UNITE Project Blog

For the past 3 or 4 years, as I do not remember my family has helped to support Sam as he worked through his coursework on Technology at Kampala University. He has been looking for work since he graduated in December but as of yet has had no success. He has relocated from Kampala to Fort Portal as it is less expensive. He is interested in getting his education degree so he can teach in a school along with using his technology degree. It seems that schools want to have someone who can also teach and keep the technology running. Of course that is if there is technology.

My family is no longer able to support Sam in his education degree and have told him so which he accepts although he would like me to find someone who might agree to help him pay the $800.00 per semester or $2,400.00 over the two years needed. If anyone is willing to help, please email me or Sam directly.

He is faced with some pretty bad options:

1. Continue to try and survive on little funds and help from churches.

2. Go to Iraq as many of his fellow classmates are doing because they are being recruited to work “security” there. I do not know the details on companies, but I believe it to be companies that provide security for construction companies. I suggested that he not do this as it is very dangerous.

3. Today he is thinking of going to Sudan to work as there are opportunities for starting businesses even though he says the area is “harsh”.

i have got another alternatives but am not sure of how you will talk a bout it, many ugandans including my old boys and girls have gone to sudan a near by country and have started big bussiness they,it does not need much start but needs much effort,sudans use dorrahs which is a big note to uganda shillings given chance to work from they it may be good even though people talk that condition they is to harsh,so i was requesting that in case you can manage,assist me with transport and fee for entrance which could be like $200 and i try they with others,all people who are working they look good for sure and even those which i finished with.

So even though UNITE is an environmental and teaching group, we also support students and in fact Sam’s brother Abel is supported by a family I know here in North Carolina.

If you can help, please drop us a line.
Peace and Love,
Karl

Our new baby boy (Nyangire Lyon Atwooki). He is 2 months and we love him; the picture was taken when he was just 4 hours old. This was after a birth interval of 12 years!!!!!!!!

Dear friends of UNITE,

The following is an update on the NC Zoo’s UNITE Project for those who are interested.

Fall is the time of year we have usually hosted a group of our beloved Ugandan friends in North Carolina. Since your haven’t heard a peep about new visitors arriving, I suspect you may be wondering what’s up. Please know that UNITE is alive and well even though no Ugandans will grace our homes and schools this year (sob).

I’ll keep this overview as brief as possible but feel free to contact me if you’d like further details or have ideas associated with the future of UNITE.

Here are some highlights:

Since Ugandan teachers visited last fall, over $29,000 has been donated by sponsors and NC school fundraisers to pay for:

• scholarships for 20 Ugandan students and teachers to attend private schools and universities

• beds for boarding students at Bigodi Primary

• bookshelves at Nyabubale library

• staff quarters at Kiyoima and Bunoga

• desks and benches at Bisiriba

• school supplies, books, etc for all UNITE schools

• Bigodi village water project (imagine Bigodi with running water!)

• support for Kemwenge Tourist Association (Moses’ village)

• purchase of women’s handicrafts

BLESSINGS to all donors and fundraisers! You ARE making a difference!

In June, NC Zoo staff along with 2 teachers from McCrary Elementary in Asheboro traveled to Uganda. Accomplishments included a variety of work with Tooro Botanical Garden (TBG) in Fort Portal associated with their strategic planning and capacity building of garden and staff. The TBG will become a resource for sustainable biodiversity conservation of the Albertine Rift and will include a herbarium, educational programs, living collections, and recreational opportunities. The major objectives of the garden will be training, research, education and extension services. TGB will be a valuable resource for the UNITE schools.

NC Zoo staff, along with TBG and Kibale National Park rangers, involved students from Bigodi Secondary in exciting hands-on activities for several days in June. Students participated in forest studies which involved plant identification, plant uses and seed collection protocol. The seeds will be used by the NC Zoo Horticulture staff and Teachey Elementary as they produce teaching gardens. The NC teachers also did some successful team teaching with educators at Bigodi Primary. These experiences may be used as models for activities when NC teachers visit Uganda in the future.

A proposal has been made to the NC Zoo Field Team that the upcoming budget for UNITE be used to support a new position in Uganda. A job description is being developed for an educator to spend up to a year in Uganda working with all the UNITE schools on an extended basis. This person will be able to thoroughly evaluate the impact of the project thus far and assist the Ugandan teachers with further implementation of successful environmental lessons/projects within the schools and communities. The position will also assist with building important partnerships in the area.

Until a determination has been made as to how much of the budget will be needed to support this position, no travel will be planned for NC or Ugandan teachers. Since the face-to-face contact is such an important part of this project, we DO hope another group of NC teachers can travel to Uganda in 2009. It will likely be necessary for teachers to cover more of their own travel expense, however (grants, fundraising, out-of pocket?)

Wires of funds to Uganda to be managed by John Tinka are scheduled as follows for 2008:

January 10, April 10, and August 10.
Should you have money for scholarships, specific school projects or general donations, please have checks (to UNITE Project) turned in to the Zoo by these dates.

