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.

“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!

GETAWAYS: VACATION, SPORTS, THEATER

LIVE Auction Items

RESTAURANTS & SPECIALTY FOODS

New, AAH Volunteer, Caitlin McDaniel

A year ago, Caitlan McDaniel was preparing to head for Kenya.

This year, she’s in Uganda.

“These opportunities just keep coming up, and I can’t say no,” she said.

McDaniel left earlier this week to serve as the volunteer coordinator at the Arlington Academy of Hope in rural Uganda.

She will spend the next year and a half there.

John and Joyce Wanda, who emigrated to the United States from Uganda, founded the Arlington Academy of Hope in 2004. They remembered the crowded schools in Uganda that lacked books, desks and sometimes even teachers.

The academy they founded has opened a primary school and rural health centers.

“It’s a high-energy place with a lot of hope,” McDaniel said.

The daughter of Chuck McDaniel and Teri McDaniel, she graduated from Waupaca High School in 2006 and from the University of Minnesota in 2010.

McDaniel majored in psychology and minored in family social sciences and leadership.

“My leadership minor is where I found my passion for community organizing and helping people realize their potential,” she said.

The final course she took for her leadership minor had a global leadership theme. For a group project, McDaniel was paired with a woman from Kenya.

While she was taking the class, McDaniel was reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a novel about following ones dreams.

To continue reading this story, please visit: http://www.waupacanow.com/leadstories/128778883.html

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

In the affluent suburbs of Kampala, parents have a list of good schools to choose from for their children.

But for parents in Bududa’s communities, Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH) – as aptly named – is their only choice of a good school. The owners, John Wanda and his wife, Joyce, opened the school’s doors in 2004 to improve the deteriorating education standards in Bududa. Since they are natives of Bududa, the Wandas thought the best way to give back to their community was through setting up a school.

Having lived in Arlington, Virginia, US, for 15 years, Wanda nurtured the idea of setting up a school back home but lacked the funds to do so. Good luck struck when the staff of Arlington Traditional School gave him the funds, books and volunteer teachers.

Their efforts ensured that AAH boasts of good facilities, which include: a well-stocked library, clinic and teachers’ houses. In addition, the pupils also enjoy the expertise of volunteer American teachers, who offer their services for six months or a year. They then leave and others come in for the period.

Pupils are thus encouraged to read at least 50 books from the library each year. Found in Bumwalukani village in Bulucheke sub-county, AAH started with 158 pupils but has since grown to 400.

To continue reading  article, go here.

1. AAH at the Arlington County Fair. We’ll be at the Fair 11-14 August at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center located at 3501 2nd St South in Arlington, VA. Come see us at the AAH booth: Thursday 7pm -10pm, Friday 10am – 9 pm, Saturday 10 am – 9 pm, & Sunday 11 am – 5 pm.

2. AAH 5% Day at Arlington Whole Foods Market. Our neighborhood Whole Foods Market here in Arlington Virginia will be donating 5% of their net sales to AAH on August 17th. Please circle Wednesday August 17th on your calendar and start making your plans now to SHOP EARLY and STOCK UP at the Arlington Whole Foods Market at 2700 Wilson Blvd. Please remember Wednesday August 17th!

3. The Arlington Traditional School / Arlington Academy of Hope Art Exhibit continues until August 21st at the Arlington Arts Center at 3550 Wilson Blvd. Student artwork from Arlington, VA ‘s ATS and Bumwalukani’s AAH Primary School is on display. Gallery Hours: Wed-Fri 1-7 pm & Sat-Sun: 12-5 pm.

4. AAH will hold its 6th Annual San Gala on October 28th at the Key Bridge Marriott’s top floor Capital View Ballroom. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for further details! This is AAH’s major fundraiser of the year, please plan now to attend the gala. Please reach out to the gala chair – Dan Gardner with any questions or how to get involved or for gala sponsorship opportunities

If you’d like to help by volunteering at any of these upcoming events. Please contact Dan Gardner (703) 973-0237 or Joyce Wanda at joyce.wanda@gmail.com for more details.

Stay tuned for the latest AAH Newsletter due out soon reporting on the Annual Summer Picnic, the Girls Who Rock benefit concert for AAH in New York City, and the recent summer trips to Uganda.

Finally, we need your help to make these upcoming AAH events all winners. Please contact Dan Gardner (703) 973-0237 or Joyce Wanda (571) 228-4216 and find out about opportunities to pitch and help AAH by volunteering. Together we can ensure AAH’s continued success helping the children of rural Uganda build a foundation of hope.

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)