Star Kasiisi Scholar Scores Top Marks

Kasiisi Project Scholar Akandwanaho Dominic has scored top marks in his Advanced  "A" Level exams. Ugandan (and UK) students take these public exams in up to 4 subjects at the end of Grade 12.

Amy , Dominic and Abby celebrate his results at Kyanyinga!

 

 

Dominic achieved A Grades in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Math,  an outstanding performance which gives him a maximum aggregate score of 25 points. This incredible accomplishment which makes him one of the top students in Uganda guarantees him a full government scholarship to do medicine at Makerere University.

We are very proud of Dominic who has worked so hard, and deeply grateful to Dr Emily Otali and the Kasiisi Project Scholarship Committee which provided the support and guidance that allowed him to excel.

We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to his sponsor Steven Oare who supported him through increasingly expensive high school tuition fees and gave him the precious gift of education.

His remarkable achievement was celebrated by dinner at Kyanyinga Lodge, Fort Portal with Project Field Director, Amy Hanna and visiting Harvard undergraduate Abby Schoenberg.

Self-Sustainablity - Education, Farm and Guest House

EDUCATION - THE BEST WAY TO HELP SUSTAIN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY
 
In January 2012 Nyakato Flavian became the second Kasiisi Project Scholar to graduate from university. Sponsored by The Field School in Weston for her post-primary education Flavian obtained a BA in Urban Planning from Makerere University.Congratulations to everyone student and sponsors!

THE KASIISI PROJECT FARM

A Kasiisi Project farm chicken - is this one yours?

Crowned Cranes - Uganda's national bird-nest at the farm

African Gray Parrots at the Kasiisi Farm

 Kibale Chimp Project, Kasiisi Project and Kibale Forest Schools Project study farm plans

Stage 1 of the development of The Kasiisi Project farm is well under way. We are about to harvest our first crop of maize, the first beans are in, the first of 2 of an eventual 12 chicken houses have been built and the first 600 chickens are in residence! Thank you everyone who gave chickens as Christmas gifts - this is your chick! With help from the student members of the Wildlife Clubs of Kasiisi and Kigarama schools, 170 native trees are already well established and the farm provides work for 3 employees. Crowned cranes are nesting in our trees, African Gray Parrots are foraging in our fields and Hadada Ibis are flying overhead: So we are clearing bush carefully to conserve our wildlife and provide future visitors to our planned Eco-Camping site with plenty of birdwatching.

Joseph - The farm manager with our first maize!

Kasiisi Wildlife Club plant trees

KASIISI PROJECT GUESTHOUSE

Living Room in House 1

A twin bedroom

 In a continuing effort to generate income for the project the staff housing at Kasiisi has been converted into guest quarters for volunteers, project visitors, and for tourists wanting to have a close-up experience of a Ugandan school. Newly wired for electricity the guest house  will eventually house and feed up to 11 people.

The food is good, the internet signal clear most of the time, the beer? Well not exactly micro-brewery but perfectly drinkable and its COLD! We are close to chimpanzee tracking, crater lakes, tea factories. You can play soccer or read to our kids, plant trees, harvest maize and we have great views of the Ruwenzori mountains!

Come and stay!!

Namara Godwin

CAN YOU HELP US?

Namara Godwin has just finished his first 4 years of secondary school. Despite a period of poor health, now happily over, which interfered with his education for about a year he has passed his first public exams with a Grade 1 aggregate. He has the best kind of results - even good performance across all subjects. His perseverance and courage qualifies him for support from the project for grades 11 and 12. However, sadly Godwin's sponsor is no longer able to support him. This is not because of anything he has done. He has fulfilled his side of our contract impeccably: he is well behaved and hard working. He just drew a short straw. We now have to fulfill our part of this pact - we are committed to making sure he finishes school - but we need your help.

So we are looking for someone who is interested in helping him finish high school, perhaps someone who has thought about sponsoring a student but who may not want to commit to 4 years of support for one of our younger children. Someone who wants to help a really good kid finish school. To give him a future.

IS THAT YOU? If it is please e-mail me at elizabethaross@me.com for details

Kasiisi Project Scholars 2011

Since 1998 the Kasiisi Project has supported 115 students for post primary education. All scholars are selected on merit and must have been a pupil in one of our schools for at least 3 years. On average and depending on the number of sponsors who have signed on, we add between 5 and 10 students a year.  90% receive full scholarships the majority of which are privately sponsored.

All scholars and their parents or guardians sign contracts with the project in which consequences for poor performance and bad behavior are clearly laid out. All our secondary school students attend the best boarding schools we can send them to, and recognizing that coming from poor rural schools our students are at a disadvantage when compared to their peers, the scholarship committee provides wrap-around support both for academic issues and personal concerns.  All scholars and parents meet with the Scholarship Committee 3 times a year to review grades, problems at  school, changes in family situations etc and holiday remedial tutoring is provided for all students to help them catch up. Scholars are required to produce reports and letters to sponsors 3 times a year. Following High School those that wish to continue with their education are supported through either university or vocational training. 100% of the students who have graduated from our program have jobs!

If you are interested in learning more about our program or wish to give a Ugandan child the gift of education by becoming a sponsor or co-sponsor please contact us at elizabethaross@mac.com.

