I trust this note finds you all well. I am delighted to report that my Watson journey is going quite well and I very much look forward to seeing each of you upon my return. I am battling a terrible cold and yet another stomach virus. Of course, none of this stops me! Bear me in your thoughts and prayers. As the title of this post suggests, I write to inform you of an endeavor I am currently undertaking: a school building project here in Uganda.
During my stay here, I've worked closely with churches and faith-based NGOs on water and sanitation projects, refugee aid, and education in diverse communities with different belief systems. And while working with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) Development Office on a well-digging project in Gweri, we came across an open-air school with approximately 450 children and seven teachers. The manager of the PAG development office was quite familiar with the community and its leaders. However, I was not. Upon talking with them, I learned that the school was started by members of the community; each household donated 2,000 shillings (US $1.40) per week, until they were able to purchase land for 1.5 million shillings. The government offered support by sending two qualified teachers to the district and five learned members of the community agreed to join the staff.
Though they have made significant strides since their start in 2004, they are still in need of classrooms and scholastic materials. Sadly, the children are learning under large mango trees and are forced to run home when rain falls. Not all, or even most, Ugandan children learn under trees, of course. The education system here is quite sophisticated and has been praised in recent years for its rigor and quality. There remains a significant disparity between urban and rural schools, which is quite common in many emerging nation--even my own, Jamaica. In my own view, unequal opportunity structures is an all too easily accepted injustice. A child's life chances and educational opportunities should not be limited based on her/his birth place or current location. Of course, a similar disparity exists in the US (and many 'developed' nations) between urban and suburban communities. While this project cannot and will not end the disparity, it can make quality educational facilities more accessible to the children of the rural Takaramiam village.
The PAG Development Office and the Takaramiam village have decided to build a classroom block and are in dire need of support. The estimated cost for lumber, labor, and materials is just over US $10,000. I have donated US $3,000 of my Watson stipend and hope that each of you can join me in raising the additional US $7,000 need to build the classroom.
PROJECT PLAN
Over the course of eight weeks, we intend to construct a sound classroom that can seat a total of 80 children. The local government has approved the plan and welcomes the support of outside donors.(In fact, they hope to open two additional classrooms for the school as well. They have already been constructed.) Skilled carpenters and masons have offered us a discount on the labor cost; community members will volunteer as day-laborers. I will also join them in clearing fields, mixing cement, laying bricks, etc. There will be about fifteen to twenty men working on this construction project.
We have a detailed budget and time line that we will follow closely. In the first week we will clear the land and lay the foundation; in the second, we will create the floors; in the third, we will erect columns and beams; in the fourth, construct the walls; in the fifth and sixth weeks, we will create a roof; and in the seventh and eighth weeks, we will add the finishing touches. (See the attached file for more details.) During the initial stages of the project, I will serve as the project coordinator. Once I leave for Ghana to continue my Watson, the PAG staff will monitor and evaluate the project. They will submit weekly reports to me and I promise to produce detailed end-of-month updates and a final project summary. Each of you will be able to hold us accountable, for I will list the names of each donor and the amount given in my final report. If you wish to be listed as an anonymous donor, just let me know in advance.
DONATION DETAILS
Donations are very much needed to make this project a success. The community is working on raising 100,000 shillings (US $65) of their own, which is a significant sacrifice on their part. No donation is too small; whatever you can offer would be greatly appreciated. If you wish to make a donation, you can send it to my Bank of America Account. I will transfer all gifts to the PAG Bank account here in Uganda. It would be costly for each of you to wire funds to PAG. It is much cheaper to send it to me, and then I've pay to wire it to them with only one fee. If you prefer to send it directly to PAG (even with the cost of wiring it to them), I can gladly send you their account details to you, including their bank's source and swift codes. Feel free to contact me at derron.wallace AT gmail.com with any questions. Should you decide to send it to them directly, please notify me so that I can keep track of the donations.
Thank you very much for considering this request. I very much look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
jr
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