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Situated on a high plateau 90 miles north of the capital of Uganda lies the town of Migyera, where rainfall is inconsistent and erratic, and drought is all too common. There are no streams or lakes nearby, so the people of Migyera collect water from the rooftops of houses whenever it rains and store it in large tanks.

In April of 2009, when there was no rainfall, the water collecting tank and cistern at the St. Lawrence Primary School in Migyera ran dry. Drilling for water on the school's property proved unsuccessful. The school has grown from a student population of 90 students and 4 teachers, to 500 students and 13 teachers in just three years. With a growing student population and sporadic rain, the water shortage has become critical. Both school management and the Migyera community have asked for additional water tanks to store and collect more water.

Change A Life Uganda has decided to help by completing a water-harvesting project for the St Lawrence Primary School. Two 24,000-liter collecting tanks, situated above ground, will be purchased from Kampala and installed at the school. Proper piping on the school's roof will also be installed to run water from the roof into these tanks to ensure that enough water is saved for the children for drinking and hygiene during the dry season. 

 

 

           Collection of rainwater or "water harvesting" into storage tanks was recommended by the school management committee and the community. It is the only feasible solution to provide clean water to our school children. There are no streams or lakes for water collection and the UN's attempt to drill a bore hole to tap the aquifer was unsuccessful because they were unable to find underground water.  

 

     Our team is prepared to move forward immediately. We have an engineer who has researched the water needs and deviced the plan for installation and water collection. We have a coordinator in Uganda to oversee the project, a technical advisor with engineering expertise, and support from the school management committee to maintain the system. The supplies are available in Kampala.

     As one of the major Change a Life projects, the Change a Life Water Plan will improve the children's health by providing safe drinking water and supplying water for hygienic such as brushing teeth and bathing. With use of the tanks and piping we will also educate children on the most modern means of water harvesting, water purification, and water storage. 

     This school was a poor, rural, underperforming school in 2007 with 90 students and 4 teachers.  In a very short time, with help from Change A Life, the school has become a place of change offering education, books, lunch, water, and good teachers.  The community is excited and supportive. In fact, the parents of the students were so grateful that they built simple housing for the teachers, with their own labor and their own bricks, which they made themselves. They will be so happy and even more grateful with an improved water collecting system and increased supply of water.

 

 

     With proper maintenance which is overseen by the school management, committee, and a trained staff member the gutters and tanks will be long serving. The tanks will hold enough water to sustain the school through the dry periods.  The Change A Life- Water Plan will not only improve the children's health by providing safe drinking water and supplying water for hygienic use for brushing teeth and bathing, it will also save the school money because water has to be purchased and paid for when the tanks are dry.

 

 

Father Lawrence Kizito Kimbowa is the Director of Change a Life Uganda which is the implementation arm of Change a Life and is secretary to the Change a Life Uganda Advisory Board. He is currently studying Civil and Canon Law in Rome and continues to direct our program in Uganda. Father was Chancellor of the Diocese of Kasana-Luweero and a parish priest. His personal experience of educational sponsorship, focus, and commitment was the inspiration behind Change a Life. Father Lawrence is our Ugandan liaison and is committed to improving the lives of children and their families through education, health care and income-generating initiatives.

Jean is a graduate of Seton Hall University School of Nursing and has a Masters Degree in education from Montclair State University. Following a career in clinical nursing, Jean pursued a second career in the pharmaceutical industry in the US and internationally with Merck & Co. Inc. Although now retired, her position as an HIV Executive Business Manager provided her broad experience with the health challenges of HIV/AIDS. She and her husband David Thelen returned from a life changing trip to Uganda in September 2006. Change a Life was incorporated as a non-profit organization the following March. In addition to her commitment to Change a Life, Jean is a member of the Brick Rotary, the Malta Auxiliary, Seton Associates and is a facilitator for a Survivors of Suicide support group.

Dave had a successful career as a Guidance Counselor at Old Bridge High School, Old Bridge Township School District. He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, his Masters in Counseling and Supervision from Kean University and an EDS. degree in marriage and family counseling from Seton Hall University. David is currently a Board Member of the NJ Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, past President of the Central Jersey Step Family Association of America and facilitates with Jean a Survivors of Suicide support group. His commitment to HIV/AIDS began and continues as a volunteer at The Center in Asbury Park. Following his trip to Uganda in 2006, Dave expanded this commitment to Change a Life.

Kathy Kunihira is the Change a Life coordinator for St. Lawrence Primary School in Migyera. Kathy graduated from Kyambogo University, Uganda with a bachelor’s degree in Vocational Studies and Education with majors in Accounting and Commerce. Her experience as a secondary school teacher prepared her well for her work with Change a Life initially as a volunteer and now as the Coordinator of our program in Migyera. Through home visits, meetings with teachers, the children and their families, she counsels, supports, directs and monitors our sponsored children. Kathy coordinates our program at the St. Lawrence Primary School by applying knowledge and skills attained in her career as a teacher and a vocational trainer.

Immy Namukisa is the Change a Life coordinator in Nabbingo and also the secretary for the Caritas Prague - Child Sponsorship Program. Change a Life has benefited from her experience with the Caritas Sponsorship program. Immy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Makerere University and certifications in Microsoft Office Applications, National Quality Standards for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children and advanced training in psycho-social support. Immy knows first hand the challenges many of our children who are orphans face. As an orphan herself, her extended family financed her primary school education. However, she had to work her way through secondary school and later received scholarships to attend Makerere University. Immy is a role model for the Change a Life children and brings special skills and empathy to our program.

Collins Kivumbi provides accounting services for the Change a Life program in Uganda. He is currently a student at Oxford Brookes University's pursuing a BS in Applied Accounting ACCA (Association of Chattered Certified Accountants) which is equivalent to CPA certification in the United States. Collins holds a GCE Advanced subsidiary, GCE Advanced level and AICE Group Diploma in Mathematics. Because his secondary school was sponsored, Collins was able to study and continue his education at the university. As a sponsored student himself, Collins knows the importance of our program and is an example to our Change a Life students. He is now giving back through his work with Change a Life.