Julien Arrives in Uganda

Note: The following is taken for Julien's blog. You can keep up to date with Julien's quest to reduce malaria rates by checking out his blog here.

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Mulembe,

I can already say that this experience is and will be quite exciting. Actually, I do not know where to start; I will try it in a chronological order. Also I will keep it short as the solar powered batteries at the school next to the village are critically low and my laptop will also run out of juice quite soon.

Yesterday morning I was picked up by Mary and her hired taxi at Entebbe backpackers. First of we had to drive to Kampala to buy the mosquito nets. What to say about Kampala? it is very very very crowded and traffic is a continuous jam, in the air is a smell of charcoal fire, diesel and tar. Every house entry is also a small shop and people are constantly bumping into each other while navigating through motorbikes, taxis and other cars.

Continue reading...

Simon Fraser Volunteer Fair

Meaningful Volunteer recently attended the Volunteer Fair at the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.

This was a great chance for us to connect with university students who form the backbone of our volunteer base.

If you would like to represent Meaningful Volunteer at your local Volunteer Fair, then please contact us at fair@meaningfulvolunteer.org

 

Preschool Partners: New Meaningful Volunteer Program

Meaningful Volunteer in conjunction with The Good Shepherd Daycare centre is pleased to announce the launch of a new program in Uganda called Preschool Partners.

Preschool Partners aims to match preschools in Canada and elsewhere with preschools in developing countries.

Initially the Good Shepherd Daycare centre will partner a soon-to-be-created daycare that will take place in Meaningful Volunteer's recently completed solar-powered school in Uganda.  The school was built as a memorial for Andy Manley who died tragically in a house explosion.

Malcolm Trevena - founder of Meaningful said, "We have already have computer literacy and our fair trade project Mama Pamba happening in the school, but the school is empty in the morning as older children are at school and adults are out farming to avoid the noon day heat

"The new Preschool Partners program is perfect as it allows us to make full use of the school throughout the day as well as giving children a critical boost before they start their schooling.

"From the census that we conducted, we learnt that practically no child under the age of 9 could even read a single letter.  We hope that Preschool Partners helps to solve this problem".

Joey Albert to be involved

Preschool partners is the brainchild of Megin Alvarez - cofounder of Meaningful Volunteer, and Joey Albert.

Joey Albert is a world renowned recording artist who made a name for herself when she won the Dream Girl Filipina contest in the Philippines.  Since then she has released over twenty albums to much critical success.  Joey Albert is also the director of the Good Shepherd Daycare centre.

Shared Resources

The Good Shepherd Daycare centre will be sharing its resources and curriculum with the daycare in Uganda.  Certain changes will be made to make it suitable for Uganda.

Volunteer Opportunities

International volunteers will have the opportunity to teach in the classes in Uganda under the supervision of Esther Nabukonda - Meaningful Volunteer's district manager.

For further enquires about this project please email us at: preschool@meaningfulvolunteer.org 

Further announcements about this program will be made through this site. 

Take a tour of our solar powered school

Have a look around our solar powered below.

You might also want to see how we constructed our school which is also below. 

Coffee Plantation in Uganda

Hot on the heels of the School for Andy Coffee being released, Meaningful Volunteer has started a coffee plantation in Uganda.

Spearheaded by Esther Nabuknode and Mary Wenyisa, Meaningful Volunteer has planted over 6,500 coffee seedlings.  Many members of the community helped plant the seedlings over the course of a month.

This is the start of a two year project by Meaningful Volunteer.  In two years, we should start to see high quality coffee being produced around Buyaya.  All profits from the project will be returned to the people of Buyaya.

Is the Rhythm Method Better Than Condoms?

Are there good reasons to be sceptical about the Rhythm Method?

Meaningful Volunteer actively promotes a method called SDM (Standard Days Method), which is very similar to the rhythm method.  

Might we be better off advocating for all forms of contraception in its programs in the Philippines, where abstinence and natural methods are preferred due to the religions norms?

This article featured on Slate advocates a sceptical approach to assessing the claims of the producers of the SDM method.

What do you think? 
 

School for Andy Coffee Released

Meaningful Volunteer and the School for Andy movement is delighted to announce the release of School for Andy coffee.

All proceeds of this coffee help to sustain School for Andy, a solar powered school in Eastern Uganda that provides English lessons and vocational projects to members of the community.

The coffee is produced by Just Coffee - a 100% fair trade fair trade coffee cooperative. Just Coffee is based in Madison, Wisconsin.  

School for Andy Coffee is the brainchild of Anne Eichmeyer and Melissa Wood.  Anneis Meaningful Volunteer's marketing manager. Both Anne and Melissa spent one month of their summer volunteering in Uganda to help complete a solar powered school.  

The solar school was made to honor Andy Manley who tragically died in a house explosion.

Contact us as coffee@meaningfulvolunteer.org to place an order. 

Students Sponsored in Uganda

Three students in the small rural parish of Buyaya in Eastern Uganda thanks to a number of volunteers.

The volunteers (who wish to remain anonymous) sponsored Jane, and siblings Junior and Esther to go secondary school.  All three students will be boarding at their respective schools.

Junior and Esther recently lost their father who worked as a policeman. Without the income from their father, Esther and Junior had to leave school due to the expensive school fees.  Both Esther and Junior are bright, intelligent young people.

Jane was forced to leave school due to ill health.  Getting back to school proved to be very difficult due to the fees.

Should you wish to sponsor a student, please email us at sponsor@meaningfulvolunteer.org

Follow Julien's Ugandan Blog as he takes on Malaria

Julien is a volunteer who is heading to Uganda to help tackle the epidemic of malaria in the small rural village of Buyaya.

Buyaya is especially plagued with malaria with 50% of the reported deaths attributed to malaria. 

He is volunteering through Meaningful Volunteer's Malaria Operation project.  He will be following a very detailed process to assure maximum effectiveness.

Julien is maintaining a blog about his time in Uganda.  Be sure to subscribe to his blog and leave encouraging comments!

Julien is also collecting donations to buy additional nets.  You can donate to Julien via this link.

International Souls Helping Ugandan Soles

Thanks to donations from many generous people, Meaningful Volunteer has successfully distributed more than 150 pairs of sandals to children in Buyaya, located in Eastern Uganda. 

Prior to the distribution, very few children wore any sort of foot protection. Sandals are especially important in Buyaya as the Trombiculidae mite (aka "Chiggers") can cause infections in the children as the mite bury their larvae in the children's feet.

You can donate to this cause by following this link.