In the Wakiso District of Uganda, there is a little town - Bulenga Town - that houses the Kyosiga Community Christian Association for Development (KACCAD). The work that this community is doing is so vital to the larger community. Depending heavily on funding from volunteers, they are able to put on many development and training projects in which volunteers teach classes in the schools, conduct health classes and workshops, and help with other community projects as needed.
Let me tell you a little bit about the progess that has been made at the Christ Community Lutheran School in Kawete, Uganda.
There is a beautiful partnership between Christ Community Lutheran School in St. Louis and its counterpart in Kawete, Uganda. So much of the progress that has been made at this school in Uganda is thanks to the generosity of the St. Louis school and of other donors. While the St. Louis school was able to raise funds to construct one of the two classroom buildings and to purchase additional property to be used for school gardens, other donors have had to provide support for much of the school’s operating expenses.
Christ Community Lutheran School has two branches. One is located in Kawete, Uganda (CCLSU) and it's sister-school is located in St. Louis. Although these schools share a name, they look and function a bit differently. In Uganda, the teachers create posters that are placed around the classrooms in place of textbooks or school manuals. Chalk boards are painted on the cement walls. All information is written on the board by the teacher and copied by the students in their notebooks.
A typical graduation gift in the United States would probably include money or perhaps a laptop or a car if the family was especially wealthy. These are things we consider to be helpful to the young person's future - things that will propel them forward and teach them responsibility. In Uganda, however, providing a Primary-7 graduate with a pregnant goat remains one of the most effective ways of teaching the young person responsibility and providing precious income to pay for secondary school fees and supplies.