BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

About the BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR SUTENTS IN UGANDA, it is a charity project aimed at helping poor students in Uganda who can not buy expensive text books and reading materials. We are also working around to reduce illetracy and poverty levels in Uganda through educating and training the future generation. Currently we are located with in Makerere University, faculty of Agriculture but this year we are to graduate and hope to rent some place in Kampala. The project was founded by me and 6 other friends from makerere university i.e Wangi Godfrey, Nalubega Teddy, Ayaa Filda, Matovu David, Lukyamuzi Mohammed and Kagwa Shaphan in March 2007 We started with the science subjects like biology, physics and mathematics because the reading materials are scarce. We would like to produce all educational books from primary , secondary up to university level taking into consideration reading materials for Udults.When we write the manuscripts, we hand them to the publishing company to be published at low prices. This has helped many poor students but we are limited with the computers, printers, and related stationery. We also go to schools which lack science teachers and we volunteer to help these students to learn. We not yet registered with the country registrar. We would love to expand the project to cover the whole country and to start publishing by our selves with time but funds will give us what to do.We also have an idea of starting to build schools for poor children in the future. So that is where we are now, and we invite any one out there to be part of us by giving us advice, donation of any materials necessary and any information to make this project a sucessful one as it will reduce to the illiteracy level and poverty in the country. --

Last comment added: Fri, 23 May 2008 21:27:39 PDT

Comment 1 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

This sounds like a good project. Have you been able to get any government financial support? How about some of the NGO's there in Kampala. I would start talking to them and taking your proposal around (do you have a written proposal to submit?). It may take some time but its a good place to start.

Comment 2 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Evvy Bryning, Thanks for that faburous comment. We tried to seek Government financial support but it did not work out. we have never tried NGO's in kampala because none of us knew about their funding procedures. We have a written proposal though not yet complete but we can work on it so soon and we hand in to you. We are committed to work even though it may take long. Thank you very much once again.

Comment 3 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Dear Henry,

I applaud the efforts of you and your friends. One of the funding sources you should investigate is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They are deeply involved in education and library issues.

Peace, love, and continued success! Stephen

Comment 4 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Great idea Stephen. Also Henry, see Room to Read, they've built thousands of libraries in developing countries around the world, and really focus in on rural areas, and local book writing and translations.

Comment 5 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hi Kasinja,

You can now "Publish" things for free online. Check out

http://www.scribd.com

If you have a computer, printer, ink and paper you could get publishers to allow you to scan or insert material online and print out books and daily material from online. Overtime you could have an entire library of material available to you to freely printout.

Comment 6 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hi Kasinja, Looks like the discussion is in this thread. It's best to keep it all in one thread because it's so much easier to follow the discussion.

Wow, my head is just swimming with questions and ideas about this project. I'm afraid that I have a tendency to want to "push the river" but of course that's a silly mistake, things take time to develop and it's important to take the time.

Something that interested me right away is that you envision this project as a "charity" project. I think there are many good reasons that this project might be best as a charity project, but it also could be viewed as a for-profit business. Either way, a business plan is really important to develop.

Ned is very cool because there is a nice set of tools here. Along with this discussion thread, and the Private Messaging features, there are also workpages. The workpages are wiki pages, that is they can be edited by members.

LOL what I'm getting at is I hope you might ask Wangi Godfrey, Nalubega Teddy, Ayaa Filda, Matovu David, Lukyamuzi Mohammed and Kagwa Shaphan to also join Ned.

If the group of you joins and begins to develop a business plan I'm sure many others here will be interested to help. The great thing about Ned is people have very diverse skills--they know about lots of different things. So sometimes the really useful information, the little bit of information or contact you really need comes from an unexpected source.

Publishing is something that's really changing nowadays with all the new information and communications technologies. So there are many ideas to look into as what is the best way to structure a publishing company or charity. There are many issue including legal protections and copyright among many other complicated issues. But something there's widespread agreement on is the need to develop more and better curriculum materials.

You have identified the need for certain things like computers, and also the need to rent a place. So money is something on your mind right from the start. LOL everyone here at Ned is smart, but from what I can tell most of us here don't have much money. But many people here understand money. There's an old song with the line: "money, it's a drag" and money issues can be really frustrating, so most people throw up their hands and don't even try to learn about it. So when I say there are people here who "understand money" what I mean is they are people who didn't just throw up their hands, but figured out accounting and business accountability.

