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A Stark Reality: Ugandan Poverty and the Need for Education
Making a difference requires understanding the current situation. The Ugandan education system is challenging at best – adversely affected by the poverty it seeks to assuage. Consider this account – a story of two students within the Ugandan education system. Damba was born in a rural area of Uganda; his home was a thatched roof hut with no electricity or running water. His parents worked in the field – as he did from childhood on. Damba began his schooling (P-1 to-P-7) in a Ugandan government school, unfortunately not one of the Universal Primary Education (UPI) free tuition schools. Tuition, book and supplies fees, though extremely low, were barely affordable for…
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Join us at the 2021 Annual FOJPS Wine Tasting
Once again, we will be holding our annual Charity Wine Tasting at the chic Silver Spoon Ristorante in Rochester, Michigan. For your enjoyment, five premier wines will be paired with a like number of gourmet tastings. Please join us on Thursday, October 7th!
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FOJPS 5K Results and Photo Winners
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in or donated to our first annual virtual 5K – benefiting the students and teachers at John Paul Secondary School in Uganda! The 5K week was a huge success: we had 175 participants from all around the world, we received tons of great photos of people walking, running, rolling for the kids and we earned over $22,500 which will help tremendously with the efforts in the months to come to get the kids back in school. And congratulations to all of our photo winners! Daily Photo Winners Day 1: Barb and Bill Harlow Day 2: Dr. Kimberly Orr and Generations Family Dental…
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Bridging the Gap . . . A Plan
How do you regain an entire year of learning lost to closed schools with no capability for long-distance or virtual learning? It’s a challenge! The Ugandan government has put in place a three-year educational plan that will ultimately get students back into a regular school schedule by 2024. This plan utilizes shorter terms, fewer holidays and use of normal exam time for intensified studies. The new education schedule looks like this: School Year First Term Second Term Third Term 2021:Terms of 12 Weeks August 9, 2021 to October 29, 2021 November 15, 2021 to February 4, 2022 February 22, 2022 to May 2, 2022 2022:Terms of 12 weeks May 16,…
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When you register to help us Bridge the Gap, you pledge to run, walk or bike a 5K (3.1 miles) sometime during the week of June 5-11. You have the freedom to choose your method of movement, your own route and your own timing, all while being a part of something special. Everyone registered by May 15th will receive a custom Friends of John Paul School race shirt, race bib, water bottle, earbuds and a mini hand sanitizer. Plus you’ll be eligible to win some great prizes! Upon registering, you’ll receive your own FOJPS Funder webpage to share with family and friends, inspiring them to support you and John Paul…
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Francis Akol . . . Teacher. Mentor. Technology Guru.
In talking to Francis Akol, it is clear that he is passionate about computer technology and its importance to his students. “In the 21st century, computer technology is applicable in all aspects of society – education, business, health, etc. It is important that JPSS students, like other African students, become computer literate to meet the life-after-school challenges that preside in this era of computer technology dominance.” Francis intended to pursue a career in business, but just before he entered university, he held a job which made him “fall in love with computers.” He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Busoga University – especially difficult as he did not…
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Successful Giving Tuesday/Holiday Campaign Sets 2021 Expansion
The generous outpouring from donors during our annual Holiday Campaign is welcoming students back to a greatly enhanced Computer Lab . . . with more improvements to come. But first . . . a recap. We are grateful to report that donor contributions from Giving Tuesday and our annual Holiday Mailing campaigns net John Paul Secondary School $142,531, an 87 % increase over four years. A review of the campaigns from 2017 through 2020 indicates that the average contribution from donors has almost doubled. This reflects reinforced confidence in John Paul Secondary School . . . and support for the school’s continuing success. The fact that the actual number of…
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What hasn’t been cancelled by Covid-19? #GivingTuesday!
Tuesday, December 1 marks the International Day of Charitable Giving. This is a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate and celebrate generosity. Friends of JPS have been participating in Giving Tuesday for the past 5 years and it has always proven to us just how very generous YOU really are. We will be launching our GivingTuesday campaign in a few weeks so please check your email inbox for all the news and updates. We’re counting on YOU to make this year’s Giving Tuesday our BEST one yet!
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JPSS Update – Finally, Good News
Photo of JPSS Headmaster Bwayo Moses The COVID pandemic has had a tremendous impact on students and parents here in the USA . . . but for the students of Uganda, it has been devastating! The government’s extreme shutdown did keep the virus from spreading and the death rate has been kept low but has had catastrophic effects on schools and students. Ugandan students have missed an entire year of studies. They don’t have the option of virtual or distance learning. Most do not have computers or internet at home; many don’t even have electricity. Finally, some Good News! As of October 15th, the government has given permission for three…
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Annual Wine Tasting . . . Small Crowd, Big Hearts.
Friends of John Paul School held the 6th Annual Wine Tasting Charity event to benefit John Paul Secondary School. Although our gathering was much smaller this year due to Covid-19, the generosity of attendees and non-attendees rendered a most successful event!!! The combination of great food, premier wines and congenial guests ensured that a fun time was had by all. To all who attended and those who donated from afar, we say . . .Thank YOU! Thank YOU! Thank YOU!
