Your Excellency Mr. President,
I hope you and everyone on this forum are doing fine wherever you may be now. I have realized that due to your busy schedule, we cannot meet as we had intended since the meetings have flopped for more than three - four times now. I have chosen to share this with you and all the members on the West Nile net who have hearts for their people and might find this interesting to support. As indicated in the subject of this mail, our 3rd conference that offers an all-round learning opportunity for people of all ages is scheduled for April 27 – 30, 2011 at Kabalega Secondary School, Masindi District on the theme: “Land Literacy: A critical tool for reducing poverty and hunger and achieving some of the key MDGs in the 21st Century Uganda”. Last year, we were at Namasagali College, in Kamuli District. Next year, we shall be in Nabumali SS, Mbale district. Amongst other objectives, these conferences which focus on issues that affect the livelihoods of our rural, poor, non-literate and mostly disadvantaged people are intended expose our people to what the external environment so that they can change their attitudes towards life. Some of the activities of the conference shall include: · Career guidance and counselling for students · Free community health camp to be spearheaded by URLCODA volunteer medical team under Dr. Ayiko, Dr. Fahdil Geriga, Dr. Pontius Apandu etc · IT skills training for students who will in turn train the rural women conference participants · Group discussions on the subthemes of the conference · Meeting of teachers from Arua and Masindi district to share their experiences and compare notes · Meeting between secondary school students and Makerere University students · Bicycle race for women · Women football matches · Cultural galas · Exhibition of various products/skills/technologies by different companies and participants · etc Also note that this conference will attract high profiled speakers from various institutions. Some of the people we have approached to come as speakers and may most likely come to participate include: · The Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy in Uganda · The Director Tourism – Uganda Wild Life Authority · Hon. Kabakumba, L. Matsiko, Minister of Information · The Bishop of Hoima Diocese · Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom · Deputy Principal, Makerere University College of Education and External Studies · Dr. Dan Babikwa – NEMA · Hon Kamilo Sabo, Vice Chair Arua/Patron URLCODA · Mr. Mukwaya – former HM Kabalega SS when I was a student there · Dr. Julliet Tembe, Board Member TASO · Mr. David Batema, Deputy Registrar High Court and an OB of Kabalega SS NB: You are welcome to this event and speak to the participants You may all recall that we have talked about declining academic performance in our region and suggested heaps of solutions that are resting in archives but with very little action. We had formed a taskforce to address the matter but this has hit a deadlock for now. I have always strongly believed that the root cause of the problems we have in the West Nile regions is attitudinal, which in my view could be addressed through exposure of our people and more so students to what happens outside their immediate borders. I want to sound a warning here that this is the time for action because our archives are full of suggestions we can ably lay our hands on to move forward. In light of the above idea, on March 8, 2011, I met the Vice Chairman Arua, the DEO, and head teachers of 5 secondary schools namely: Arua Public, Ediofe Girls, Muni Girls, Mvara and Ombaci to brainstorm on the need to expose our people and how the above conference could be of help. We unanimously resolved that all the five schools will send 10 student representatives and 2 teachers each to Kabalega conference and we come back to organize an Educational Expo for West Nile Schools to share the lessons learnt which shall be hosted by Mvara SS. The 50 selected students will join a similar number to be picked from five schools in Masinid district. During the conference, the students will: · Interact with high level academics, political leaders, university students, and teachers from other parts of the country · Acquire leadership and organizational skills as they will be involved in running the conference alongside other volunteer organizers · Get trained as trainers in computer skills to be offered by Maendeleo Foundation on April 27, 2011 (we already demonstrated this in Ombaci SS on March 23, 2011) · Train other rural women attending the conference in computer skills from April 28 – 29, 2011 · Have time to attend lectures on careers and other relevant topics from OBs with admirable careers (you are welcome to volunteer to come and talk about your career if you can) · Go for geographical field excursion to Murchison Falls National Park on April 29, 2011 · Act as note takers and translators in group discussions since this has always been and will remain a multilingual conference · etc For your information, I have held a very fruitful discussion with the Director Tourisn – UWA who has generously agreed to wave all the fees for 40 students who will be going to the Park and take a boat ride to see Murchison Falls. He has also agreed that the bus coming from West Nile with our people will enter through Para free of charge. I hope this will give a chance for our rural people to see what is in other parts of their country. I am sure you are aware that vehicles have to pay for entry into the park and using the ferry as well as individuals in the vehicles and all that he has waived for our participants. He however said that the money for the boat ride cannot be waived and will be 300,000=. We may not afford all the 100 students to go to the park because of the financial constraints. I would now like to appeal to you all to support us the volunteer organizers to make this conference succeed. Many individuals and agencies are doing their best to offer what they can. Kabalega SS has offered its premises and facilities including utilities, UWA has waived some fees for us, an NGO in Masindi called RDP has offered free radio talk show to mobilize communities in Masindi, Some Pharmaceutical companies are pledging drugs, TASO Masindi Branch will help in VHCT etc. Basically, we are requesting for assistance to feed 500 people in a span of 4-5 days and specifically we need fuel to take students to park and back to Kabalega SS using Kabalega SS bus, 300,000/= for their boat ride on river nile, some 750,000= to procure posho, 180,000= for cassava flour for our people from West Nile, 200,000= to purchase snacks for students who will be going to the park, 600,000= for video coverage to document the event which our foundation could use in future for soliciting funding, 800,000 for purchasing meat etc. Note that I am being shy to put everything here because in past I have done this and many of us do not believe we have the capacity to do all these and yet this is going to the 3rd of its kind. So give us what you can and we will give a full accountability of all assistance rendered to make this event succeed. I am copying this mail to the 5 head teachers in Arua who have agreed to send their students and teachers to be part of this important and historic event. I look forward to your positive response to this request for help. Awadifo, afayo, etc Willy Ngaka
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