The Kasiisi Project at holiday time

2011 is fast coming to an end which means 2 things. Firstly that this is a time when we  are all looking for the coolest gifts for family and friends, and secondly if you want to deduct charitable contributions in 2011  you need to make any additional donations soon.  As we give thanks next week for everything in our lives that bring us joy, sharing a little of our good fortune, ticking a few items on our lists and reducing our tax bills is a win, win, win situation for all of us.

The Kasiisi Project is happy to  help you to accomplish all these goals. Choose from a) Kasiisi Project Holiday Cards, b) Buying books for the young children on your list and at the same time supporting literacy in Uganda, c) Sponsoring a child through 4 years of secondary school d) A donation in honor of a special someone or as part of your family giving and e)  Buy a chicken for our school farm.

See more details of all these options below.

Donations can be made directly via the Paypal button at www.kasiisiproject.org, via cheque to The Kasiisi Project, 64 Linnaean St., Cambridge MA 02138 or for direct bank transfers, scholarship and chicken enquires, holiday card orders and all other questions contact Elizabeth Ross at elizabethaross@mac.com
All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law and don't forget our plain cards make great gifts too (see previous BLOG).

Make an end of year donation: Do you want to finish up the 2011 Tax year with a charitable donation? Please consider The Kasiisi Project. We love unrestricted donations but if there is any particular program that appeals to you please let us know and we will make sure that your donation goes where you wish it to.

Walking to church

Kasiisi Project Holiday cards can be used to celebrate any special occasion. Based on drawings by Kasiisi Project students, these colorful, high quality cards share what is important in a Ugandan child's life at this special time of year; new clothes, banana trees decorated with balloons, church, family and lots of good food especially beef, a rare treat. The message inside the cards is "Peace on Earth" and there a a brief description of the holidays in Uganda too.

Cows

Banana tree and balloons

Cooking over a charcoal stove

The cards can be purchased in any combination of designs - all the same or a mixture. Cards cost $3 each  or $10 for 4 plus $2 p&p (Live in the Boston area? We will deliver free of charge). This year all proceeds benefit school conservation education programs to help save Kibale National Park's threatened chimpanzees.

Opening day Kyanyawara Library

Books for young Children:  Do you have young children on your list this year? Do you know about the wonderful Barefoot Books? Did you know that if you buy a book from their website through us at  Barbara-stevens.barefootbooks.com they will donate 50% of the amount you spend to The Kasiisi Project so that we can buy books for our school libraries in Uganda? Or if you prefer, you can buy a book directly for our library and we will label it with a book plate with your name or the name of someone of your choice, just e-mail elizabethaross@mac.com to find out how.

Buy a chicken: Just $4 will buy a chicken for The Kasiisi Project farm which now has accommodation for its first batch of hens. The farm will generate income and food for the School Lunch Program, act as an outdoor classroom for our kids and a resource for the local community on sustainable agriculture.

UK Kids glued coins to pictures to raise $$ for chicks

This is a great stocking stuffer or Hanukah gift - we will provide chicken cards to send to your special person or send them for you!

Tusingwire Imelda: AIDs orphan, #1 in her class, The Future!

Sponsor a Student: These holidays give the gift of secondary school to a Ugandan child whose education will otherwise end after primary school, by either sponsoring a student for 4 years or by helping out a student who has lost their sponsor. In 15 years we have supported 121 children. 88% of them completed secondary school, 70% go on to College or University and 100% of our graduates have jobs! Our project works at building personal connections so you will have the chance to really get to know the student you are supporting  If you are interested in this option let us know and we will give you all the information you need.

Fill those stockings with a special donation: If you would like to make a donation to the project in honor of a special someone and you give us their name and  address we will send them a card from you telling them that a donation has been made in their name.

American Farm helps the Kasiisi Project Farm

Thank you to David and Emilie Riss of Stacy Mountain Farm in New Hampshire, who sold pumpkins in aid of The Kasiisi Project Farm. They raised $400 which will be used to buy a water tank for Joseph our farm manager.

Kasiisi Print Cards for Sale

Card 1: Cooking with a Fuel Efficient Stove

Card 2: Vehicles

Card 4:  House with Chicken Hut

Card 3: 2 houses

Card 6: House with water tank

Card 5: Garden Tools

Card 8: Crowned Crane

Card 7: Black and White Colobus Monkeys

Kasiisi Prints result from a  collaboration between the children of Kasiisi Project schools who drew the pictures, and artist Kayo Burmon who transformed them into beautiful cards.Unique and colorful they are a message from our children telling you about what is important in their lives. They are blank inside so they  make a great gift,  birthday card, congratulations card or  just a plain "how are you" card and all proceeds support our Conservation Education programs in Uganda. So when you buy them also you help save the Uganda's rainforests  and the chimpanzees who live in them. Packed in cellophane sleeves they cost $3 each, $11 for 4 and $15 for 6 plus postage and packing - $2 for 1-4 cards and $2.25 for 6. You can order all the same or a selection of different cards. The garden tools are popular with gardening clubs!
If you live near Boston we will deliver for 6 cards or more or you can pick them up from Weston.  You can pay by cash, check or Paypal in $$, ££ or Ugandan Shillings.
If you would like to an order please e-mail Elizabeth Ross (click on my name for the link).

Card 10: Birds

Interested in holiday cards? Then watch this space - they are in production!

Card 11: Guinea Fowl and Flower

Card 9: Banana Tree

Back of Cards