From Seguya, Uganda
October, 2007
How did
we get Started?
A Ray of
Hope is a happy partner with the youth, the world over. We have an
acquaintance of about 2 couples of years with this College. When I first
met the headmaster in his office years ago, I read a mind that we would
partner with for the benefit of the school, and particularly the youth.
My reading was irrefutably very correct. I have worked with the school
since then on UNESCO and Kabubbu library projects, which have seen a
great number of benefits accruing from the acquaintance:
- The
school’s sports and games have been greatly supported by the UNESCO
Youth Ambassador
- Today,
the school boasts of a website that can be accessed in every part of the
world, and in space, a privilege scarcely enjoyed by rural institutions.
And the school is at liberty to periodically keep updating this website.
For purposes of helping those not yet aware, the address for this
website is www.unesco.co.uk
- The youth
ambassador has provided medals and trophies for students’ activities
in the school.
-
The school has been selected as one of those lucky few to partake
in the global school twining projects organized through the unesco
umbrella.
- The
school has developed relationships with a number of projects, notable of
them all; Kabubbu Community Library and Kabubbu Health Center
- Around
the year 2005, a leadership training was conducted for the student
leaders. And I hereby undertake to conduct more such trainings whenever
needed
- It is for
that acquaintance that students of the college have started to receive
training in basic computer skills.
-
Certificates have been provided for, and will continue to be provided
for all students who will excel in acquiring these skills.
- The
school remains open to all possible unesco support.
The whole
idea of providing computer training started when I saw some unoccupied
computers in the headmaster’s office when I had paid a courtesy call
on him way back in 2006. I told him they were a very good resource for
students especially those who intend to live in the world, today and
tomorrow, with a mark of success. We drew a plan of how to follow
through, and today, here we are, with the first fruits of cooperation
from everyone of you. I say first fruits because we are set for more,
better and greater harvests in the times that lie ahead.
I want to
gladly inform you all that I will be able to take on a new group as soon
as I am given the names of the students to commence with.
Ladies and
gentlemen, may I bring to your attention the haunting fact that the
school is still in a very needful state of computers. We barely have
enough for our students or teachers, and the ratio of computers/students
is 1:3 in a group of 17.
Our
students are unable to practice their acquired skills for lack of enough
computers.
This should
suggest to us that we need more computers and accessories to at least
reduce the computer/student ratio to 1:2 in about a period of two years.
More computers would imply better skills development and better skills
practice.
We must get
ourselves working 24/7 to realize this goal. Every one of us has
something to do here. There is nothing as bad as going through a failing
institution. When we meet new people, we are always asked where we come
from, it would be such a sad thing to say, Cambridge College when we
left the institution to fail. This applies to the Headmaster the same
way it does to a teacher or the least popular student in the college.
When we are
asked, “where did you learn your basic computer skills?” It would be
such a big shame for one to say, “at Cambridge College ”, when
computer training at the school ceased many years ago.
Call your
friends and relatives, talk to them, write to them and tell them about
our need. Ask them to contribute in whichever possible way towards the
progress of this computer project. They can make donations ranging from
financial help to computers and computer accessories.
You as
individuals or groups can make financial contributions for the
sustainability of this project. Your donation can enable you be part of
the next class or your brother or sister or friend to be part of it. And
your name will forever remain in the College’s records as one of those
who committed themselves to its success. I am sure many of you, 20/30
years down the road would rather have your children go through Gayaza
Cambridge College .
Nothing
fills the heart as looking back at one’s path through life and one is
proud of the places they went through and the things they did, and the
people they met.
Mr. Zziwa,
Miss Mariah, Miss Kambejja, Mr. Lugemwa, Mr. Lwanga, I mean to say all
the teachers, would make such a marvelous step by committing a minimum
of 5% of their salaries for a minimum of three months to help raise
funds that would enable us get more computers. 5% would imply that you
donate 500 shillings for every 10,000/= of your salary; which would mean
5000/= for every 100,000/=
I am
opening up an account to help raise funds for this project. I am
appointing myself to Head of Treasury, hoping no one objects
I am
accepting deposits in cash and check from this very moment….. I invite
you to start passing on cash right now….and to consider writing
checks, and making more cash deposits later.
When these
funds are sufficient enough, I am to open up an account with a
commercial bank and deposit them there. To do this, I will need two
signatories from the school, one of whom must be a student, and the
other a member of staff.
Depending
on how well our treasury shall have functioned, I will ask for
permission from all concerned, students and staff to deposit these
amounts with the Central Depositary System. The object is to accumulate
this amount to a point where we can start to buy at least one PC every
half year.
Ladies and
Gentlemen, the future is all ours, we are here determining how tomorrow
shall look like by the actions of now, now, and now has always been the
best time for action.
Our efforts
of today can never give us more fruits in the short-run than in the
long-run. We sow now, sometimes it gets so exasperating and burdensome,
but we ought to keep sowing, we oughtto give care to the seed and the
crop. Anything cheaply acquired is cheaply esteemed. Let us throw our
hands and minds behind the computer project…it is and will always be a
worthy cause.
Some of you
have already, or intend to, or in a short time from now will find
yourselves deciding to embark on a carrier with computers. Now is a very
good opportune time to keep going and to commit yourselves more to the
object.
I want to
draw attention to all of you who have received the training and
receiving certificates today, to the fact that what one owns, knows or
has is never important beyond what he uses it for. You might have a
life, that life will never be more important than what you use that life
for; you might have basic skills in computer, these skills are no more
important than what you use them for, nor are the certificates you are
to be honored with today.
Keep up
hope, keep moving, read more, learn more, change your surrounding.
Allow me to
pass on to you the message from The Director, A Ray of Hope, UNESCO
Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace, and I quote
“To my friends at Cambridge and in particular the graduating students
of 2007.
Could I proffer to you both my best wishes and congratulations on
behalf of myself and A Ray of Hope, UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the
Culture of Peace.
To hope is good, to strive is better, to achieve is excellent but the
epitome is always to do what is best and to do one's best. This of
course applies to the individual and the individual's contribution to
the milieu in which they live.
When one is starting in life the world appears to pose more questions
than solutions. Living and experience will provide many of the
answers, however, not all. It will be your enthusiasm, endeavour and
initiative that will allow you to help our global family with your own
thoughts, aspirations and action.
Let me use this opportunity to wish you all much health, happiness and
success in which ever path or direction you take.
Again my sincere best wishes.
Don McBurney
Director
A Ray of Hope
UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace
