Mend: Unstoppable Rose

Good news! Aber Rose, one of the seamstresses at Mend, took the exam to proceed to high school back in August. Despite how nervous she felt taking the test, she recently learned that she passed! She’s excited about the idea of attending high school soon.

Rose sees this as another step toward recovering the life that was halted when she was abducted by the LRA in 1994. She remembers how as a child she excelled at speech and debate events, but after nine years in captivity she was far behind in her studies and her confidence was shattered.

“I am seeing a silver lining in my new life,” said Rose. “My grammar has improved and I have now regained my self-esteem that I had lost.”

She’s back to building her public speaking skills with the dream of becoming a lawyer who defends the rights of abused and abandoned women.  Passing this exam has brought her closer than ever to achieving her goals.

Learn more about Rose and the other ladies of Mend by following them on Tumblr.

Legacy Scholarship Program: Back to School

This week it’s back to school for students in Uganda. To kick off the year, Invisible Children (IC) mentors held an event last Friday to catch up with students and inspire them to excel in the next semester. During the program, students discussed the Ann Landers quote: “No one has ever drowned in his or her own sweat.”

Deborah, a student at Gulu High who dreams of being a lawyer, agreed, “we have to work hard and be determined so that we can achieve our goals.”

Acceptance into the Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP) is based on academic performance as well as level of vulnerability. LSP students are assigned a mentor who regularly meets with them to ensure scholastic success and foster leadership skills.

IC mentor Richard Mark doesn’t just encourage proverbial sweat. He’d like to see students utilize all of their potential by getting involved in extracurricular activities like debate and sports.

“Sports can sharpen your mind,” Richard Mark told the crowd of students. “I’ve seen so many students who are good at sports and also academically successful – it’s another way of developing the talents hidden in you.”

Which of course is always the goal of IC mentors – to encourage LSP students to reach their full potential, even if that means sweating a bit along the way.

Stay up to date on the stories coming from LSP; the school year is just beginning!

-Bethany

Needed: Donations for the Ugandan Roadies

Very soon the incredible Roadies joining us from Uganda will be arriving in America. We want to keep them warm and well-prepared for their upcoming adventures across North America. Their appreciation for any possible assistance in providing these items would be huge. They are needed by February 20th at the latest.

What they need: (For young adults in their 20’s – Men & Women)

• Sleeping bags (New or gently used)
• Coats & jackets (New or gently used)
• Hats, scarves & gloves
• Body lotion for dry skin
• Toothbrushes & toothpaste
• Deodorant

Where to send them:

Attn: Ugandan Roadies
Invisible Children, Inc.
1620 5th Avenue, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92101

Brittany Keesling
Office of Development
Bkeesling@invisiblechildren.com
619-562-2799 Ext 229

Coming to you from Uganda

Hey everyone! Have you heard? The Roadies are coming soon! Kony 2012 tour is at your door. Before long, 16 Ugandan Roadies will be arriving in San Diego. They are sweet, just like that friend of yours you love to hang out with all the time. They are super excited to meet you, share their stories and partner with you to end a war that has lasted too long.

I know you want to meet them too, so book a screening here.

-Eric Otim

The Story Continues

Hi everyone in every corner of the globe, hear my voice of joy and gratitude. I am Eric Otim, one of the first 100 students to receive a Legacy Scholarship from Invisible Children (IC) and a former Roadie on the northern California team.

And now…. the Communications Intern with IC Uganda!

I want IC supporters to know that whether you see it or not, you are changing lives daily: you changed mine. Your donations have brought significant change to education in Northern Uganda.

I appreciate my Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP) mentors’ guidance, active involvement and dedication to reaching my school and village.  It’s what kept me courageous and focused – knowing that someone out there cares. Through my mentors, I gathered strength to overcome the hurdles I faced.

After six years in LSP, on October 28^th, 2011, I graduated from Uganda Christian University with a bachelor’s degree of arts in Mass Communication. My graduation was super nice and now gives me opportunities that have changed my life completely.

I chose Mass Communication because I have a passion for unearthing the truth that some people try to keep hidden. One day, I want to be an author of fiction and nonfiction that will transform my society.

Joining an IC Roadie team for spring tour 2011 was marvelous. Thank you host families, friends and well-wishers in the US.  Your hospitality and sacrifice are IC’s lifeblood. I enjoyed my advocacy moments with you, feeling like part of your own family. Congratulations on all we’ve accomplished together.

This week my story with IC continues. Let’s join hands to change the world!

-Eric

The Scholar

The Roadie

The Intern

Mend: Saying “No” to Gender Based Violence

There’s more happening at Mend than just making beautiful bags. Last month, the ladies participated in a training on Gender Based Violence (GBV), a topic that the staff social worker, Evelyn, said she noticed coming up frequently in conversations at the center.