Mail to:
UNITE Project
Education Division
NC Zoo
4401 Zoo Parkway
Asheboro, NC 27205

Thanks for your continued interest and support of this incredible project.
You are loved!

Joy
336-689-7442
abwooli@northstate.net

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
~ Lao Tzu

Held at Green Circle School in Fort Portal

Overall Meeting Objectives:
1) Forge ways to improve on the teaching methods; methods that inculcate conservation education in the teaching curriculum
2) To assess further how UNITE schools would want to use the Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG)
3) To conduct a simple assessment of the facilities and materials available at the current/rural UNITE schools and devise means of using them to copy the Green Circle school model
4) To actively involve the schools head teachers in the activities and programs of UNITE
5) To suggest away forward for UNITE
Planned activities to meet the above objectives• Self introductions – All
• Welcome and tour of Green Circle school (including the demonstration gardens) – Ms Haliima
• Break tea – Kanunakali Restaurant
• To give an overview of UNITE for the benefit of the new members and head teachers – Tinka John
• Demonstration by Green Circle school teachers on how they conduct lessons. The model that fits UNITE objectives and Ugandan schools – Ms Haliima and teacher(s)
• Demonstration by Bigodi PS teachers (P.3 and p.5) to share skills learnt during the NC teachers visit in July 07 – Muhumure Alex and Mugume Johnson (assisted by Kasenene Wilson)
• Lunch break – Kanunakali Restaurant
• Observations by the UNITE teachers on how Green Circle school applies the thematic curriculum– Ms Haliima and Green Circle school teachers
• Interview the UNITE teachers to gather information on available materials at their respective schools– Ms Haliima
• Tour of the TBG and Njara Hill Primary school – interact with the members and staff – TBG staff and Njara Hill head-teacher
• Group discussions to suggest on the way forward for UNITE – Tinka John and Mugume Johnson

Expected Meeting Outcomes:
1) A well documented meeting (notes and minutes); to be shared with other UNITE stakeholders
2) Agreed ways on how to modify and use the Green Circle teaching model in other UNITE schools
3) Agreed ways on how to use the Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG)
4) Proposed way forward for UNITE
Meeting deliberations:

The meeting which was well attended started with and a school and National anthems followed by a prayer led by a student and a welcome song (with conservation messages) by the school choir. This was followed by a tour of the school including classrooms and the demonstration garden. The garden is organized in small plots that belonged to different classes and each garden is labeled (class and crop). UNITE teachers were amazed about the way the garden plots were organized and the fact that children from a town school loved and participated in gardening. It was later concluded that the problem with village schools is that gardening has been used as a punishment to stubborn children.

Halima Wakaabu gave her welcome remarks and informed the meeting that she is a lover of the environment and that being the reason for ensuring that it is well taught in her school. She said that her school is a self initiative and that their principle is “talk less and do more”. She revealed the enrollment of the school as 800 students with 40 teachers. She emphasized the practice of no burning grass at her school and that each class is allocated a tree from which to pick up fallen/dead leaves to the compost pit. She also revealed that the school doesn’t buy food, but grows its own. “The school doesn’t have money to buy learning aids – we sit as teachers and make them ourselves”

On the part of head teachers, she informed them that the head of the school should be the first to report at school (FILO – “first in - last out”). Followed by teachers and that children should come last as opposed to many schools where children come to schools and wait for teachers! “A school is the headmaster. He has to monitor all the activities in the school he has to look at the lessons before they are taken to class”. She noted the problem with most schools that head teachers are always absent from schools and this makes it challenging to monitor the teachers and children and to be their friends.

Haliima ended by thanking Tinka for the good coordination done and noted that it is not a simple job to get all the schools together and organize such a successful meeting.

Reactions:
• On the issue of few teachers in the UNITE schools, Haliima suggested that UNITE can lobby the districts to give UNITE schools more teachers in order to implement the programs.

• One of the teachers suggested that we as teachers should not always wait for UNITE or the districts, but to try and improvise with the materials that we have around us. He gave an example where papyrus can be used as a flip chart!

• It was agreed that where there is conflict between a UNITE teacher and the head teacher (problem school) a meeting should be held between Tinka and the conflicting parties and a resolution reached – but not bringing isolated cases to a big meeting

• Lobby UNITE to involve new schools particularly those where a UNITE teacher has been transferred to. The coordinator to visit such a school and brief the headmaster on the goals and objectives of UNITE so as for the headmaster not to frustrate the activities of the very teacher
• It was suggested that each school should have a conservation club, which will be UNITE’s entry point. Schools opted for clubs such as UNITE, Wildlife, Conservation, etc

• On the question of punishments, a Green Circle school teacher informed the meeting that they use other forms of punishment and not beating children. “In our school, its only Haliima to beat”. The rest of the teachers give punishment such as making children sit and learn from the floor, ask for an apology in the presence of the whole school, etc.