This business proposal is for a very important need. You've got a solid team already, so the outlook for success looks good. But to be successful a good business plan is very important. Ned is probably a good place to discuss this.

I want to be helpful but I'm not sure where to begin. Joel Robinson points to Scribd. A whole thread could be spent just brainstorming about different ways of publishing materials. It is a very good idea to think about as many ways of publishing the materials as possible, because how you decide to publish will have real bearing on your business plan.

In addition to your publishing you also go to schools introducing science lessons.

What you are doing is really wonderful and I'm sure there are ways of developing financial support for your efforts. Remember I talked about understanding money? Well one thing about money is it takes hard work and a plan to get.

I like to garden. When I start to make a new garden many of my plants are very small, they will take years to be pretty. So when I garden I have to think about what to do in the meantime. I want flowers to grow and bloom while the plants that require more time mature. A business is sort of like that too. You have an idea of where you want to be in the future and in the present you plant some seeds and seedlings to make that future. But you still want to have immediate impact. So like a garden a business has both long and short goals.

In discussions it's not always easy to know when we're talking long and when we're talking short :-) This business is fairly complicated, so I think it will pay to break the discussion into more narrowly focused topics in the future. But in the meantime it's great ot just get some general discussion going.

I would love it if the other members of the team join Ned and introduce themselves. Making a business plan is an important thing to do. Once a good plan is hammered out the approach to raising funds and initiating partnerships and grant funding can be mapped out. I believe you will find help and encouragement in that if you participate here.

It would be really good to check out the global text project

Comment 7 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Am really excited about ned family. People hear have good ideas. How did kasinja and group come up with such a project? I think your project will make sense in developing countries. Am eager to join hands with you kasinja and tell other members to join! May be write the proposal and tell us where to start!

Comment 8 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hi Stephen, you deserve a credit for your wonderfull project. It sounds good.

Here in Uganda we have two centers that is kampala and Gulu. We have weekend programmes and it would be good if at all we also have Books library so that the kids can read.

What is the conditions or requirements for geting into the project? May i know if we want to have the books at we center Gulu and Kireka what should we do?

Otherwise big thanks.

Comment 9 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

This is a great project. Have you thought of involving Science teachers in the US as part of the project? It could begin a incredible journey to connecting with science teachers (and students) around the world. Plus, such connections could offer the expertise of science educators for your local project--especially when local access to teachers is difficult. Also, do you have editors/designers for putting together the books? That is another area to consider, as there are many individuals who could volunteer such services/talents for your projects. Thank you and your friends for working on this project. Education can elevate us all to a world with limitless possibilities. Take care, Sherry

Comment 10 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hi Robert, thank you very much for your comments. It is the comments and advice you give that makes this project great, thanks to ned family! This project is also meant for the kids, so you can really benefit from it.We are just taking off from ground and we need as many members as possible, so Robert you are welcome!! I would love to meet when you are in Kampala, so how? I would love to know about your project as well.Big clap for you once again, be blessed.

Comment 11 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hi Sherry, am so greatful for your comment. We would like to involve science teachers and students from US and around the world in this project but how to get them is a problem, If you know any way we can get in touch with them, please tell us.Actually we have been paying the publishers to do this, so if you know of volunteers who could offer help, please inform us.Thanks for your comments, take care, Tonny

Comment 12 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hullo members am called Wangi Godfrey Mario am so happy to join you in this group. Am involved in the project called 'book project for poor students in uganda'. I invite you to make comments about the project. Nice time.

Comment 13 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

its a nice project

Comment 14 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hey ned family, am so happy to be here. Am one of the founders of the book project for poor students in uganda. please support the project to educate the world. Thanks

Comment 15 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Thanks alot , Does it need some thing like a resource center? Like in Gulu -Northern Uganda there is nothing like a good recource center for sciences. Science Equipments for all students i the north (Gulu) in particular are always bought from Kamapala and Kenya.

Now i do surggest that for students to benefit well from this scheme, There should be some thing like a resoource center where by all the schools borrow or read books from there .

Example the resource center can be manage by say Lia Gulu and Lia kireka for Kamapala but will benefit a couple of schools and tudents as well.

How do you think about it?

Comment 16 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Thank you very much robert, i think your suggestion is one of our goals i.e to make reading materials easily acessible to every students in uganda. In fact it will work well given the situation there. Thanks

Comment 17 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Tha is so good, We shall here more from you

Comment 18 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

yea Robert we shall meet and talk more.

