News
The Meaningful Volunteer school is situated on the side of Mt. Elgon in Eastern Uganda. As a result, any type of outside activity can be very difficult for the children who attend the school.
Thanks to a community effort and funds from Meaningful Volunteer, the children now have a flat area of land to play on.
Check out some pictures of the playground below
Construction of a new playground at Meaningful Volunteer's solar powered school has begun.
Physical activities were proving difficult for the children in the single-room school, so Teacher Esther requested a playground for the children.
The solar powered school was built in conjunction with the School for Andy movement
Pauline Gift - a student in Buyaya, Uganda - recently got sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Pauline was very grateful and insisted that Esther (Meaningful Volunteer's district manager) sent these photos through.
If you are interested in sponsoring a child in Uganda, please contact us
Meaningful Volunteer is delighted to announce that a new solar powered school is scheduled to be built in Nepal in 2013. The school will continue to legacy of Andy Manly who died tragically in a house explosion.
The money to build the school came from a generous grant to Meaningful Volunteer from the Manly family. We are excited to be building the school, impacting the lives of underprivileged Nepalese, and remembering Andy Manly.
In early November, Malcolm Trevena, representatives of the Manly family, and several other individuals will walk to the base camp of Mt. Everest to:
Anybody is welcome to come along for the trek. Please send requests to nepal@meaningfulvolunteer.org.
At the conclusion of the trek, Meaningful Volunteer staff will scout around areas of Nepal to find the ideal place for the school, much like we did in Uganda. See here and here for what we did in Uganda.
As usual we will be targeting an are with the following properties:
Meaningful Volunteer is excited to be expanding our network of solar powered schools and remembering Andy Manly.
A new place for volunteers to stay in Buyaya is on the way.
The existing guest house has suffered some structural damage after the cumulative effects of torrential rain and poor initial construction.
The new location is very close to the existing compound.
Pictures will be made when available.
12 Aug 2012
Q Drums have arrived in Buyaya.
Thanks to the support of an anonymous donor, two Q Drums have arrived in Buyaya, Uganda.
What are Q Drums?
A Q Drum is a device designed to ease the physical burden and reduce the time spent collecting water; thus ultimately improving the lives and well-being of the people in Buyaya.
See below for more pictures of the Q Drum in action
The third-graders at West Middleton held a market from April 10-13 to raise money for School for Andy - a solar powered school built by Meaningful Volunteer in Uganda. Among the items they sold were bookmarks, painted fans and jewelry. They raised a little more than $1,700.
All three third-grade teachers, Sammy Newburg, Diane Boles and Beth Marty, along with student teacher Nikki Clinger collaborated on the project.
“We didn’t know what to expect,’’ said Newburg, who did her student teaching at West Middleton and is in her third year there. “We thought we’d be lucky to end up with $100 or $200. We blew that out of the water on the first day.’’
The project tied in nicely with the district’s new social studies curriculum, which included a unit on the economy, Newburg said. The students looked at different kinds of markets, products, producers, consumers and profit. They advertised by posting signs throughout the school and reading ads on the morning announcements. They also handled the cash registers.
Other classes signed up in advance or came in during free times.
“It’s been a very busy week,’’ Newburg said. “A pretty big portion of the school stopped in.’’
The third-graders didn’t just benefit in social studies. The market project also provided language arts and math lessons.
“We thought it would be important for our students to have a first-hand look at how an economy works,’’ Newburg said. “It’s been a great experience for everyone.”
The students made the products just before spring break. They also priced the products. Tables were stocked with items throughout the week, although by Friday afternoon many of the tables were bare.
“Now it’s everything must go,’’ Newburg said.
All of the profits will go to the School for Andy, a solar-powered school in Buyaya, Uganda. The school was built as a memorial to Andy Manley, who died in a Sun Prairie house explosion in 2010. Manley was in Newburg’s teaching cohort at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“It feels great to do something for him,’’ Newburg said.
Newburg also thinks there is real value in students from the West Middleton community reaching out to those in need.
“It’s good for our students to learn what it really means to help others,’’ she said.
Newburg, Boles and Marty hope to make the market project a tradition.
More photos of the event below
Source: http://www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/news/west-middleton-market-offers-lots-lessons
Meaningful Volunteer's volunteer coordinator - the very awesome Meran Rogers - is undertaking the Swim for Diabetes in Cleveland to help combat this horrible disease.
You can help support her by following this link.
In Meran's own words:
Hello All!
Many of you know that every year I participate in the Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland's Swim for Diabetes event. This year will be no different! This cause is especially close to my heart since my mom has diabetes and this has greatly impacted her life - and so also greatly impacts my life too. If you or someone you know has diabetes, know that I understand and care!
Pool together for a good cause! I am writing to ask you to support my participation in my Swim for Diabetes on April 21, 2012, which will benefit the Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland. I hope you will support me in this important endeavor. Please visit my Web page if you would like to donate online or see how close I am to reaching my personal goal of $300. I plan to swim 1oo laps in about 60 minutes.
For more information about the Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland and the services it provides, please visit http://www.diabetespartnership.org/
Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland's annual SWIM FOR DIABETES draws people together from all over Northeast Ohio in a healthy activity for an important cause. Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland (formerly Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland) is a local and independent nonprofit organization providing life-long programs and services to children, adolescents, adults and seniors with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Greater Cleveland.
Thanks in advance for your support!
Well done Mimi!
Q Drums are coming to Buyaya, the small rural parish that Meaningful Volunteer serves in Eastern Uganda.
What is a Q Drum?
The Q Drum is a durable, donut-shaped plastic container which when full holds 50 litres of water. Its uniqueness lies in the design of the longitudinal shaft or central hole, through which a rope is tied, to pull or roll the drum along all terrain types.
Due to the linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) it is made from, the drum is also practically indestructible and has no removable handles or other metal attachments that could detract from the Q Drum's intended purpose if lost or broken.
The rope can be repaired on the spot or easily, if lost, be replaced by a leather thong, woven plant substance or any other appropriate material. The simplicity of the design ensures the ease of use.
Two of the drums are due to arrive in Buyaya in the not-too-distant-future! Pictures coming soon
The rain fed water system in Buyaya has been completed!
A big thanks to everyone at Brodhead Middle School and their Penny War that made this project a success.
This water system will provide valuable drinking water for students at the school during the dry season.
The rain fed water system is the latest addition to the School for Andy - a solar powered school in Eastern Uganda that was built as a memorial to Andy Manley who died tragically in a house explosion.
