Last Day of Training with Part of the Group. They are awesome!

BYU Hawaii is an amazing place.  It is the smallest of the 3 BYU campuses, with less than 3,000 students enrolled each semester.  I believe they have the most diverse student body of any university in America.  Over 70 countries are represented, including all of the Pacific Island countries, most Asian countries, much of Africa, Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East.  It is a unique experience to be on the BYU Hawaii campus and see students from all around the world interacting, studying, having fun, and helping each other.

Winnett, from Zimbabwe, practicing with Xu from China and Natalia from the US

Twice I have given a campus-wide devotional at BYU Hawaii.  Both times, after I finished speaking, a long line of students formed to talk to me.  Both times, most of the students asked if I could bring the SMF program to their country, where it was desperately needed.

I have to admit that after 12 years of doing this, I thought SMF would be in more countries than 3.  But we have been having a really rough time of fund raising for the last few years.  Our donations are down so much that we’ve had to scale back what we can do, and we even had to put our N Ireland program on hiatus until this year.

Nilo, from the Philippines, practicing teaching notes

BYU Hawaii has a peace-building certificate that you can earn in addition to your major.  It is run by Chad Ford, who gets the students to reach out to needy communities of Hawaii with service, and prepares them to return home to their countries after graduation as peace-builders.

So after the last time I spoke, Chad asked if I would be willing to return to BYU Hawaii to teach his students how to teach my program.  I kept thinking about this and realized this was an amazing opportunity to offer SMF training to the BYU Hawaii students, especially those from countries who had experienced war or extreme violence.

I emailed the students from Congo, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Iran, Philippines, Uganda and all the countries I identified as places that need our program.  I told these students that I was going to offer a week of free training and that if they stayed with the program and continued to do training with me when I returned every 6 months, when they graduated I would give them instruments and music to take home so they could start a SMF program in their home country.

Practicing Conducting the Class: Amanda (US), Nilo and Hadji (Philippines), Andressa (Brazil), Alex (US) and Rahei (Tahiti)

I had 55 students sign up, from many countries and all continents.  It was a rough schedule and required a lot of time in one week.  By the end of the week, 38 students remained.  They were AMAZING.  They learned to read music, write music, play the pennywhistle, conduct music, and started learning how to teach music.  They practiced and worked really hard.  Now they are continuing to meet once per week to practice playing and teaching together.

Joseph, from Uganda, practicing teaching notes

This group will continue to work together until they graduate from BYU Hawaii.  At that time, those students from war-affected countries will return home and set up SMF programs, accompanied  by students who are not from war-affected countries.  One of our group is from Congo so we’ve selected his home country as our first goal for this group.   In addition, we are planning to go to  Zimbabwe, the Philippines, and many more countries that need SMF.

And next summer, 10 of these students will come to Kosovo for 6 weeks as Student Interns through BYU Hawaii.  This will prepare them for running programs in their countries in ways that I can’t do in a US setting.  And it will be so fun for our Kosovo children and Youth Volunteers to work with these students.

Every week I get reports from the group on how they are doing, and it sounds like it’s going really well.  I can’t wait to return in January to give them the second part of the training and to start another group of new students!

This is the email I wrote from Kosovo the week of the 9/11 attacks.  It’s about what it was like to be in Kosovo during that time.

Everyone in Gjakove Came Together to Show Support for the US after the 9/11 Attacks

Written the week of 9/11/01:

We are 6 hours ahead of New York.  Because our electricity is sporadic–turned on for a few hours and then off so it can be turned on in other areas–the people of Kosova found out at different times what was happening in the US.   I was contacted immediately after the first incident by Mary Youngblood, who called me from Atlanta and continued to call me as events unfolded.  An hour later, as electricity began working in some nearby areas, a local family who had just turned on their television and learned of what was happening called me.  They asked me to come their home so I could watch the BBC which was broadcasting the events in the US.  Because the broadcast was in English, they couldn’t understand most of it, but they were gathered around the television watching and learning what they could.   When I arrived they were all close to tears.  They put me next to the television and spoke to each other in low tones so that I could hear everything.   They kept repeating, “this is so terrible”, “how could anyone do this?” “I feel so awful”, “how could this happen?”, “Liz, I am so sorry”.  As with most of you, I was in a state of shock, so it was good to be with close friends.

