Connecting Cultures through Music

Our cross-cultural connection between the 52 Kids and students at the Charlotte Central School in Vermont continues to grow. On May 5th at 8:30 a.m. we will be attempting our first ever joint concert between the 52 Kids in Kamuli and the CCS stage band and 5th and 6th grade chorus. Throughout this year students have been Skyping back and forth and learning about each other’s culture. CCS music teacher, Andy Smith, came up with the idea to take the cultural exchange to the next level by sharing our music back and forth. The Ugandan children will perform one of their traditional dances. These dances are an important part of the Ugandan culture as they are used to pass down cultural traditions, history, or communicate information about social issues. School children in Uganda prepare and practice these dances throughout their school year and perform them at the national cultural festival each July. The CCS stage band students will perform one of their songs, and the 5/6 girls’ chorus will sing the Vermont song, “These Green Hills.” The 5/6 boys’ chorus will perform “Waving Flag.” The kids in Uganda and Vermont are very excited about this exchange!

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Solar Panels Installed at the Dorm

Solar panels have been installed at the 52 Kids dormitory thanks to the fundraising efforts of the students at Charlotte Central School in Vermont. Over the past year, three classes of students have been involved in a global studies project. Groups of students researched different aspects of Uganda. One class raised money by going on a “Future Walk” where they obtained sponsors for the miles they hiked. The current 5th and 6th grade at CCS spent the past four months participating in our “Leading by Reading” challenge. Students set a reading goal and then obtained sponsors for each page read. Many students were sponsored at a penny a page, which sounds small, but this really added up. Students read 281,000 pages and raised a total of $5200.! The solar panels will help the students at the dorm have reliable power so they will have light to study and do homework. The solar panels will also generate the power for the Internet café. Even more important than the money raised however, are the relationships the students are building. Through regular Skype sessions, students have been learning about each others’ cultures. They discuss weather, politics, music, and career plans. We look forward to other schools across the country taking on our “Leading by Reading” or “Future Walk” challenges. These service projects allow students to connect with another culture and to make a difference in the education and future of the orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda.

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Volunteering in Uganda

This is a picture of the Champlain Valley High School students who went on last year’s service trip. It’s hard to believe that the time is nearing for our next group of high school students to travel to Kamuli. These students are busy fundraising and you can keep up to date on all fundraising activities by checking out our new Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/52-Kids-Foundation-Inc/207088082644303

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Internet Cafe in Kamuli

An Internet Café is now up and running at the 52 Kids dorm thanks to the efforts of Ruarri Serpa. Ruarri worked on assembling computers and all the necessary connections that needed to be in place. He has been volunteering at the dorm since January. Customers can come in and buy internet time. The proceeds to this business venture all go to supporting the 52 Kids Foundation in Kamuli. This fits in with our mission of “Smart Aid” through Empowerment.

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UVM Nursing Program Studies in Kamuli

So far 2011 has been a busy year for the 52 Kids Foundation. In January, senior nursing students from the University of Vermont traveled to Kamuli for a course taught by Professor Sarah Abrams, on public health nursing. Students attended class in the morning and then worked at the Kamuli Mission Hospital in the afternoon. They also traveled out into the communities to help with building plate stands, hand washing stations, and fuel efficient stoves.

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Some Photos From Our Trip!

I had the most amazing visit to Uganda. I took over 2,200 photographs so this is just a small sampling :) I miss the heat, the fresh fruit, the music but most of all the people. I can't wait to return to Kamuli!

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Jinja + The Journey Home

Right now John, Rita, Simone and I are staying at Two Friends B&B in Jinja (which has a superb internet connection!). This morning we picked up Rita from her grandmother's house and are bringing her all the way to Kampala for boarding school. We spent the afternoon walking around Jinja. The town is much larger than Kamuli and we have seen many white (mzungu) tourists. Yesterday Simone, Kaiso and I taught 15 kids a school lesson. Together we created a solution tree that tackled many of the issues that the 52 Kids have to overcome (HIV/AIDs, low income, crime, early marriage...etc.). With Kaiso's help the kids came up with solutions to their problems such as education, counseling/guidance, ABCs of HIV/AIDs (A= abstain, B= be faithful to your partner & C= use condoms). The kids also created leaf rubbings with colored pencils and leaves from local trees. While they came up with solutions to their problems, we pasted the vibrant leaves onto a hand-drawn tree. It ended up being a very informative and wonderful lesson. Kaiso did an amazing job of involving the kids and helping them grasp the different topics. We ended the afternoon with my reading of a short kid's book on Barack Obama's life and his journey from childhood to becoming the President of the U.S.A. After the lesson ended my friend Jimmy (from our homestay) came by Cibiet Gardens which was a fantastic surprise. Hadijja (who we met while at the model farm) + her two friends came to hang out with John, Simone and I. It was a lovely evening filled with nail painting, drawing, laughter and great company. We were so thrilled to have such spectacular (surprise) guests for our last night in Kamuli. Tomorrow we head to Kampala and we plan on going to the banana pancake factory as well as the paper bead factory (look up Bead For Life!). Our plane takes off just before midnight and we will be back in Vermont at about 6pm on Wednesday. Love + kindness to all. (Rita helped write this post!)