Actions:

• UNITE teachers to avoid gardening as a punishment

• UNITE teachers to be taken to GC to learn to make teaching aids

• Heads of schools to be active in UNITE programs

• Some head teachers to be taken to visit UNITE model schools so as to appreciate the work of UNITE

• Tinka to visit Deo’s, Edvine’s & Stella’s schools

• Conservation clubs to be revived where they are inactive

• UNITE teachers to try other forms of punishment, but not beating and gardening

Observations in classes:
Teachers were divided in four groups and taken to observe teachers of p.1, p.2, p.3, and p.5. P.1 was mainly to observe how the thematic curriculum in implemented. This is a new program in Uganda and it has been challenging for most schools and teachers.

Actions: To hold the next meeting at GC so that the UNITE teachers can have more time in classes

Overview of UNITE:
Tinka John briefed the members that; the North Carolina Zoo’s cross-culturally focused UNITE Project (Uganda and North Carolina’s International Teaching for the Environment) builds unique international partnerships between Uganda and North Carolina schools. Using environmental education as the vehicle, UNITE promotes teacher training, inter-disciplinary curriculum development, as well as teacher and student experiences that explore cultural, economic, social and environmental connections between Uganda and North Carolina. UNITE provides teachers in North Carolina and Uganda with the knowledge and skills to instill a conservation ethic and improve the ability of their students to conserve local/cultural resources and the environment.

UNITE currently focuses efforts on 9 schools near the biologically rich area of Kibale National Park and 8 or more NC schools identified as highly dedicated to creative conservation and cultural education. Young students hold the key to future conservation. Providing them with an understanding of how their everyday choices and actions impact Earth’s natural resources is imperative for a sustainable future.

To further conservation of biological diversity in Uganda, a new component of the UNITE project is a partnership with Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG). Since the North Carolina Zoo and the Tooro Botanical Gardens have mutual missions and goals of education and biodiversity conservation, both institutions will benefit from this collaborative relationship. Tooro Botanical Gardens desires to establish itself as a fully-fledged and functional botanical garden for sustainable biodiversity conservation of the Albertine Rift. In doing so, the Garden’s major objectives will be training, research, education and extension services.

Tinka added that originally, the idea wasn’t about building classrooms, giving scholarships and buying furniture and other scholastic materials but this came as a result of the NC teachers visiting and looking at the classroom environment in the sister schools and the few teaching aids that were available for the teacher to use. He revealed that today, UNITE has supported the construction of classrooms, teachers houses, furniture, scholarships on a “one-to-one” basis and supporting gardening activities. Tinka however noted the disappointments with some teachers who are active only when there’s a UNITE workshop or when the NC teachers visit. “Some teachers present eucalyptus woodlots that were planted 15 years ago!”

He also mentioned that initially, we did not intend to involve the head teachers as we thought they were very occupied with the administration work, but this has been discovered as an oversight. As the English saying goes - better late than never. This is a big lobbying exercise where we have to involve the head teachers; then move on to the district officials and in a few years we hope to reach the line ministry. “We have done something on the ground and have a case to show, we are not just saying words or presenting a concept paper, but we have tangible references”

Tinka ended by informing teachers that Green Circle has been suggested as a Ugandan-model that can be replicated in to the other UNITE schools so that we can have a Uganda - to - Uganda case, which may even be more practical. Nonetheless, exchange visits with NC schools will continue.
Actions:

• A write up should be prepared for the districts of Kamwenge and Kabarole, where UNITE is operational

• UNITE activities to continue throughout the school period

• Head teachers to be actively involved in the activities of UNITE. Reports, plans and minutes to always be copied

• Green Circle as a model school, but Bigodi P/School to remain a center

Demonstration by Bigodi PS teachers (P.3 and p.5) to share skills learnt during the NC teachers visit in July 07

The demonstration was done by the Bigodi teachers giving a summery of what they went through during the three days they spent with the UNITE – NC teachers. The other teachers were amazed on how easy it can be to use those methods and how useful the methods can be to impact knowledge in young children as opposed to the usual lecture system practiced in most Ugandan school. Alex’s lesson was on the “positive and negative foot prints”; while Mugume Johnson and Kasenene Wilson was on the integration of a garden in other lessons.

Actions: The 3 teachers to be taken to other UNITE schools so as to have more time with teachers and children.

Tour of Toro Botanical Garde and Njara Hill Primary school.
The tour was interrupted with a rainy spell, which made the route muddy and wet. The teachers could only access the nursery part of the garden. The teachers were amazed on the variety of plants (mainly indigenous) that were planted at the gardens. Most teachers picked interest in the medicinal plants and some of them vowed to have an individual planned tour to TBG and or to start a herbal garden at their own homes or schools. Few purchases were made.