Kosovar Soldiers Waiting to Participate in Parade Showing Support for USA

In the meantime, throughout the evening, as other Albanian families learned of what was happening, they called me on the telephone, and when I didn’t answer they came to my home to try to contact me.  I didn’t find out about this until days later, because I stayed with my friends until it was late, but there were many people who were worried about me and trying to find me that night.  They didn’t want me to be alone.  And they wanted to be sure that I knew everything that it was possible to know at that point.  They knew all too well what it is like to be afraid and worried about your country, your family and friends, not understanding what is happening or why people are doing what they are doing, and not to be able to find out if people you love are still alive.  For the first time I had a glimpse of what they lived through for so many years.

That night, as people throughout Kosova learned of what had happened, they took to the streets.  The BBC had broadcast not only what had happened in America, but the reactions of the people in countries who were rejoicing at America’s tragedy.  I think that the Kosovars were almost as upset about the rejoicing in these other countries as they were about what had happened in America.  So the Albanians began holding demonstrations, in every city throughout Kosova, to show their support and love for America, and their denunciation of terrorism.  All week long, day and night, these demonstrations were held.  During the day people walked carrying American flags.  At night people walked carrying candles.  Or sat, holding silent vigils.  On Friday, a national day of mourning was declared.  All concerts, parties (including weddings) were cancelled.  Discos were closed.  The radio stations played nothing but classical music.  American flags were flown everywhere.  And that night, a music video was broadcast, to the song “God Bless the USA”, which showed all of the demonstrations throughout Kosova.  I cried as I watched all of these expressions of love by so many people, old women and young children, former soldiers, teenagers, university students and old men, people of all ages and in so many different situations, coming together in their cities, towns and villages to show support and love for the US.

In Pristine, the capital city, posters saying “We’re with you, USA” are everywhere.

These pictures are from the main demonstration in Gjakove.

And every day, people that I don’t even know come to me and tell me how sorry they are about what happened.  The most common statement is “We feel your pain as if it was our own; America is our brother.  We love America so much, because America saved us.”

Kindergarten Classes Marching in Parade to Show Support for US

As for me, my emotions remain close to the surface, and I am constantly battling tears when people come to me to express their love and sorrow over what has happened.  It is difficult to be so far from home right now, and yet I cannot imagine being in a place where I would be more surrounded by love.  And concern.  But I feel the need to express myself to other Americans.

So now, if I may, I offer some final words to you in the style of what I teach the children here, children who have witnessed such horrible acts of violence perpetrated against themselves, their families, their towns, and their country:

We must do what is right, but we must do it because it is right, not because of hatred.  Once we allow ourselves to hate it is very difficult to stop.  Living in a country devastated by a war which was made possible only by men learning to hate each other, I have come to see that the final devastation is not economic; it is not physical; the final devastation is in the hearts of the people, which, beginning with fear, grew cold in hatred, and now have no ability to trust.

We must not let this happen to us.  We must not allow our fear to grow into hatred.  Because in so doing we destroy ourselves.  And each other.  And our future.

The battle over anger is an individual one.

With love,

Liz Shropshire

Dear friends:

Kosovo Kindergarten Children Joining Marches Throughout Kosovo to Show Support for the US after 9/11

In the coming week, our country will observe the tenth anniversary of the devastating September 11 attacks. We will be asked to relive the terrifying feelings of that day and to remember those who lost their lives and the sense of security our nation lost as well.

As you remember and reflect, I hope you will remember as well the many, many children around the world who have witnessed and survived horrific attacks on their homes and families. And I hope you will consider honoring the tenth anniversary of 9/11 by making a donation to the Shropshire Music Foundation.

The lessons we teach our children are the same lessons 9/11 taught America: that while we cannot always prevent tragedy we can choose how to respond to it–hopefully with dignity, courage, and honor.

We teach our children that the real devastation of war is not physical or economic; it happens when fear and hatred overtake the hearts of the people. Music can teach children that the path of peace is where happiness and security lies. Weapons do not equal power and safety, and violence is not the answer to problems. Our goal is for our children to become instruments of peace.

We need you to help us spread this message. Please honor the hope of peace this 9/11 by signing up as a monthly donor or making a donation.

With much love,

Liz

You know you’re doing something right when a fierce team of international heavy metal divas offers to record a benefit album for you.
That’s how we at Shropshire Music Foundation feel about the incredible generosity of the band Eve’s Apple, a collaborative effort of female heavy metal musicians from twelve countries, which has recorded an album, Siren’s Garden, with all proceeds going to support our free humanitarian music programs for war-traumatized kids around the world.  They’re also getting the word out about SMF with press releases in each of their home countries.

Read more about the Eve’s Apple compilation, and purchase the album on iTunes here.
Shropshire Music Foundation is thrilled that the generosity of Eve’s Apple will put music in the lives of children in the world’s war zones.  Like the women of Eve’s Apple, we know that music can profoundly change lives and the world.  We hope you will support of their new album!
This album will help us put pennywhistles, harmonicas, and drums directly into the hands of impoverished and war-impacted kids in Uganda, Kosovo, and Northern Ireland.  A giant rock-n-roll thank you to the women of Eve’s Apple and their fans worldwide!