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Exploring Kamuli

This afternoon Angie and Liz left Kamuli to start their two day journey back to Vermont. They will be traveling from Jinja to Kampala to London to JFK and finally to BTV! This morning Simone got her hair braided and it was quite the adventure. She pulls off the braids very well. Simone and I spent the afternoon touring Kamuli with our trusty tour guide Prossy. She is the sister of Mariam, one of the 52 Kids. We explored local stores and went to a vegetables, meat and fruit market. We stopped at a few fabric stores and were amazed by the variety of designs and rich colors. We met many of Prossy's family members and introduced ourselves in their native language. Our introductions always get quite the reaction- many laughs and surpised looks. One man today said "You are so close to becoming pure." Ha. Later we went to Prossy's house and spent time with her family. We took some family photos and spent time talking with their neighbors (a group of children ages 9 mo. to 8). Franco stopped by to say hello which was a great surpise. Prossy then took us to a restaurant for dinner and we had chicken & chips (french fries) with ketchup- what a treat! It was a spendid day in Kamuli. We feel so lucky to be here in Uganda and are thankful for our time here. Best wishes to Liz and Angie on their travels back to the states.

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52 Kids Celebration

This afternoon we celebrated all the work the 52 Kids Foundation has accomplished. When we drove up to Tony and George's house we were greeted by a couple hundred smiling faces. They were drumming and cheering for us. It was amazing to feel so welcomed. The kids were all in their pink and purple schools uniforms and looked adorable as always. We sat down and then the show began. The drummers and dancers were phenomenal and were dressed in feathers, grass skirts and vibrant African fabric. All the individuals who work for Kapida/52 Kids spoke and it was translated for us. It was a very moving ceremony especially when they kids came up to perform. Each different age level performed a number of creative songs and dances. John got up and spoke about how much the kids and the program mean to him. He talked about how thankful he is for all the hard work that everyone in Uganda (staff, parents + kids) and the United States (Team USA- aka Angie, Liz, Simone + I, and all the alums and supporters at home) has put in. We then had a catered meal that included greens, kasava, pork, sweet potatoes, peanut sauce and sticky rice. After the meal the dancing and laughter continued. Everyone was in such a joyous mood! Hope everyone at home is enjoying the cold temperatures and snow :)

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Common Phrases!

We have all been learning some common phrases so that we are able to better communicate with the people we meet. You will often hear "Osibyotya"-How are you? You reply by saying "Bulungi"- fine. Thank you is "Webale." Ok= "Kale" If you want to refer to someone as beautiful you would say "Oli mulungi." Another thing we have learned is that people do not eat at the same times as we do in the states. Breakfast is served around 10am, lunch is served around 2pm and dinner can be anywhere from 10pm to midnight. We are continuing to have a wonderful trip!

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Jambo from Kamuli

Simone, John & I arrived in Kamuli on the 9th. Since then we have done a variety of activities including: going to a Catholic mass, writing pen pal letters with the 52 kids, taking traditional dance lessons, learning the native language and we just completed a home stay. We are having an incredible trip! The people here are very kind and have warmly welcomed us into their community and culture. We have been sampling native foods such as jackfruit and kasava. As well as local delicious mangoes, pineapple and avocado. The kids here are amazing and have the most beautiful smiles and hearts. We are getting ready to go to dinner at Jospephine and Stephen's house. Josephine works for Kapida and the 52 Kids Foundation. Tomorrow we are hosting a party for all the kids in the program and their families. It should be a fantastic celebration of life and all the work the 52 Kids Program has accomplished. Liz, Angie and John are all enjoying themselves as well. We are all healthy and happy and hope that you are as well. Love from Kamuli!

