Wrap-up, Program Evaluation, and Award Ceremony

On Saturday June 16, my final full day in Iganga we had the Wrap-up and award ceremony.  It was held at the Buckley High School that is really a primary school.  This was the first school that we taught after my arrival, but Moses and the team had trained another two schools the week before I arrived. 

Second Week June 11-16

Completion of the Idudi Parents School Program

At the beginning of the week we completed the program at Idudi Parents Primary School.  This is the school that I showed last week with no window or door frames and huge step up to the classroom floor from the playground.  I have learned that this is private school, and such does not receive any government funding.  So, teacher's salaries, school upkeep, feeding, security, and all other costs are paid by the student’s parents.  In a society where an entry level teacher earns $104 and Head Teacher (Principal) earns about $170, you can only imagine the type of incomes the parents have. The Great thing is that Director at this school is a great guy the teachers are extremely dedicated and love and care for the children as best they can.  The students at this school and in most of the schools, were very well disciplined and I was pleasantly surprised at their English ability. All instruction is given in English.

Wednesday – Friday June 6 - 8

In the morning we had a meeting planned with the Education Department, but they had to cancel due to an Education Ministry meeting that they were summoned to.  In the afternoon we started a new Smart Choices program at St Lawrence Secondary school.  We did two more sessions on Thursday and then finished the program today.  This school was a real challenge the Students were undisciplined and unruly and aggravated by a class size of about 250 with the kids packed in with five on a bench designed for two.  It is wonderful to here about how God always redeems those kinds of situations.   As we were bemoaning the situation as we were packing the equipment into the car. The coordinating teacher came up to us to hand us the school questionnaire form that she had just completed.  The comments on the form were very complementary about the program and she said that several of the girls from the class had come to speak to her, realizing that they had made bad choices and asking her for advice on how to get out their bad situation.

On Thursday morning we started a new program at a primary school, Idudi Parents Primary.  I think that some of these kids were really to young to hear some of the content in the course.  One of the requests we have had from Uganda as we revise and update the content of the Smart Choices, is that come up with a presentation that is suitable for the younger kids.  The conditions at this school where really dire.  Dirt floors, no window or door frames and in some instances the classroom floor level is about 2ft of the round and no steps.  You will see from the pictures.  The crazy think about poverty that always gives me something to smile about, is the kids in the worst possible situations are the most cheerful and full of life.  It is as if they don’t have a care in the world.  We will go back and finish up lessons 3-6 at this school next Monday and Tuesday.