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News
Eric
on his trip to Uganda (continued...part 2)
In Kyangwali Refugee Camp and the schools I was visiting,
I found many more high quality students for Educate!
to sponsor in the future. For example, there is a
young man in his second year of secondary school who
has been number 1 in his class except the last semester
when he dropped to number 4 due to malaria. His name
is Joseph. I was happy to hear that he is such a good
student, but more importantly I was very impressed
with his personality. I believe I found enough students
like Joseph so that we will not have to worry about
having trustworthy, motivated students to sponsor
as we expand.
I
also met with the Minister of Education, Minister
for the Presidency and Assistant Commissioner of Refugees
of Uganda. I had set up these meetings before I left
with the intention of introducing them to Educate!
and garnering their support for the Educate! Internship
(The idea of Amherst College's President, Tony Marx,
to send Amherst students to Africa each summer to
do ground work for Educate!).
I
told them about Educate! and brought an Educate! Student
to the meetings so they could see in real life the
people we are helping. They thought very highly of
Educate! and offered to write letters of support for
the internship. I was also able to interview the Minister
for the Presidency concerning Educate! which will
be excellent for Dream Deferred.
I am going to ask these officials, along with the
Commandant of Kyangwali Refugee Camp, to be on the
Board of Educate! and hopefully they will accept.
The Commandant of Kyangwali is new. In 2002, I met
the former commandant and I don't know of a time I
have felt such pure evil from an individual. He was
working with the army to torture, wrongfully arrest,
and even murder refugees in Kyangwali.
After
I came back home in 2002, I told Amnesty International
about the atrocities he had been committing and with
the help of many devoted and livid refugees in Kyangwali,
he was removed from his position as commandant. To
see and get to know the new commandant, who is a huge
improvement over the last, was very rewarding for
me.
Continue...
Edward,
Eric, and The Honorable Wabudeya Beatrice, Minister
for the Presidency of Uganda
Joseph Munyambaza, a future Educate! student
Eric with future Educate! student
hopeful Iraghu
Kids
in Kyangwali Refugee Camp
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