A tour of Njara school was also conducted to the classrooms and the garden. They realized that the garden doesn’t have to be enormously big, but small and manageable. The Njara school teacher did a great job in explaining how they conduct their gardening activities and he informed the teachers that the food is harvested and prepared at school for the children to eat. This is a different case from most schools where the food from school gardens is eaten by teachers only!

Actions:

• Have another tour of TBG at the next meeting

• Individual teachers to visit the garden privately

• UNITE teachers to share the food from gardens with children.

Way forward: On the way forward, Tinka had planned it to be discussed in group sessions, but due to limited time, it was agreed to be turned into a brainstorming session. Ideas suggested are as follows:

1. A meeting/discussion with the headmasters where the UNITE teachers have been transferred (September to November)
2. Exchange visits between Ugandan – UNITE schools
3. Green Circle as a model school for UNITE, but Bigodi primary school to remain a centre and as a showcase
4. Continued check-ups to all the UNITE schools
5. To hold a head teachers (ONLY) meeting
6. Form an academic sub-committee for UNITE – Uganda
7. A team of at least 2 teachers to helping the supervision/monitoring of the UNITE activities in schools
8. Competitions for UNITE schools e.g. a schools with the best garden or the biggest indigenous tree in the compound
9. Revive environmental clubs in schools (for those that are dormant)
10. Schools to incorporate UNITE activities in their general school plans
11. Implement conservation awareness building activities and do the lobbying at the schools administration and district levels
12. Production of promotional and fundraising materials in both Uganda and North Carolina. Alex and Johnson to complete and hand in to Tinka, the artwork
13. All UNITE Uganda teachers to hold a meeting during the first term of 2008 at Green Circle school and design /make learning materials
14. UNITE schools (children and teachers) to conduct study tours to TBG, KNP and Bigodi wetland. Responsible/club teachers to make proposals specifying dates and number of children and submit to Tinka
Date and venue for the next UNITE – Uganda teachers meeting:
It was agreed that the next meeting be held in the 2nd week of March 2008. Days to exclude are Fridays and weekends.

Actual meeting expenses:
Note that Haliima provided the meeting venue (tent, some stationery and chairs), at no cost. I will prepare a thank you letter and send it to her.
Item and Costs (Ush)
1. Tinka fuel to organize for the meeting (meet Haliima, pay restaurant for outside catering) 40,000
2. Meals (break tea and lunch) 231,000
3. Drinks 14,600
4. Airtime ( for calling teachers, restaurants, Haliima, transporters, etc) 30,000
5. Vehicle hire (2 omnibuses from Bigodi to F. Portal and back) 340,000
6. Extra travel for distant school teachers 30,000

Total cost for meeting: 685,600 Ugandan Shillings or $392.89 US dollars.

Held at Green Circle School in Fort Portal

Overall Meeting Objectives:
1) Forge ways to improve on the teaching methods; methods that inculcate conservation education in the teaching curriculum
2) To assess further how UNITE schools would want to use the Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG)
3) To conduct a simple assessment of the facilities and materials available at the current/rural UNITE schools and devise means of using them to copy the Green Circle school model
4) To actively involve the schools head teachers in the activities and programs of UNITE
5) To suggest away forward for UNITE
Planned activities to meet the above objectives• Self introductions – All
• Welcome and tour of Green Circle school (including the demonstration gardens) – Ms Haliima
• Break tea – Kanunakali Restaurant
• To give an overview of UNITE for the benefit of the new members and head teachers – Tinka John
• Demonstration by Green Circle school teachers on how they conduct lessons. The model that fits UNITE objectives and Ugandan schools – Ms Haliima and teacher(s)
• Demonstration by Bigodi PS teachers (P.3 and p.5) to share skills learnt during the NC teachers visit in July 07 – Muhumure Alex and Mugume Johnson (assisted by Kasenene Wilson)
• Lunch break – Kanunakali Restaurant
• Observations by the UNITE teachers on how Green Circle school applies the thematic curriculum– Ms Haliima and Green Circle school teachers
• Interview the UNITE teachers to gather information on available materials at their respective schools– Ms Haliima
• Tour of the TBG and Njara Hill Primary school – interact with the members and staff – TBG staff and Njara Hill head-teacher
• Group discussions to suggest on the way forward for UNITE – Tinka John and Mugume Johnson

Expected Meeting Outcomes:
1) A well documented meeting (notes and minutes); to be shared with other UNITE stakeholders
2) Agreed ways on how to modify and use the Green Circle teaching model in other UNITE schools
3) Agreed ways on how to use the Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG)
4) Proposed way forward for UNITE
Meeting deliberations:

The meeting which was well attended started with and a school and National anthems followed by a prayer led by a student and a welcome song (with conservation messages) by the school choir. This was followed by a tour of the school including classrooms and the demonstration garden. The garden is organized in small plots that belonged to different classes and each garden is labeled (class and crop). UNITE teachers were amazed about the way the garden plots were organized and the fact that children from a town school loved and participated in gardening. It was later concluded that the problem with village schools is that gardening has been used as a punishment to stubborn children.