Comment 19 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hello Kasinja and Robert i have been reading through what both of you have been discussing about. Yes its true what Robert is saying between the two centers. So do not for get to inform me about your meeting together because it will be of a big impact to all of us. Thanks for both of you.

Comment 20 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

It is fine jesca, we shall inform you too, because we need to come up with good ideas.

Comment 21 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Hey members we are working on the constitution in order to register our organisation.

Comment 22 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

The constitution is ready, any body interested to look through it may provide us with the email adress. Thank you

Comment 23 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

We are soon getting done with the project proposal too.

Comment 24 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

I am becoming very interested in www.curriki.org which apparently seeks to end pricy textbooks by open sourcing typical classroom content - anyone else already studying this or related initiatives

Comment 25 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Am just having a question is there any of you knowing any NGO about Trauma therapy, trauma counseling? in Uganda

Comment 26 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Fred, you might check out the SWAY project for starters. They might be able to direct you if they are not doing that kind of work.

Comment 27 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

And if Linda's excellent suggestion doesn't work for any reason, the answer could lie in Googling:

Aid Workers Network was trying to find answers to Kayiwa's question 18 months ago. And here is some pictorial evidence of a training course in Kampala and some verbal evidence that trauma counselling was provided in Northern Uganda by Noah's Ark (Funded by Tearfund). An academic discussion of the issues is to be found here.

Apparently, there's trauma counselling in some Ugandan schools and some Church groups, for example Agape Global Missions. appear to be providing just what you are looking for. There's also a programme that came about as a direct result of a jazz concert.

But note, not everyone thinks trauma counselling is such a good idea!

That's based on just the first page of about 2,500 pages of results from Googling "trauma" + "counselling" + "Uganda".

On Onet, some of us set up a Search Assistance thread to answer questions like the one posed by Kayiwa Fred. We did so, because although Africans are just as capable as anyone else of conducting a Google search, the problems of internet connectivity outside the world's most developed countries often render searches difficult. In Africa, for example, (and in other locations in other developing countries too), there are difficultes due both to the cost involved and to the issue of access / continuity of internet connection.

For those of us with constant access to broadband, however, google searches are no problem.

So if searches are not so easy for you, please ask one of us lucky ones to search for you. It's always such fun!

edited to correct one of the links

Comment 28 on BOOK PROJECT FOR POOR STUDENTS IN UGANDA

Kayiwa, as usual I'm here with bits of slightly off topic links. I don't have a good link directly to your question.

The first is a link to a report about PTSD and depression among displaced people from northern Uganda.

PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Something that happens is long after a trauma difficulties in living come up for some people--that's the post part.

When I entered college many returning veterans from the war in Vietnam were returning to college too. I was active in the YMCA at my university and the office right next to the Y was the Veteran's Affairs office. At that time people didn't have good strategies about helping people who were developing problems well after the trauma they received.

It's a funny thing. Partly I think because of my brief exposure to Veterans having trouble at university, and one of the active Veterans at the YMCA committing suicide, I paid a little attention to this issue. But through the years I've also gotten to know what a sore subject PTSD is among veterans. There are strong inhibitions, at least here in the USA, for people to admit problems like this. Many veterans who somehow were able on their own to sort out their traumatic experiences often don't want to hear about others who aren't able to sort out these experiences on their own.

Back when I was in school, like I said people really didn't know how to deal with people with PTSD. So one of the things the Veterans tried was essentially just talking, what we called rap groups. These helped a little...maybe.

Rape and other violent crimes can lead to PTSD and depression.

I think the point I want to make is that counseling, especially trauma counseling, is something to be done with care and training. Here in the USA rape crisis centers often depend on volunteers. So there is some training that doesn't take a really long time to help volunteers deal with people who have suffered trauma. But the really effective treatments need really well trained counselors.

My second link is a long article about using computer simulation games to help veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD. It's an interesting article from the computer angle. But I also I came away from reading it really being reminded how important it is that very well trained counselors take the lead in helping people who have suffered a trauma.

If you are wondering about ways for regular people to help people who have suffered trauma, searching out information about rape crisis centers may be of help. Some of the issues involved might need a little translation to other types of trauma. But that's one area where work has been don to help regular people help.

The issues for a broken spirit are as difficult as those for a broken body. Few people would attempt to set a broken bone, but just because we all feel, more people are willing to try to help with a broken spirit. Pain is pain, and it's a really good idea to have gain some knowledge in the ways to be helpful to people who have suffered trauma.