Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Goodbye 2008, welcome 2009!

Niteo Africa: Establishing Hope, Nourishing Minds

I can't believe it is already the end of the year but what a year it has been. And 2009 promises to be another amazing year too. I am now on the board of directors for Niteo and we are in the process of planning our trip for the summer of 2009. We have several projects on the go:

1. Teaching Together - a partnership between Ugandan and Canadian teachers
2. Eva Ruf Resource Center - a wealth of books for teachers and students in Ntinda
3. Niteo Kids - a group of Kelowna students who are raising money to buy a van to make the resource center mobile for the teachers and students who can't make it to the Eva Ruf Resource Center
4. Sanuy and King's Daughters - a partnership with 5 girls who are having their education paid for in exchange for working at a local orphanage
5. Leaders of Distinction - a grant that is given to high school students to work with elementary students in developing leadership skills

What a great set of projects to help develop our mandate: Like Africa, Ugandan children are naturally beautiful, intrinsically valuable, and destined for greatness. Our mandate is to dignify the heart and mind of the African child and Niteo will provide support and programming to this end.

I feel so fortunate to be part of this wonderful organization. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive in this endeavour of mine. It is an amazingly fulfilling adventure that I wish everyone could experience.

Here are some photos of my trip...

Nateete Living Hope Children's Center and Orphan's School


Muhamad (my sponsor teacher at Kawanda Secondary) and his family

My friends from Kawanda - Sainab, Ali, Muhamad, me (the smiling mzungu), Mr. Hussein and Ishmael

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Link to my photos

I hope to get some stories published here but until I get time to do that, you can look at some photos from the trip. The link is in the left panel under "important links".

It was truly amazing! I hope to return next summer with Corey.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

WOW!!

!! WOW!!

I can't get my photos so you will have to wait and the internet isn't fast or reliable enough for me to post as often as I'd like to but let me say WOW!!! This is an amazing country, the people are so kind, my safari was unbelievable, and my school is fantastic. You can see that I am really enjoying myself!

Keep smiling - I know I am!

:) erika

Saturday, July 12, 2008

I'm almost on my way!

So tomorrow the adventure begins! I am leaving with Elaine in the afternoon to drive to Vancouver with our 8 suitcases (2 belong to someone else!) and then we're all meeting at the Vancouver airport on Monday afternoon. I can't believe it's already here! Six months have certainly passed quickly.

I will try to update this while I am away but it may not be possible. You can always get updates on the NITEO website. I'll be back at the end of the month with photos, videos and details. "See" you soon!


Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Socializing before we go!



After our packing party, we had a pot-luck social with our significant others. It was a great chance to relax and chat and get to know each other better. We were also able to say goodbye to Donna and Dodie who are leaving today (Monday). See you in Kampala!


Packing Day!

July 6th we all met and did a big group packing party of the suitcases that will be left in Kampala. We can each take three cases there but we leave two each at the resource center for them to use as they need!

In case one suitcase gets lost, all the supplies have been spread out in all the cases so that all of one thing is not lost. We put all the supplies in the middle, made a big circle with all the suitcases and then just threw some of everything in each one! They can weigh a maximum of 70lbs each... :) Think of us next week when we arrive in Entebbe after 36 hours of travelling and we each have to cart 210 lbs of suitcases plus our carry-on!!! It will be a chance for us to see the real us!


Look at what the money from the class bought! Awesome art supplies!


A case full of art supplies properly packed...


The shade tent purchased with the Canadian Tire money collected through school.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Fat Cat Festival


This is a month old already but time in June just seemed to escape me!

Marissa is a student at a local Middle School (grades 7-9) who is a friend of another teacher who is coming to Kampala. Marissa is a a very globally aware young lady and decided to make NITEO her project to raise awareness about the organization as well as to try to raise funds.

Kelowna has a Fat Cat Festival at the beginning of June which is a festival for children. Marissa decided to get a tent for the festival and then to have children paint tiles for a mural at the Eva Ruf Resource Center as well as create postcards for the children there from the children here. It was a huge success!

Well done Marissa! It was amazing!

And thank you to those who donated supplies for this to come together. It couldn't happen without your generosity!

The container has arrived!

What awesome news! Our container has made it across the ocean and is now leaving from Monbassa to reach Kampala at the same time as us. While I breathe a huge sigh of relief, I can only imagine that it is double for our leaders Karine and Donna. YAY!!

Welcome to Mombassa!

And soon welcome to the Eva Ruf Resource Center in Kampala!





Sunday, June 15, 2008

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

And thank you again.
I am overwhelmed by the generosity of my family and friends who have contributed towards this project. Without you, it would not be possible for me to go. Not only have I met my cash goal of $2500, I have raised more to be able to buy art supplies and shade tents for the resource center. Thank you also for the donations of suitcases, towels, books, and toiletries. They will all go to good use. Merci! Xie Xie! Thanks! (Only a month before we go! WOW!)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Safari Saved!

Thanks to Donna's relentless efforts, we have managed to save our safari. YAY Donna! We have changed locations though and are now heading to Murchison Falls instead of Queen Elizabeth Park. We will be staying two nights at the Paraa Lodge. Here's some more info about the park. Thanks Donna for all your hard work!

Murchison Falls National Park

At 3840 sq km, The Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest protected area. The Murchison Falls National Park is cut in half by the mighty River Nile as it squeezes itself through a seven-metre gap in a cleft of rock, creating an explosion of white water.

These are the spectacular Murchison Falls, 'discovered' by Sir Stanley Baker in 1864. It's the most powerful natural flow of water anywhere on earth and the rock actually shakes from the force of the water. You may catch a glimpse of a Nile perch being spat from the river. These huge fish weigh up to 100 kg and are strong enough to withstand the pressure.

