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A Promise to be Kept
From its inception, Friends of John Paul School has engaged interested individuals in raising funds for the school. Initially, there were many small events such as rummage sales, runs, Christmas bazaars, Scout projects – all designed to “spread the word” about the school and its vision of providing opportunity to the young people of Uganda. These efforts supported several benefactors who helped fund the Science center building, biology and physics labs, library, boys’ and girls’ dorms and the newly-expanded computer center. Regardless of size and frequency, ALL donations have been and are today truly valued and most carefully utilized. It is the primary function of the non-salaried Board of Directors…
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From Barren Field to Thriving Campus
In 2005, a visiting missionary spoke to the St. Fabian Catholic Church congregation in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Paul and Nancy Berrigan were struck by the terrible poverty of the people of Chelekura, extremely impressed by dynamic Msgr. John Kauta’s description of the good that might be done there and encouraged by how far the American dollar could go. Understanding that the root cause of poverty is lack of education, they pledged to build a small school near the village. In an agreement with the Archdiocese of Tororo and the Ugandan government, their initial pledge of a primary school changed into the promise of a secondary school – college preparatory under…
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Do We Make A Difference?
Our donors deserve to see confirmation of our efforts. Here are some of John Paul School’s most recent outcomes and remember . . . they occurred DESPITE almost a year’s disruption in learning. Other measurable results: Six S-6 students earned passing grades in two principle passes, enabling them to join a university if they can pay the tuition. Most will pursue careers in Education because of its employability and affordability. An additional five S-6 students scored one principal pass. They may be eligible for tertiary learning institutions. Only five students failed the difficult exams . . . not unusual after a year of interrupted learning. They will most certainly retake…
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Hope . . . The Antidote
We are proud to announce that JPSS moved up more than 200 places in its national ranking among Ugandan secondary schools. We stand fourth in the Pallisa District, 874 out of 2094 nationally and 1022 as the best performing science school in the country. Administrator Fr. John Chrysostom and Headmaster Moses Bwayo offer valid reasons why the school is ranked so highly and enjoys such a great reputation. Fr. John: “The Ugandan Education system is mainly theoretical. Most graduates of this system can reason but without practical skills which is very dangerous. This can be attributed to the government’s failure to equip major institutions with the necessary equipment to provide…
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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…