Halima Wakaabu gave her welcome remarks and informed the meeting that she is a lover of the environment and that being the reason for ensuring that it is well taught in her school. She said that her school is a self initiative and that their principle is “talk less and do more”. She revealed the enrollment of the school as 800 students with 40 teachers. She emphasized the practice of no burning grass at her school and that each class is allocated a tree from which to pick up fallen/dead leaves to the compost pit. She also revealed that the school doesn’t buy food, but grows its own. “The school doesn’t have money to buy learning aids – we sit as teachers and make them ourselves”

On the part of head teachers, she informed them that the head of the school should be the first to report at school (FILO – “first in - last out”). Followed by teachers and that children should come last as opposed to many schools where children come to schools and wait for teachers! “A school is the headmaster. He has to monitor all the activities in the school he has to look at the lessons before they are taken to class”. She noted the problem with most schools that head teachers are always absent from schools and this makes it challenging to monitor the teachers and children and to be their friends.

Haliima ended by thanking Tinka for the good coordination done and noted that it is not a simple job to get all the schools together and organize such a successful meeting.

Reactions:
• On the issue of few teachers in the UNITE schools, Haliima suggested that UNITE can lobby the districts to give UNITE schools more teachers in order to implement the programs.

• One of the teachers suggested that we as teachers should not always wait for UNITE or the districts, but to try and improvise with the materials that we have around us. He gave an example where papyrus can be used as a flip chart!

• It was agreed that where there is conflict between a UNITE teacher and the head teacher (problem school) a meeting should be held between Tinka and the conflicting parties and a resolution reached – but not bringing isolated cases to a big meeting

• Lobby UNITE to involve new schools particularly those where a UNITE teacher has been transferred to. The coordinator to visit such a school and brief the headmaster on the goals and objectives of UNITE so as for the headmaster not to frustrate the activities of the very teacher
• It was suggested that each school should have a conservation club, which will be UNITE’s entry point. Schools opted for clubs such as UNITE, Wildlife, Conservation, etc

• On the question of punishments, a Green Circle school teacher informed the meeting that they use other forms of punishment and not beating children. “In our school, its only Haliima to beat”. The rest of the teachers give punishment such as making children sit and learn from the floor, ask for an apology in the presence of the whole school, etc.

Actions:

• UNITE teachers to avoid gardening as a punishment

• UNITE teachers to be taken to GC to learn to make teaching aids

• Heads of schools to be active in UNITE programs

• Some head teachers to be taken to visit UNITE model schools so as to appreciate the work of UNITE

• Tinka to visit Deo’s, Edvine’s & Stella’s schools

• Conservation clubs to be revived where they are inactive

• UNITE teachers to try other forms of punishment, but not beating and gardening

Observations in classes:
Teachers were divided in four groups and taken to observe teachers of p.1, p.2, p.3, and p.5. P.1 was mainly to observe how the thematic curriculum in implemented. This is a new program in Uganda and it has been challenging for most schools and teachers.

Actions: To hold the next meeting at GC so that the UNITE teachers can have more time in classes

Overview of UNITE:
Tinka John briefed the members that; the North Carolina Zoo’s cross-culturally focused UNITE Project (Uganda and North Carolina’s International Teaching for the Environment) builds unique international partnerships between Uganda and North Carolina schools. Using environmental education as the vehicle, UNITE promotes teacher training, inter-disciplinary curriculum development, as well as teacher and student experiences that explore cultural, economic, social and environmental connections between Uganda and North Carolina. UNITE provides teachers in North Carolina and Uganda with the knowledge and skills to instill a conservation ethic and improve the ability of their students to conserve local/cultural resources and the environment.

UNITE currently focuses efforts on 9 schools near the biologically rich area of Kibale National Park and 8 or more NC schools identified as highly dedicated to creative conservation and cultural education. Young students hold the key to future conservation. Providing them with an understanding of how their everyday choices and actions impact Earth’s natural resources is imperative for a sustainable future.

To further conservation of biological diversity in Uganda, a new component of the UNITE project is a partnership with Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG). Since the North Carolina Zoo and the Tooro Botanical Gardens have mutual missions and goals of education and biodiversity conservation, both institutions will benefit from this collaborative relationship. Tooro Botanical Gardens desires to establish itself as a fully-fledged and functional botanical garden for sustainable biodiversity conservation of the Albertine Rift. In doing so, the Garden’s major objectives will be training, research, education and extension services.

Tinka added that originally, the idea wasn’t about building classrooms, giving scholarships and buying furniture and other scholastic materials but this came as a result of the NC teachers visiting and looking at the classroom environment in the sister schools and the few teaching aids that were available for the teacher to use. He revealed that today, UNITE has supported the construction of classrooms, teachers houses, furniture, scholarships on a “one-to-one” basis and supporting gardening activities. Tinka however noted the disappointments with some teachers who are active only when there’s a UNITE workshop or when the NC teachers visit. “Some teachers present eucalyptus woodlots that were planted 15 years ago!”