Evelyn explained that cultural factors like “power distance” between men and women in Uganda can create a dependency that leaves women vulnerable to abuse in the home. In 2003, a World Health Organization study found that 70% of men and 90% of women surveyed in Uganda perceived wife beating as acceptable under some circumstances.

During the training, many of the seamstresses were able to rethink their misconceptions, and learn about the channels of support that are available to victims of GBV.

“The ladies were so excited and interested to learn the truth about GBV,” Evelyn said. “This training will help the women support their daughters, their sisters and also themselves.”

Trainings like this one are empowering the women at Mend to transform their homes and communities into places where women can stand up for their rights, and where abuse is no longer tolerated.

Schools for Schools: Taking it to the Next Level

Students at Sacred Heart School are in for a surprise when they return from the holiday break in February. The second floor of a three-story block of classrooms has just been completed, creating six bright, spacious classrooms.

Last week, Schools for Schools engineers made a final inspection of the building for quality and safety. With a few minor touches, the six new classrooms will be ready to be furnished and filled for the first time with smiling faces.  One more floor of six classrooms remains to be completed later this year.

Invisible Children partners with 11 schools in Northern Uganda to improve the quality of education through building projects, teacher and administrator training, and curriculum development. While many classrooms in Northern Uganda are in disrepair or subject to overcrowding, projects like this one at Sacred Heart are ensuring that students will have access to a healthy learning environment.

Building projects for 2012 are in full swing! Stay tuned for more updates.

-Bethany

Mend: Seamstress of the Month

It didn’t take Laker Lucy long to embrace the spirit of Mend. Arriving early and willing to help out when others were sick, Lucy set an example with her determination and good nature. Only five months after she arrived, she was awarded Seamstress of the Month.

“She is the first to arrive to work and always very positive,” says Richard, the Tailoring Supervisor, “She’s a leader.”

Lucy says she appreciates the high standards of quality at Mend and the challenge to be constantly improving her sewing skills. She also feels at home with her fellow seamstresses. “My favorite parts of the day at Mend are those times when we start shouting and making fun,” Lucy laughs. “It frees my mind to enjoy the moment.”

Lucy is saving the money she earns at Mend to buy school supplies and pay fees for her daughter, Adoch Medina Hope, when she enters high school next year. Lucy is proud to be able to provide a bright future for her daughters!

Keep updated on all the happenings at Mend on their blog.

Christopher Lowell’s photos for Invisible Children

These photos were taken by our friend Chris Lowell. He came with us to Uganda back in March of 2011, and insisted on taking a series of photographs using real film and candid subjects. What he produced are some of my favorite pictures from IC programs I’ve ever seen. – JJ

Teacher Exchange Program: The Ugandan teachers have arrived in the U.S.

Our thanks to Catherine Hanna for putting together the following blog about the TEX orientation in New York City!

This year’s team of Ugandan partner teachers in the Teacher Exchange Program have arrived! Otim Walter, the Head Teacher of Pabo SS; Lacere Churchill, the Head Teacher of Sir Samuel Baker; Oola Elizabeth, an English teacher at Sir Samuel Baker; Ajio Rosemary, an English teacher at Sacred Heart; and Joseph Luke, a Geography teacher at Laybi, were escorted by Schools for Schools Program Officer Jennifer Lebuke. Their 2-day journey took them from the 90-degree weather of Gulu, Uganda to the frigid “concrete jungle” of New York City.

The Team stepped off the plane with weary smiles, and minutes later we threw them into taxi cabs and into “the nation’s thyroid gland” (as Christopher Morley would say). What other initiation into the United States could be more appropriate than hustling through the neon, holiday-sprinkled, bumper-to-bumper streets of NYC—where so many travelers have arrived throughout history in search of adventure and redefining themselves. Lacere Churchill, a History and Geography teacher said, “I am excited to see the real-life things that I have been teaching about for so long.”

The Ugandan team arrived at the hostel and were welcomed by the American hosts, their old friends from previous summers in Uganda. The next morning’s orientation session was opened with an old saying: “It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story.” This was an invitation to connect with one another, despite the distance of space, culture and history. It has been our belief and practice in the Teacher Exchange Program that some conversations are better had on our feet, so we spent the next four days exploring the purpose of our program through conversation, storytelling, drama and play. And of course we took advantage of NYC. We visited the tree at Rockefeller Center, got lost in the sea of elbow-to-elbow New Year’s tourists in Times Square, caught a Broadway show and wished one another a happy New Year as we watched the ball drop. Elizabeth shared, “This has been my dream, to come to New York City. So I have accomplished that dream.”

And that was just the beginning….Now the teachers have left New York City and gone to their placements all over the country to partner-teach in schools for the next four weeks. During their partnerships they will share in professional and cultural exchanges to develop their practice as educators and broaden their view of the world. Then they will bring these insights back to their students and communities in Uganda.

(Photo credit: Mallorie Tull, Invisible Children)