A boat safari down the river offers superb game viewing, with plenty of hippo and some of Africa's largest crocodiles, thanks to the menu of big fish. It’s also one of the few places in the world to spot the rare shoebill stork. You don’t need to be a bird watcher to get excited at seeing one; the metre high birds are without doubt the most extraordinary of East African birds. Solitary and silent, these monstrous birds have huge beaks capable of crushing small crocodiles.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Safari? Of course?

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...


While our goals in Kampala are to set up the Eva Ruf Resource Center and to work with Ugandan teachers, we are also being offered the option of paying to go on safari in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. I cannot imagine saying no! Here are some photos and some info from the park pulled from the internet. WOW! It will be amazing.




Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP)



From open savannah to rainforest, from dense papyrus swamps and brooding crater lakes to the vastness of Lake Edward, it is little wonder that QENP boasts one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world.

Almost 100 mammal species and a remarkable 606 bird species makes this superb safari territory, with elephant, a profusion of hippos, the elusive giant forest hog and handsome Uganda kob all regularly sighted around the tourist village on the Mweya Peninsula - which also boasts a marvelous waterfront setting in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Elsewhere, the remote Ishasha Sector is famed for its tree-climbing lions, the Kyambura Gorge harbours habituated chimps, the Maramagambo Forest is home to an alluring selection of forest monkeys and birds, and flocks of flamingo are resident on the crater lakes.

Uganda is a true African birding destination. Located at the center of the continent, Uganda attracts migrants from the North and South. Uganda is the richest country for birds in Africa. It has almost half the species known on the African continent and over 10% of those recorded throughout the entire world.

Over 1,000 species of birds have been recorded to exist in the country. Some of the exciting species you will view include birds of water and land shore, birds of scrub and woodland, forest birds and birds of the open plain.

This is a shoebill!

Monday, April 21, 2008

My Awesome School


Yay Grizzlies!

My school, École Glenmore Elementary, has jumped on board and the students are finding wonderful ways to fundraise for the students in Kampala.

We will be having 4 after school movies on the next 4 Fridays that the students have donated money to come and see. Popcorn will be provided for them.

My class has decided that it wants to host a bake sale to raise money to buy sporting equipment for the students that I will be working with.

The "Care and Make it Fair" Social Justice club is putting together an art sale of African Art that the students will create and then sell to their families and friends to raise funds for art supplies for me to take. They also want to have a carwash but who knows what we'll have time to do.

Thank you students, merci les élèves!

Meet the team!

So here we are, almost all of us! We are all very excited about going!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The container is off!

Karine and Donna, two of the three founders of Niteo, apparently enjoyed loading the container!

Tuesday, April 15th, at 11am, the container arrived at Verna's and was loaded to start its journey to the Eva Ruff Center in Kampala. Since the middle of February, we've been gathering supplies to equip the new center. We've collected books, teacher resources, games, clothes, quilts, dolls, furniture, computers... it was great to be part of the generosity of the community. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

I wasn't there to help load the container because of work but I do have some photos to share of the event.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Fundraising!

So something like this does not happen for free. The whole experience is going to cost about $5000 once you include things like vaccinations and necessary supplies (like a mosquito net and a wind-up flashlight!). We are all being encouraged to fundraise half of our expenses for the trip. If you are interested in contributing and you are a Canadian, I can get you a tax receipt for a donation over $20. If you are not a Canadian but you'd still like to contribute, thank you! But please contact me before you send anything so that I can let you know how best to do it.

Thanks! Merci! Gracias! XieXie!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

What is this all about?

My name is Erika and I am a teacher in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. I have been given the amazing opportunity to travel to Kampala, Uganda with a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization called Niteo Africa. We will be gone for two weeks at the end of July with two main goals to attain:

1. to put together a resource center for teachers and children
2. to observe, work with, and learn from teachers in Kampala schools

I can't believe my good fortune in being selected as one of 8 teachers to participate in this project.

As it is a "mission" project (although not a religious mission, it must be called a mission in order to get special flight status!), we are all allowed extra baggage to take on the flight. I am hoping to take two bags of books and sporting supplies to give to the children. Thanks so much for the generosity of my BookCrossing buddies who are already offering to send me books to take. You guys are awesome!

This trip is going to cost about $5000. Each participant is strongly encouraged to fundraise half and is obligated to pay half out of pocket. I have a couple of ideas for fundraising: selling notecards with photos from my trips to China, the Arctic, and Kampala as well as selling 2009 calendars with photos as well. I have not fundraised as an adult before so I am looking for ideas. Any suggestions? Thanks!

NITEO Africa

www.niteoafrica.org

Teaching Together: A Journey in Reflection

Born out of a deep belief in professional educators, this project is designed to EMPOWER and VALIDATE the work and efforts done by teachers in Africa.

Pairing a Canadian teacher with two Ugandan Educational Leaders, they will then teach together in Ugandan schools during the day for two weeks. During that time they will be reflecting on their experiences as professionals in facilitated conversation. In an atmosphere of encouragement and mutual respect they will have a chance to discuss the practice and conceptions of teaching and learning in Uganda and help everyone develop professionally: improving practice and boosting student achievement.

Through this experience the goal is that Canadian and Ugandan teachers will grow in the belief that they can bring about change in their students, community, and world.

I agree with you, Ugandan children have what it takes to impact positive change in the country, and the world, and teachers are a major contributor in helping the children achieve that.
Sheila Tugume, Ugandan patriot