He also mentioned that initially, we did not intend to involve the head teachers as we thought they were very occupied with the administration work, but this has been discovered as an oversight. As the English saying goes - better late than never. This is a big lobbying exercise where we have to involve the head teachers; then move on to the district officials and in a few years we hope to reach the line ministry. “We have done something on the ground and have a case to show, we are not just saying words or presenting a concept paper, but we have tangible references”

Tinka ended by informing teachers that Green Circle has been suggested as a Ugandan-model that can be replicated in to the other UNITE schools so that we can have a Uganda - to - Uganda case, which may even be more practical. Nonetheless, exchange visits with NC schools will continue.
Actions:

• A write up should be prepared for the districts of Kamwenge and Kabarole, where UNITE is operational

• UNITE activities to continue throughout the school period

• Head teachers to be actively involved in the activities of UNITE. Reports, plans and minutes to always be copied

• Green Circle as a model school, but Bigodi P/School to remain a center

Demonstration by Bigodi PS teachers (P.3 and p.5) to share skills learnt during the NC teachers visit in July 07

The demonstration was done by the Bigodi teachers giving a summery of what they went through during the three days they spent with the UNITE – NC teachers. The other teachers were amazed on how easy it can be to use those methods and how useful the methods can be to impact knowledge in young children as opposed to the usual lecture system practiced in most Ugandan school. Alex’s lesson was on the “positive and negative foot prints”; while Mugume Johnson and Kasenene Wilson was on the integration of a garden in other lessons.

Actions: The 3 teachers to be taken to other UNITE schools so as to have more time with teachers and children.

Tour of Toro Botanical Garde and Njara Hill Primary school.
The tour was interrupted with a rainy spell, which made the route muddy and wet. The teachers could only access the nursery part of the garden. The teachers were amazed on the variety of plants (mainly indigenous) that were planted at the gardens. Most teachers picked interest in the medicinal plants and some of them vowed to have an individual planned tour to TBG and or to start a herbal garden at their own homes or schools. Few purchases were made.

A tour of Njara school was also conducted to the classrooms and the garden. They realized that the garden doesn’t have to be enormously big, but small and manageable. The Njara school teacher did a great job in explaining how they conduct their gardening activities and he informed the teachers that the food is harvested and prepared at school for the children to eat. This is a different case from most schools where the food from school gardens is eaten by teachers only!

Actions:

• Have another tour of TBG at the next meeting

• Individual teachers to visit the garden privately

• UNITE teachers to share the food from gardens with children.

Way forward: On the way forward, Tinka had planned it to be discussed in group sessions, but due to limited time, it was agreed to be turned into a brainstorming session. Ideas suggested are as follows:

1. A meeting/discussion with the headmasters where the UNITE teachers have been transferred (September to November)
2. Exchange visits between Ugandan – UNITE schools
3. Green Circle as a model school for UNITE, but Bigodi primary school to remain a centre and as a showcase
4. Continued check-ups to all the UNITE schools
5. To hold a head teachers (ONLY) meeting
6. Form an academic sub-committee for UNITE – Uganda
7. A team of at least 2 teachers to helping the supervision/monitoring of the UNITE activities in schools
8. Competitions for UNITE schools e.g. a schools with the best garden or the biggest indigenous tree in the compound
9. Revive environmental clubs in schools (for those that are dormant)
10. Schools to incorporate UNITE activities in their general school plans
11. Implement conservation awareness building activities and do the lobbying at the schools administration and district levels
12. Production of promotional and fundraising materials in both Uganda and North Carolina. Alex and Johnson to complete and hand in to Tinka, the artwork
13. All UNITE Uganda teachers to hold a meeting during the first term of 2008 at Green Circle school and design /make learning materials
14. UNITE schools (children and teachers) to conduct study tours to TBG, KNP and Bigodi wetland. Responsible/club teachers to make proposals specifying dates and number of children and submit to Tinka
Date and venue for the next UNITE – Uganda teachers meeting:
It was agreed that the next meeting be held in the 2nd week of March 2008. Days to exclude are Fridays and weekends.

Actual meeting expenses:
Note that Haliima provided the meeting venue (tent, some stationery and chairs), at no cost. I will prepare a thank you letter and send it to her.
Item and Costs (Ush)
1. Tinka fuel to organize for the meeting (meet Haliima, pay restaurant for outside catering) 40,000
2. Meals (break tea and lunch) 231,000
3. Drinks 14,600
4. Airtime ( for calling teachers, restaurants, Haliima, transporters, etc) 30,000
5. Vehicle hire (2 omnibuses from Bigodi to F. Portal and back) 340,000
6. Extra travel for distant school teachers 30,000

Total cost for meeting: 685,600 Ugandan Shillings or $392.89 US dollars.