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Soccer in Kamuli

We just played soccer with the kids at a local primary school and had so much fun! Liz and I were team captains and got to each have a team to play with. My team won 3-0! Right now, we are back at the dormitory enjoying a fanta and waiting to begin the health assessments of the 52 kids this afternoon. John is arriving today so we are all looking forward to seeing him.

Yesterday liz and I visited the Kamuli district hospital in the morning and got a tour from Ms. Monica who is the head of the nurses. She showed us all of the separate wards and even gave us a tour of the nursing school. We learned what the most common outpatient illnesses are and that most of the wards are understaffed. Many nursing students are expected to treat patients along with the fully trained nurses. We learned a lot from our visit and have been having a great time still in Kamuli!

-Liz and Angie

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kamuli day 1

Hi everyone! Liz and I are finally in Kamuli and so excited to be here! It took us a few days because we got held up on our travels, but it only made us more excited to get here. We stayed in Kampala for one night then took the public transport here to Kamuli last night and got in around 8. (We have been so exhausted after traveling for almost one whole week to get here!)

Today, we walked around a lot of Kamuli with Frank, Franco and Mosas and met a lot of people. We spent some time in Franco's village and enjoyed a meal of pork at his house. In this part of Kamuli, we met some of the kids in the program. Brian, one of the kids, showed us his house and family and gave us some passion fruit and eggs to take back with us that we are looking forward to eating tonight!

We are at the dormitory right now admiring all of the work that has been put into building it. Franco has told us a lot about the stoves that Sarah made and he has promised us that we will have to make our own stoves at some point while we are here.

This evening, Frank is taking us to the district hospital to look around a bit and meet some of the people there. We are planning on beginning the health survey's on Saturday which I am looking forward to doing.

We are anticipating John's arival with the other girls tomorrow!

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Building a Stove: The Final Installment PHOTOGRAPHS

Mud Recipe:
For every two parts soil add one part grass
Add water
Mix vigorously with your feet

















Muddy mixing feet
























Rolling Mud into a ball.

























The working pile that the mud was flung onto.
























Banana husks before they are shaped. They were cut out in the village of Namwendwu and transported to the dorm via bicycle.

















Cutting the banana husks into the appropriate shapes.

























Creating the chimney from Banana husks.


















Banana husk air duct. This piece is placed between the two middle burners.

























Simon, the builder, planning out the stove. In the back the chimney piece is put into place.

















Throwing mud into the stove shape.


















The final product! The burner to the far right will be used for the meal, the one directly next to it near the chimney will be used for water. Finally the last one will be used for veggies!

The two banana husks in the front of the stove will be were the charcoal/wood is fed into.



All photos by Sarah Morris

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Building a Stove: The Final Installment VIDEOS

Building a stove of this size is an all-day endeavour. Our day began at 7am sharp! We first started by preparing the mud.

Mud Recipe:
Two parts soil for every one part of grass
Add water gradually
Mix vigorously with your feet

The mud isn't just any type of mud--it is mixed to the perfect consistency. It's like mixing cake batter--if everything isn't proportional the cake won't rise. If the mud is watery it won't hold its form and if it is too dry it will crack very easily. The mud is constantly folded, mixed, and mashed. It takes a rhythmic stomping to make good mud. Once all parts are thoroughly incorporated the mud is rolled into large clumps and moved to the work space. Now I'm unsure if throwing the mud into a pile is necessary, but it is certainly fun! With all our might we each took turns hurling mud into our working pile.

Next the banana husks are shaped into the molds for various parts of the stove. The size and shape of the banana husks are essential to the overall structure and integrity of the stove. The mud will be molded around them and allowed to harden for two months. When the stove has its first fire whatever remains will simply burn away. All of the essential air ducts of the stove are molded with banana husks. Using a machete and easy to remember measurements such as the width of your hand each banana husk piece is formed.

After literally slinging mud we plan out the dimensions of this massive stove. It will consist of three individual burners-- one for the main meal, one for veggies, and one for boiling water. All three burners will be fed by two charcoal/wood openings, and will all exhaust out the same chimney. It takes a lot of thought and planning due to the fact that the hot air must travel efficiently through the stove to keep all the burners red hot. After sizing, measuring, and drawing the plan the banana husks are put into place on top of a base of mud that is aggressively thrown into place.

As the stove is built upwards rocks are added into various parts. The rocks will help conduct heat throughout the stove. The stove will be able to maintain a high temperature for a longer period of time, and will require less fuel. The mud is molded and shaped around the various banana molds, as well as, the saucepans that will be eventually be used for cooking. The saucepans allows the builder, Simon, to make the burners the exact size they need to be. They will remain in place for about seven days.

