A picture of Bulobi Primary School before construction

One year ago, Bulobi Primary School was a typical government school in Uganda, operating outof mud structures and incomplete classrooms with a booming student population.Most of their classrooms were without floors, windows, and doors, creating an inadequate learning environment. Yet,children still came to learn, and lots of them. Their largest class had 170 pupils, one teacher. A year ago now, you would not recognize the school you see today.

Through partnership with the Kamal Foundation, Arlington Academy of Hope, Bududa LocalDistrict Government, and the Bulobi community, Bulobi Primary School has now been transformed. Overthe past year, all stakeholders have contributed to build 8 new classrooms, construct a new kitchen, and complete the 4 unfinished classrooms at Bulobi Primary School. A local contractor from the community,Mr. Stephen Wakyaya, showed strong leadership in organizing the project, and many communityvolunteers and parents

provided much of the physical work and labor to build the school. We are happyto announce that this work was recently successfully completed on January 23, just in time for the startof the new school year! The new classrooms are beautiful, with crisp black chalkboards, glossy desks,and a clean concrete floor. Most importantly, the school felt officially complete when it was filled withfaces of happy children, who are now proud of their school and eager to learn.
The positive momentum in their school is almost tangible, and the school administration,teachers, and parents have found fresh motivation to improve the future of their children. It is amazingwhat new facilities can do to enable other opportunities. Bulobi Primary School has taken the initiativeto begin several programs to cultivate a strong learning environment. First of all, Bulobi started off the year by committing to limiting classrooms sizes to manageable numbers. Each grade was split into 2classrooms, one for strong learners and one for weak learners. Additionally, each classroom was cappedoff at 60 students per teacher. In doing this, students are able to receive customized attention, andteachers are better equipped to address the needs of their students. Secondly, utilizing the new kitchen,Bulobi Primary School also started a school wide feeding program at the start of the school year. Theyare one of the first public schools in Bududa District to do so. In most schools in Uganda, children can goall day without eating, leading to school absenteeism and lack of concentration due to hunger. Whenfeeding programs are introduced though, children are adequately nourished, leading to better healthand growth, and in turn, they are also adequately educated, by increasing mental acuity and motivatingschool attendance. As a partner, we are excited to see and support Bulobi Primary School as they workto create a model government school in Bududa District.

Silver Sponsor

“Chapman Cubine Adams Hussey, Inc. is a full-service, multi-channel direct marketing firm that specializes in fundraising for not-for-profit organizations.”

Visit them at www.ahadirect.com

Thank you to our Bronze Sponsors

Arlington Traditional School-Parent Teacher Association (ATS-PTA)

www.atspta.org

Cassidy & Associates

700 13th Street, N.W.  #400

Washington, D.C.  20005

www.cassidy.com

www.childreninternationalschool.com

Holly Hawthorne and Dean Scribner

Scott Dykema & Colleen Osgood-Dykema

Helping Employers Manage the Future Cost of Health Care™

903 Russell Ave., Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

www.potomacco.com

1001 pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20004

www.crowell.com

We would love to see your name added here!

Hope for Ugandan Children

Arlington Academy of Hope

5^th Annual Gala & Auction

Friday, October 28, 2011

7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Key Bridge Marriott, Capitol View Ballroom

1401 Lee Highway

Arlington, Virginia 22209

In Uganda, government operated schools – especially in rural areas, which comprise 80% of the country – are severely overcrowded and lack basic resources.  In these areas, fewer than 14% of children advance to secondary school. Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is dedicated to helping rural Ugandan children reach their full potential by providing them the tools they need to learn and excel.   AAH, recognized by USAID for its highly successful and model approach to education, is building a strong foundation of hope for a better future – not only for these children, their villages, and their country, but also for our world.

AAH’s 5^th Annual AAH Gala and Auction is our biggest fundraising event of the year.   With over 4,000 AAH supporters, primarily in the Washington, DC Metro area, this event has grown significantly.  We invite you to join us a sponsor of the Gala on Friday, October 28, 2011.

With your support, you will help sustain AAH’s:

• Primary school and its 350 students in Bumwalukani, which has seen 100% of students qualify for secondary school with scores far surpassing the national average;
• Secondary Scholarship Program, which enables more than 200 girls and boys to continue their education;
• Two health clinics in Bumwalukani and Bupoto that serve more than 30,000 people annually in remote areas;
• Community Outreach Program, which provides training for nearby public school teachers and basic resources, such as pencils and books, for the students; and
• Library/Learning Center – the only such facility in the region – which is open to AAH students, as well as students and teachers from nearby public schools and their communities.

Your support is critical to the continued success of AAH’s model programs in rural Uganda and we are committed to providing you the outstanding recognition you deserve as a sponsor.

AAH Gala Publicity:

The Gala will be promoted on the AAH website and in AAH mailings and e-mails to more than 4,000 supporters.  In addition, the event will be publicized in local media outlets and in fliers/posters distributed to community facilities and businesses in the DC Metro area.

Sponsorship Levels & Benefits:

Gala sponsorship provides our corporate, business and individual sponsors an opportunity to directly help thousands of eager-to-learn children make their communities and our world a better place.  Levels and other benefits include:

Instructions:

1. Complete and sign the attached form.
2. Submit your sponsorship donation by October 12, 2011.
3. Provide, via e-mail, a digital file of your ad or business card to Dan Gardner at:   dgardner77@verizon.net.  (All ads print in black and white.)
4. If you wish for the gala committee to create your greeting, please provide your text on the reverse side of the attached sponsorship form.
5. Send your completed form and donation to: Arlington Academy of Hope,

P.O. Box 7694, Arlington, VA 22207.

Gala Sponsorship Application

At the Arlington Academy of Hope, children learn practical farming skills, and compete to grow the best crops they can for the school kitchen. The curriculum is based on learning by doing, and the pupils are encouraged to pass on their new skills in their home communities. They are also given tree seedlings to plant, to improve production of fruit such as guavas and paw paws, that until recently were not widely grown in the area.

Below is an interview given by primary school facilities manager, Patrick Waswa on the agriculture curriculum taught at AAH. 

AAH Teaching & Training Farm By Patrick Wasswa (click to listen to Audio)
Interview courtesy of Agfax (http://www.agfax.net/index.php)