Hi,
It’s been so long since we’ve posted. We apologize as the summer as started off so busy. We will make better efforts to post news and updates here.

Please read about the Nyaka Board Chair in Uganda, Emma Mugisha. Emma works for Barclay’s Bank and was recognized for our work with Nyaka.

Ugandan children of hope
Friday, 23 May 2008
HIV and AIDS have orphaned more than 2.2 million children in Uganda.
The majority of them live alone or are cared for by grandmothers, who are generally regarded as the most trustworthy providers for them.
Even with the best intentions, however, few have any way of supporting the children, never mind sending them to school.

In 2003, the Nyaka AIDS Orphan School was opened in order to give children in the village of Nyakagyezi an education, and consequently hope for a better future.

Emma Mugisha, Treasurer, Barclays Uganda, has been passionately involved in the school ever since she first heard about the project from its founder Twesigye Jackson Kaguri Jackson in 2001.

By offering the orphans a primary education, healthcare, clean water, vocational training, as well as two meals a day, Twesigye and his wife Beronda hope to counteract in some way the pervasive hunger, poverty and systemic deprivation that was suffocating so many children in their community.

Following her meeting with Twesigye, Emma, who was an MBA student at the time, made Nyaka the topic of her dissertation. And seven years later, she is now on the national school board and Chairwoman of the Nyaka AIDS Foundation. The foundation runs schools in Nyaka, which has 210 students, and in Kutamba with 91 students.

“Working with the orphans keeps me going and makes me a better person, mother, wife and employee,” she says.

Emma is also one of Nyaka’s most productive fundraisers.
“Barclays matches all the money Emma and her colleagues raise,” says Twesigye. “As a result a total of 12.5 million Ugandan schillings have been invested in the school.”

But Emma’s contribution to Nyaka goes far beyond financial support.
Regularly driving the nine hours from her home in Kampala to the Nyaka, Emma has committed herself personally to helping the orphans. “She has been a caseworker, friend and ally for the children and grandmothers at Nyaka,” says Twesigye. But most importantly, she has become a mentor to the children.

“Her connection with the children and the grandmothers has given them hope. The children admire Emma, and see her as the woman they would like to grow up to be,” Twesigye explains.

Emma has been named as a finalist in the Barclays Chairman’s Awards 2008. The Chairman’s Awards, now in their 12th year, recognise and celebrate colleagues’ achievements in their local community and in areas such as diversity, financial inclusion and the environment. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday, 11 June.

Note: Emma did not win the award but did receive recognition from her fellow employees at Barclay’s. We are so proud to have Emma as a part of Nyaka and are forever grateful for her dedication to the grandmothers and children.

I thought this was interesting. A report from the Open Society Institute East Africa Initiative and New Vision/AllAfrica.com says that people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda are “denied employment based on their HIV status, women are denied property after the death of their husbands and orphans drop out of school or are disregarded by their relatives.”

Read more here

Hi Friends,

Hope the weather is treating you well, wherever you are.

Here are some updates of interest:
* Check out our main website for new updates – Grannies page, Kutamba page, and more…
Nyaka site
* Interested in volunteering at Nyaka? Check out our volunteer manual here:
Manual

We’re still looking for Friends of Nyaka or Grannies Project Groups to be started. If you’re interested, contact us for more information. A packet for starting a project is currently being put together. We’ll post its availability upon its completion.

Thanks,
Chris

Interesting story on Kaiser Network.

The Uganda AIDS Commission has drafted a strategy to streamline
HIV/AIDS communication in the country, the New Vision reports.
The plan seeks to unify various national HIV/AIDS awareness
messages, UAC Director-General Kihumuro Apuuli said at a recent
meeting for the Young, Empowered and Healthy initiative in
Kampala, Uganda.”Not all stakeholders in HIV/AIDS give the same
message,” he said. According to Apuuli, some people think that
antiretroviral drugs “are a cure for HIV,” some “think that
circumcision prevents HIV, while others are opposed to condoms.”
He added, “We will analyze the type of messages delivered. These
messages must be clear.”Apuuli also said that HIV/AIDS efforts
have focused on young people in the country at the expense of
older groups, causing a resurgence of HIV cases among older
populations, the New Vision reports.YEAH was launched in 2004 by
UAC. The initiative designs and conducts behavior change
campaigns for people ages 15 to 24 to help curb HIV, early
pregnancy and school dropout rates (Baguma, New Vision, 5/22)

Kaiser Network Daily Report

Follow the link here:

Lansing State Journal article

Thanks to the efforts of a host of 7th grade students from McDonald Middle School in East Lansing, MI, Nyaka has more funds to purchase solar lights for our kids.

Susan Flores spurred on this tremendous effort after witnessing a Nyaka presentation at Gone Wired Cafe in Lansing, MI. Susan got her friends together and helped raise $390 for the purchase of solar lamps for Nyaka students.

Solar lamps will help our students in several ways. One way is educational. Our students with solar lamps will be able to study their books at night and complete their homework and assignments. This is so critically important for our P-7 students especially as they must work so hard to pass their secondary school exams.

A second advantage has to do with safety. Occasionally at Nyaka, we hear about tragedies involved with paraffin lamps in Ugandan villages. Paraffin is an extremely flammable wax which has caused serious injuries to young children and in some cases, their deaths.

McDonald Middle School students were especially moved by the story of a young girl who lived in the village near Nyaka. This young girl was severely burned on over 85% of her body. A solar lamp in her home could have helped to avert such a tragedy.

Thank you to McDonald Middle School Friends of Nyaka and especially, Susan Flores, for making such an incredible contribution. Your efforts have helped save children’s lives in Uganda!

Chris Singer, Project Assistant
Nyaka AIDS Orphans School

If you haven’t already, please check out our new Nyaka website: Nyaka
There is a fresh, new look and new pages (Graduation 2008 and Kutamba School).

Hope you like the new site.

Also:
* New link – African Travel Advisor
BIC Tours is operated and owned by Samuel Mugisha, a Nyaka Board of Advisor member since the beginning. You are guaranteed outstanding service and an incredible Ugandan experience.

* New media – Media
Posted another radio interview and also the new YouTube film.

Check out our Mother’s Day message on our newly renovated website…

Nyaka website

Enjoy your day!

P.S. – Check out the new Nyaka film on YouTube:
One Child at a Time

We placed #80 and got a certificate for having the 80th most watched non-profit video last week.

AIDS Orphan Advocates Call for Increased Community-Based Programs, Passage of PEPFAR Bill

Interesting article about advocacy efforts on World AIDS Orphans Day.