School to have a new look

Working together Reach Architecture Studio we plan to salvage the old dilapidated building that we have been using for the school. This will give us a new look to the school and with the teachers who are undergoing training we expect to provide the best services to the community and also inspire more students/young people to join the school thus reaching our main objective of training the youth in vocational skills (Here is the picture of the house we currently use).

Bereavement

The year 2015 ended for us in a very sad way, we lost a teacher, advisor and elder to the CDA that has worked with for a very long time. Mzee Asumani a professional tailor with over 40 years of experience, past on last year in December at the age of approximately 61. He was so committed to his work up to the extent that he would at times sleep at the school when there is a lot of work or when he feels there is security threat. He survived by a widow and four children. We shall gravely miss his presence and service to the school being the one who was in-charge of almost all the activities of CDA may his Soul Rest in Peace ( Above in white wearing Muslin cap/Kufi in the Picture of Asumani). The community has identified Okwai Abdu Salam to care take while the other teachers are still on training. So far Okwai is doing well, he has reorganized the school including designing new strategies for training and fundraising (Here is the Picture of Okwai at work).

Teachers for Training

(On the left is a photo of teachers at Ora) For so long we have been quite, our blog has been very idol as well as our website which is temporally out of order. While we were quiet we have been working on training of our Teachers who started the training last academic year (2015/2016) and are meant to complete this year (2016/2017). We are training two teachers, Mananu and Manuela in carpentry and tailoring respectively in Ora Technical Institute Warr, it is Technical Institute run by the government of Uganda and their qualification is awarded by the Government of the Republic of Uganda. Their completion of the training will be one of our biggest achievements and it will add a marvelous value to our school. This training takes two year and they will be awarded with a Certificate, then after we plan to enroll them for another two year for the award of a Diploma. This will be when they have worked for some time and have proved to be of value to the school and are ready to extend their contract with the school. Many thanks go to Reach Architecture Studio who sponsored their training!

Hello,

It’s been long time since our last post to this blog, we are back! Lots of activities have been taking place and we shall be bringing them all here including news, very soon. Thank you for keeping a watch on our blog

CDA Holds Its First Graduation Ceremony

On 3rd August 2012, Community Development Alliance held its first graduation ceremony. From the time the school was started way back with Agwara Machine, 30 students have already completed their course of study in Carpentry and joinery and Tailoring. In this graduation however 8 students who recently completed received their Certificates in a ceremony that was attended by Chief of Anghal who was the Chief Guest, the team from Canada, community leaders, business community, members of CDA, community members etc. Here Asumani the volunteer teacher for tailoring receives a Certificate of recognition

Mama Mado the Chairperson of CDA opened the function with the word of welcome and introduction. She expressed her disappointment to women out of whom none is graduating despite her being the chairperson of the organization that is running the school. She encouraged everyone who attended the ceremony to go back as spread the news of what CDA is doing and persuade many people to join the school especially women. She further noted that women have always remain behind in all sectors, “this is the time that we need to come up and affirm our presence in the community” she states. As she concluded, Mama Mado conveyed with grief and agony the loss of four members of CDA within this year 2012, these include Acor Meka, Deo and Jeanette () she asked the congregation to stand up for a moment of silence to remember and pray for their souls. In the photo below Mama Mado giving her speech during the graduation

Vincent in his speech started by appreciating those who have tirelessly dedicated their time and resources towards the organization and the school, on that note, he particularly appreciated the volunteer teachers who have altruistically given their time to pass on their knowledge and skills to the learners more over on voluntary basis. He encouraged everyone to have that kind of heart if the community is to develop. He added that people should be aware that CDA as well as RAS are still very small organizations without any stable source of funds like other dig organizations so the expectation of the community should not be like they are working with big/reach organization, he urged the community to avoid looking at hand giving as being development, actually hand giving creates a breeding ground for poverty. With CDA/RAS we wish to build community strengths, change people’s attitude, encourage participation, expose the community, this does not only mean increase in income but also our social life and the way we can manipulate the environment sustainably. This kind of celebration which is the first of its kind in this community should open our eyes and the next time we are having the same, there should be even a bigger number of students, I will be even happier if the number of female over weighs the number of male. A group photo at the CDA school

The Student representative Watumbe Puceng expressed his gratitude for the great work that CDA has done, is still doing and will continue doing for the good of the community. He said that when they first started studying most people thought they were playing around and often laughed at them, but for them they meant what they were doing and they kept to their target but now they are enjoying the fruits of the training. He proudly said, they are among the first people to test the fruit of CDA and they feel good about it. He thus urged all the young people who do not have vocational skills to join the training; he expressed his sadness about the women who joined with them but did not complete, he also encouraged them to resume and others who have not joined to as well join as it is for their own benefit. Crystal on behalf of Reach Architecture Studios encouraged the students to employ the skills learnt to improve on the economic status of themselves, the community of Anghal, Mahagi, and the DRC by passing on the knowledge they have learnt to other members of the community.

CRYSTAL AND LISA MEETS THE CHIEF OF ANGHAL

During their visit they also visited the Chief of Anghal Ubimo Djalaure II Upidhkich Serge who pledged his full support for the project and to demonstrate his solidarity he offered a gift of a goat and a piece of land for CDA on which the school will be built, the land is located in Nyalebbe Trading Centre. Apart from the plot of land he offered for the school construction, he had earlier on during Crystal’s first visit, given a large piece of land on Got Ulwangini (Ulwangini hill) for CDA to plant trees. All this is a sign that the organization (CDA) has local support as well as the support of the community and government leaders. In the photo above Ubimo Jalaure offering a gift of a goat to the visiters and below he is giving his speech during the graduation.

In his speech during the graduation, the Chief urged the community to embrace the good thing that is coming to them. He stressed that the community of Anghal is generally poor because of illiteracy and ignorance so if a school is being built in the community, it is a sign of development coming to the door step which everyone should be happy about and also take it seriously so that the community can come out of the current situation of biting poverty and social inclusion.

TEAM FROM REACH ARCHITECTURE STUDIOS HOLD A MEETING WITH THE TERRITORY ADMINISTRATOR

On their way to Nyalebbe, the team from Reach Architecture studios passed via the office of the Territory Administrator for a consultative meeting. The Administrator was pleased to receive them and pledged government support for the project, he assured the team as well as CDA that there is nothing that will avert the project that they are pursuing. He extended his appreciation for the work that development partners like CDA and Reach Architecture Studios are doing in the development and empowerment of the community which duty the government could not manage without the support of such partners.In the picture the Administrator in the middle of Crystal and Lisa in front of his office. He exceptionally expressed his excitement about the vision of building a Vocational Training Centre, which to him had never existed in the territory. He recalled that most people who have vocational skills like carpentry, tailoring, brick laying etc learn from their fathers and grand fathers which skills now do not suit the current trend of modernity, the Vocational Training Centre therefore will bring in new and fresh skills that will trigger new ways of doing things which is more environmental friendly as well as enabling the youth and the community live decent and dignified life.

After the meeting with the Administrator, the team had a stopover at a community radio station (la colom) where Crystal had an interview. The news later on went on air in the evening news and the next morning in local language (Alur) and French respectively.