After the mud is thrown into place the final touches begin. Smoothing, leveling, and filling in the gaps around the stove. Using a machete as if it were a paint brush Simon, the builder, smooths the surface of the stove. Occasionally dipping it in water to make the mud slide across the surface more easily. This is a long and tedious process that cannot be taken lightly. The stove must be level for stability. The cracks are filled in and smoothed over. A constant back and forth for over an hour. Finally, Simon steps away from the stove and gives me a thumbs up.

The stove will be ready to use in January. It takes nearly two months to dry properly. Naturally cracks occur during the drying process, but can be easily mended. Now let's eat!

*Note: the videos do not have audio
*Photos are posted in an additional blog

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Building a Stove Pt. 2

Today's installment of Building a Stove revolves around grass. Grass is essential to building a fuel efficient stove. It adds strength a durability to the mud mixture that the stove is sculpted out of. The type of grass is very important as well. It needs to be tall, thick grass that is hard to rip apart. It is also the kind of grass that itches and cuts you up a bit!

So Franco, Madia, Nasimu, Brian, and I all headed down to the fields and harvested two big bags of grass. It was a very itchy experience! After packing our sacks full they were carried over to the Model farm. The sack was almost as big as Nasimu, and yet she carried it on her head looking poised the whole way!

Then it gets chopped up into small pieces so that it will more easily incorporate with the soil.

Stay tuned for the final installment of Build a Stove featuring how to make mud, and how to shape a stove!

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Building a Stove Pt. 1

Today, Franco and I headed out to collect the materials necessary to build a fuel-efficient stove for the dorm. We focused on collecting soil today. The soil we collected for the stove comes from a termite and white ant mound. Due to the elasticity of this particular soil it is perfect for making stoves. It will not crack over time due to the fact that it can expand and contract with heat.
Hidija & Nasimu were in the area and came out to help! They helped carry bag after bag of soil up to the model farm.
























As seen in upper left-hand picture, the girls would twist the excess bag to make a cushion for their heads. Then with a swift motion place the bag onto their heads and off they went! After about two hours of digging, collecting, and moving we had enough soil to build a large stove for the dorm. Tomorrow, Franco and I will be collecting the second ingredient: Grass. Keep an eye out for building a stove Pt. 2 coming soon!
















Pictured above is the soil plus a few termites. The termites are essential to making the soil the perfect consistency.

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Work & Play

Jambo!
This weekend was filled with excitement and learning! Saturday was a day based around our dorm. The kids, Franco, and I all got our hands dirty to make the compound look sharp. We built walls around our beautiful flower beds, and even planted some flowers the kids brought from home. Immaculate brought a beautiful bush with red flowers, and Ester brought a tomato plant! The whole compound looks very smart.

After a morning of work we sat on the front porch reading books. We read a book Ester brought called Mother & Kitty and also looked through a dictionary of science definitions Hanifa brought! We read, laughed, and discussed several words in detail pointing out examples around our dorm. Soon we relaxed in the shade of our courtyard tree eating fruits brought by the children. They were delicious!

















Then we began to play! Some of the children stayed the whole afternoon playing a variety of games. We jumped, skipped, and ran all afternoon. It was hard for me to keep up! After a long hot day I was glad for an afternoon rain which cooled everything and especially me down. After a long day full of work and play a quiet evening was a welcome respite.

On another note, I apologize for the blue text up top. When I inserted some of the photos it turned the text blue and was being very stubborn. I apologize for the inconvenience. All photos by Sarah Morris.

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Photos!

Above: Standing in the dorm watching the world go by.

Below: The kids enjoying the new dorm laptop with Dr. Frank. They all took turns writing their names, ages, and grade.

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Village Leaders

Jambo!

Yesterday, I went around the town of Kamuli on the back of Kaiso's Boda-Boda (motorcycle) and met with several of the town officials to discuss our dorm. It was a wonderful experience! All of the local leaders welcomed me warmly, as did the Headmaster of Kamuli Township School and the Deputy Head Master of St. Theresa. I think it is imperative for us to make connections, and show the community that we are taking the appropriate steps forward with the dorm.

Also yesterday, several of the girls stopped by to show my their test reports. I'm happy to report that all of the girls are doing exceedingly well, and I firmly believe that they will finish this school year strongly. GO GIRLS!

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