This post is from Tinka John who is the UNITE Project coordinator in Uganda from September 9, 2007. Italics are my words.
Hi Abwooli (Joy Hamlin),
The funds came through with no problem. They include the $$$ from Greensboro Day for the water project.

The students still in question are:
1) Natukunda Brenda - Alice Horton
2) Friday Solomon - Jane Holding; Jane sent $500 in April and some of that covered the past terms. The previous sponsor for Solomon sent only $500 in April last year! Friday needs $200 per term, in a boarding secondary.

3) Atuhaire Novence - Ippy Patterson - only $400 was sent by her sponsor since she started school beginning of last year!! I have been stepping in most of the times.

Byaba Nick - Michael Melon - Nick is up to date, only money for third term missing (August this year).

Karl did suggest we write off Troy Weaver for Musabege Rose and I have already informed the parents (tough job!!!!!!!!)Since Rose is an orphan, the term parents does not mean the same as it would here in America. Extended family members generally take in orphans as part of a family responsibility.
Obusinge - Tinka

On the other $$$ side, the funds for the science laboratory project from Rotary International came through to the new (opened project) account in Fort Portal and the project will take shape soon.

Today we now have a sponsor for Musabege Rose. Fatmia Kierski has agreed to fund her education. Thanks to Diane Lanevi for finding her. Diane’s family supports Abel who is a friend of Rose.

Monday, June 25, 207

After an hours drive down a long, busy road and a few baboons, we arrive at Bigodi Primary School bearing our teaching garden lesson plans, Alpha Smarts, batteries and teaching aides.  Alex and Johnson are full of smiles and are very receptive to our teaching ideas.  After careful review and discussion, we find that only minor modifications
are needed to implement the lessons for Bigodi students.  We break for lunch at Tinka’s and spend the afternoon in Alex’s P3 classroom and Johnson’s P5 classroom.  Alex is working with three classes for the afternoon and has 149 students packed into his small classroom.  It doesn’t take long for the room to heat up and become stuffy.  In both
classrooms we conduct an exercise about environmental practices of the community and the importance of forests  In turn we leave full of smiles and looking forward to tomorrow’s visit.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

We arrive early in the morning at Bigodi Primary School.  Today they have planned a wonderful program to officially welcome us to their school.  Our visit begins with a journey to Bigodi Swamp to collect papyrus, palm fronds and other weaving materials.  Students carrying ‘pangas’ (machete-like knives) eagerly lead us down a narrow path to
the swamp. We travel over steep terrain known as ‘python hills’.  Care to guess how they got that name?  After collecting and weaving demonstrations, the program moves to traditional singing, environmental poems and skits, and we can’t forget the dancing!  It was quite a sight to see the ‘muzungus’ (us) join in the festivities.  We then make a short trip down the road to Bigodi Secondary School.  It was great to see the senior 4 students again – first time since our week-long forest workshop at Makerere University Biological Field Station.  We joined them outside under the trees for a short environmental program – a good ending to our work with these bright and eager students.

June 24 – June 29, 2007

Experience gained in the field at Makerere University Biological Field  Station has proven invaluable to Tooro Botanical Gardens in making the connections between field collection notes, labeling of specimens, registration of the cuttings or seeds into the nursery and continuing data collection of propagation techniques for plants at TBG.  We were very impressed with the sustainable agriculture program which has made a substantial contribution to local community in the areas of public health, food production and employment.  Although this program forms
the core of garden activities to date, we were encouraged by the vision of TBG’s staff in the role of conservation of the flora of the Albertine Rift and environmental education.

Full Circle Trade has been active this week seeking handcrafted goods which support the sustainable management of natural resources.  Visits have  been made to a number of different groups and individuals, including marketplaces, basket weavers and other businesses interested in fair trade.  Relationships have been established which will support long-term trading that promote sustainable livelihoods.

We have been quite busy  working with teachers in area primary schools.  The week began with an introductory visit to Njara Primary School in Fort Portal. This school is adjacent to Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG) and offers wonderful collaboration opportunities.  We were delighted when the school expressed an interest in working with
UNITE and TBG to further environmental education.

Prior to our trip to Uganda, teachers at McCrary Elementary School in Asheboro, NC had been working diligently to develop curriculum for use in their newly established teaching garden. Three days have been spent sharing these lessons with UNITE teachers at Bigodi Primary School and incorporating ideas that will make this curriculum relevant for teaching in Uganda.  Next week we will spend two more days in the classroom co-facilitating these lessons with our UNITE partners at Bigodi.

We have also visited two other Uganda UNITE schools, Rweteera Primary and Rwengobe Primary.  Meetings with headmasters and teachers have provided us with invaluable insight into teaching strategies, school achievements and school needs.

Our week has ended with an extremely productive meeting with Director Haliima Wakaabu of Green Circle School in Fort Portal. Our visit was to learn more about teaching techniques employed by the school and to seek interest in a possible collaboration between TBG and UNITE. We are excited about the results of this meeting and feel we may have found a great resource for on-going professional development of Ugandan teachers.