Pabo Camp "Streetchild" Playing Pennywhistle, March 2011

April 18: Last week was the last week of the first term for Schools in Uganda, and the Secondary School (High School) students were “in for their final paper”, which means that they were taking their final exams.  Now they will have a one-month break and then begin “mid-term”, which will last three months, and then after another month break they will begin their third (and final) term of the year, which ends in December.

The primary schools ended classes one week early because they spend the last week of the term traveling to compete with other primary schools in the area.

Gulu Central High School Pennywhistle Class, April 2011

I have been working with the Gulu Central Secondary School, teaching there 2 times each week even during finals, and going to the Pabo IDP Camp 2 times each week, but from this Monday until I leave Gulu, I will be going to Pabo 3 times each week so I can work more with the street kids and try to start them on the Pennywhistle before I go and then Cambel will continue teaching them after I leave.

Police Patrol in Gulu, April 2011

Last Thursday as I went to teach at Gulu Central, I saw many people gathering and then Police passing by, but I had no idea what was going on, so I went to the school and taught the classes there as usual. On my way back I couldn’t find a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) to take me to where I am staying, so I started walking until I saw the crowd and I started asking people what was going on.  They told me that they were in riots. I had to pass by the police station and the main street to get back to my place, so I just kept walking and the air became very strong to breathe because it was full of tear gas and the burning of used tires. Tears starting coming out of my eyes and I could help it so I rushed to get back.  The closer I got the harder it was to breathe and more people were running scared and police were chasing them away in a very brutal way.

"Jojo's Palace", a Few Days Later

After I reached the place where I am staying, (called “Jojo’s Palace) I saw that they were closed already and I had to use the back gate to enter, and as I entered in I saw many people hiding.  They told me that Norbert Mao (Gulu Chairman and former presidential candidate) brought the “Walk to Work” Protest that is happening in other parts of Uganda here to Gulu and the Police arrested him for that, so people were not happy and protested.

Our Bullet Hole

The police were using real bullets to scare people.  One bullet entered into the place where I am staying and broke a window. We found the bullet and saw that it was not a rubber bullet but a real bullet. The riots went on till very late– I could still hear the gunshots and a lot of smoke was coming inside for a long time.

The next day I was supposed to go to the Pabo IDP camp, which takes about 2 hours to get to because of the condition of the road, so I woke up early in the morning and went outside. I saw lots of soldiers and the police still arresting people but it was peaceful morning, so around mid-day I left to go to Pabo and teach there.  Half way to the camp the road was blocked. People have been requesting that the government fix the road because it is the road going to Sudan and lots of heavy vehicles use it and it is a VERY bad road, and a lot of people have been getting sick and food was going bad because the dust is so thick that you can’t see anything, and it gets into everyone’s food and water.  Since the government didn’t respond, the people blocked the road and we had to go back to Gulu and find another way to go to Pabo.

Pabo "Street Kids" Singing Class. They were excited to show me how they remembered the words to our songs

When we finally did reach Pabo, I had a very nice class with the street kids and this time 3 old women came and were sitting not far from us, because we did our class outside, and after I finished they talked to Cambel and told him to make sure he tells them anytime I come, because they like the music and also want to see their kids have fun.  They even promised that next Friday there will be many of them around camp to attend the music classes together with the kids.

After I came back to Gulu the town was still calm and no protests were going on, but the whole town was sad because 4 civilians had died in the protest and also one policeman died in a nearby village trying to stop people from blocking the Sudan road.

More protests are announced for Monday and Thursday, and specifically they are threatening to burn the power transformers if the electricity doesn’t come back, but on Sunday we had electricity all day, and on Monday it went off for very short time and came back and hasn’t gone off again.

[note from Liz:  This is late because the riots got worse and Burim wasn't able to send these pictures.  We decided to bring him home early for safety reasons.  Burim's next blog will be about leaving so quickly and unexpectedly.]

Pabo Camp Girl on Pennywhistle, March 2011

Last week it was hard living in Gulu.  The electricity was off for most of the week.  It stayed off 5 days straight, came back for 10 hours, and then went off again for almost 24 hours.  Since then we have not had any electricity from 6am until 11pm.

But at least we have electricity at night so I can charge my laptop, phones and sleep with the fan on.

