Oct. 7-8:  NawantaleVillage  Villagers turned out by the hundreds for a series of seminars put on by the School Board and Elders Committee.  Men and women were encouraged to learn factual information about the HIV-AIDS threat, its transmission, its treatment, and what everyone needs to know about stopping it in Nawantale as a rural, epidemic threat. Samson Kawuzi, Uganda Community School Project Administrative Asst., provided much of the sensitive training.  Kawuzi is a certified Health Educator in HIV-AIDS education.  Also, Pastor Sengooba, Chairman of the School Board, and Mr. Bakamwiise, Chairman of the Elders Committee, led various presentations. Many villagers participated in the Drama Club skits to tell the story of AIDS.  The Community School Project is seeking funds to begin the all-important HIV-AIDS screening phase of the Community Health Program of the school. 

Oct. 10 Nawantale Village:  The Nawantale FC WON!!!  The Kamuli District Independence Cup playoffs went into the evening dusk, but the final score was 5-4!  Congratulations all around to the men's teams pictured here.  Coach David Waiswa presented the trophy to the School Board and Elders with Samson Kawuzi beaming proudly.  Coach Waiswa is now preparing both the 2 women's and 2 men's teams for the November 17th games.  Congratulations and good luck on the upcoming football matches!

USA Director Receives Grant from SMFG Foundation for Community School

Nov. 9  Phoenix, AZ USA:  Kay "kaay" Grosso, Executive Director of the Uganda Community School Project has accepted a grant from SMFG Foundation to continue the Project's campus land acquisition.  The Foundation's President, Dr. Wallace A. Reed, has donated this money in memory of the dedicated work his late wife, Maria Reed, Founder of SMFG, did on behalf of communities where Montessori School Programs were sorely needed but unavailable due to low economic conditions. Grosso and Dr. Reed have collaborated on a packet to deliver to the many donors who made the grant possible so that they will be aware of the ultimate destination of their support in Maria Reed's memory. Grosso noted, "Her vision eventually will become a reality in this village, as it has for many other children and families, thanks to Maria Reed's determination.  I speak for the villagers when I try to communicate how grateful we all are." 

Chryle Penn (right) Secretary of the Board in USA and
Sylvia Mutamba, New Financial Advisor to the School Board,
Nawantale, Uganda  -  Summer 2007.

Recently, Ms. Penn wrote a letter to her family to explain why she is so involved with the Uganda Community School Project. She wrote her family the following:

"If you're all wondering why I'm involved, the biggest is that I feel reading is one of the utmost important things a person could ever learn to do for him/herself...I began to enjoy history, because it was seen through the eyes of my ancestors who I was researching, but when I got to the wall of 1870, which stopped me, I found myself reading books that led me to Africa...the rich history of a place my ancestors came from. A place they loved. A place they called home.

"I want to take something back to my ancestor's home ...education. Education equals freedom. I'm sure you are all asking yourselves, 'Why is she telling us all this?' I want to be a very small piece of a huge puzzle that needs to be put together some way. The puzzle is the broken pieces of peoples' lives uprooted due to hate, ignorance, greed. I want to be part of change.

If you're not already involved, get involved. Say a prayer for our village. It's called Nawantale. Go see our website at www.nawantale.org. Love to all, Chryle."