provide shade to medicinal plants to be planted underneath.

Gardeners removing weeds and turning soil.

The Garden: An Update

This year we have been able to provide some assistance to Kinu School in preparing their school garden.

They have planted maize (corn), beans and cassava.

Banana trees have also been nurtured so that eventually their leaves will provide shade for medicinal plants underneath.

Beaches Alternative School raised money for seeds.  Knowing that Adam Beck parent council and student/teacher/family book fair fundraiser would be dedicating funds again to this project, we were able to assist recently with much needed weeding and tending to the plants.  Thanks BAS & Adam Beck!

Soon the 700 students at Kinu will have more food available to eat.

Vanessa's Trip

Due to problems with the airline, we plan to reschedule the trip to October 2010.

This will give classrooms, students and families more time to post their questions to guide her trip.  We are very interested in making this trip your trip too.  We would like to include you before, during and after the trip by using this blog.   Please post question, suggestion or comment.  If you would like to schedule a class visit to facilitate this process, email us.

Canadian students have identified areas of interest and they have also asked Vanessa (who is a professional photographer) to take pictures of particular things they want to learn more about. We will find people in Uganda to answer your questions.

Ugandan students are preparing some written descriptions of the water tanks and school garden that we hope to eventually post here.  Vanessa and Kari are also designing a photo workshop for students at Kinu so that they can communicate their ideas through pictures too.