June 17 – June 21, 2007
The workshop began with our team traveling to Bigodi Secondary School to train students for the days to follow in Kibale Forest.  We were greeted by 17 - senior 4 and senior 3 students and their UNITE teacher, Amos.  The students were asked to share their understanding of forest plants in their community and any uses these plants might have.  We learned that 14 students had been into the forest previously.  It was unanimous that students found trees important to rain formation, control of soil erosion, food and home for animals, herbal medicine and of course, as charcoal.  The trees that students found most familiar were Eucalyptus, Cordia tree, chincona (which turned out to be Vernonia), Spathodia, Acacia and Warburgia

The highlight was students having the opportunity to go into their school compound and begin learning the process of data recording when collecting herbarium specimens.  They were extremely delighted to learn about GPS (Global Positioning System) and the important role it plays in recording the location of a plant specimen used in the herbarium collection.  In no time, students were navigating the school grounds and recording latitude and longitude of various plants within the compound.  They also began learning the skills of measuring the circumference of a tree trunk, recording leaf shape and size, bark appearance, stem length, flower appearance, root types and environment in which the tree is found. They were now ready to begin our herbarium collection at Makerere University Biological Field Station!

Try your map-reading skills at home.  Go to a map and locate the following latitude and longitude N0.39906 E30.41037.  You have now found the Cordia tree at Bigodi Secondary School – good job!!

Students arrived by 8:30 each morning – eager to see what the day would bring.  The initial time was spent reviewing the importance of forests and talking about any plants that had been collected the previous day, exploring the plant characteristics, importance to the environment and any uses these plants might serve to humans.  The rest of the day was spent with students in the field, collecting specimens to be preserved for Tooro Botanical Gardens, Makerere University, NC Zoo, and UNC-Chapel Hill and learning the ‘art’ of preparing and pressing those specimens.  A total of 29 species and 145 specimens were collected during the five-day workshop.

Students shared that they felt the knowledge gained during our time together would be helpful in their future goal of conserving forests and the plants in their community.  They felt the experience had provided invaluable information which would enable them to undertake their own documentation of plants found in and around Bigodi Swamp.

Friday, June 22
MUBFS – Makerere University Biological Field Station

Well, our time in Kibale National Park (KNP) collecting seeds and plant specimens at MUBFS has ended.  We can definitely say our efforts have been very successful – thanks to everyone’s collective efforts.  We are stationed back in Fort Portal and will spend 8 nights at Rwenzori View (RV) Guest House before our 3 nights at Tinka’s Homestay.

Today, we walked the grounds of Tooro Botanical Gardens (TBG). Rain has set in for the day.  It is supposed to be their dry season, but with climate change the rainy season began later this year.  Later in the day, our team divides up – Gin and Carolyn meet with ProPlan and TBG while the rest of us go around Fort Portal collecting tourist information from hotels and conducting environmental ethics surveys.  Edvine, a UNITE teacher that visited NC a couple of years ago, was waiting to greet us upon our return to the guest house.

Saturday, June 23
Off to the caves and waterfalls… A short drive to the edge of town finds a magical place nestled deep onto private land – Amabeere Caves and waterfalls.  It is quite a surprise to find a tranquil 25’ – 30’ waterfall – it is truly a rainforest or jungle as you might imagine it.  After the morning’s trek, the group heads to Kasese, a 1 + hours drive south.  We pick up Edvine on the way out of town.  We are to visit the National Organic Farmer’s Day.  Tooro Botanical Gardens has a booth there and does quite well.  It is a real cultural experience for both the local Ugandans and us alike.  We walk around viewing beautiful herbs, vegetables, fruits, organic farming methods, and a few livestock. There are also skits, songs, dances and even a local band for entertainment.  As we take photos, we draw the attention of the children, who are fascinated and love to view themselves.  After spending around 2 hours there, we head back to Fort Portal.  We stop at St. Peter’s School where Edvine teaches.  She shows us her school’s garden.  There is also a soccer (called football in Uganda) tournament in progress.  We eat dinner in town at The Gardens Restaurant before returning to the guest house.

Sunday, June 24
A Quiet Day
Well, we don’t have to rush off to any meeting this morning.  The meeting is at the quest house instead.  The weather is sunny and the birds are plentiful.  The meeting begins around 9:30 and breaks for a nice lunch out in the yard around 2:00.  Lunch seems to be served around 2 PM each day and dinner around 8 PM. The last two members of our group arrive from Kampala today.  There are now 8 in our group.  An afternoon drive out to the crater lakes is planned for later in the day, followed by a nice dinner at the quest house.  Tomorrow, we meet at Bigodi Primary School to begin several days of sharing our teaching garden units.  The actual co-teaching will take place next Monday and Tuesday, July 2 and 3.