Magada Helping with Pennywhistle Class, Gulu Central High School, Ap 2011

During the 5 days of no electricity at all, it was hard to find a good place to eat and not get sick, and I was very careful about that, but in the end I got a stomach problem anyway.  It could be from the stress of getting  sick and worrying a lot about food, though.  I am now doing ok, and classes have been going on as usual.

The only classes I didn’t teach last week were the Primary Schools (K-8).  The Primary Schools were off the whole week because they were at athletic competitions. I went and saw some of the competitions.

I still got to teach at Gulu Central High School and gave more pennywhistles to more students, and classes are going very well in this school. I went there on Tuesday and Thursday and both days I was there for 90 minutes of teaching.  We have 50 students and all are practicing and working so hard in the music class.

Youth Volunteers Irene (front) and Magada Helping Teach Pennywhistle Class, Gulu Central High School, April 2011

Soon Gulu Central will be starting their final exams for this term and I will not be able to do much with them, so they are working very hard to benefit more, and even during the exams they all promised that will still attend the music classes. I am having so much fun teaching in this school.  The students are so committed to the program and are loving their pennywhistles. Our classes are the first time they have ever been able to attend music lessons and learn to play an instrument.

Youth Volunteers Isaac (front) and Magada Helping Teach Pennywhistle Class at Gulu Central, April 2011

Many of these Gulu Central students have already asked me what they need to do to register as a Youth Volunteer and be able to do more and be like the three Youth Volunteers I have helping in this school. All the students think that these volunteers are now the coolest people they know, and they all want to be like them.  So I told them that if they stay with the program and do good, then I will make them a volunteer soon.

Pabo Street Kids Singing Class, April, 2011

I also got to go to the Pabo IDP Camp and meet with the street kids.  Cambel was in Gulu with his daughter who was admitted to the hospital here, and the older Pabo kids were gone for the athletic competition.  But I went to the camp anyway and met with mostly younger children who do not speak English. We did some singing together, first songs that they know already and  then I taught them new songs.  They all had fun and laughed at me singing in the Acholi language or trying to teach them a song in Acholi. After the singing we went outside and played games together till we were all tired and ready to go home. The kids were talking to me after that but I had no idea what they were saying. They all tried to explain what they were saying to me but it didn’t work, and then as we were walking I saw the driver waiting for me to take me back to Gulu, so I asked him to translate for me, and he said that they were asking me 2 things

1.     Teach us to speak English

2.     Are we going to play more games next time?

Pabo Street Kids, April 2011

So I told them YES we will be playing more games for sure and I told them that the teacher in the school will probably do a better job of teaching them English and since they are young they can go to school, they said OK and smiled back at me.

I feel very bad for not having a better answer for them and I thought about that a lot, but even now as I am writing this blog, I still don’t have a better answer to them, and I still think that they need to go to school and learn not only English but so much more.

I asked a social worker why they are not in school and was told that because the war lasted so long many people lost interest in school.  And most of these children live with their grandmothers because their mothers (who were very young when they became mothers) have moved to town where they can try to find work and get married.

Pennywhistle Student at Gulu Central High School, April 2011

[From Liz—this blog is late because Burim didn’t have electricity for 5 days.  So this week we will try to post 2 blogs.]

Last week I took a 4-day break—my first since coming to Uganda in February.   Liz told me to take a break every month while in Uganda, but this trip has been so busy and there has been so much work to do that I’ve felt that I couldn’t take time off.  But last week she told me I really need to take a break, so I traveled to Kampala and Entebbe to relax for 4 days and see more of Uganda.  I also needed to meet with a local Ugandan NGO, Child2Youth, who is interested in a possible partnership with us.  So I was away for most of the week and the Youth Volunteers taught our classes without me.

Magada Giving Pennywhistle Bags to New Pennywhistle Students, April 2011

It was good for the Youth Volunteers to see what it is like to be in charge and not have me around.  They teach when I am there with them, but of course it is different for them to teach by themselves.  And it is good for the volunteers to teach by themselves because they will continue teaching on their own after I leave Uganda.

Isaac Helping New Pennywhistle Students, Gulu Central High School, April 2011

I made sure they had their lesson plans and teaching material prepared and everything they needed before I left.  When I came back, they reported that everything had gone well while I was gone and they felt good teaching.  The Volunteers felt that the students respected them more than before, because the students knew who was in charge that day, and felt more confident asking questions not just about music but also about the program– like who we are and what we do, how long the program will be in Uganda, and more–and the volunteers were able to answer the questions and be the people who will really run the whole program.

The whole program in Uganda is going very well right now and our future is very promising. I am sure that our programs will continue to grow and be better, even after I leave.

Pabo Primary School Choir Director George Teaching Pennywhistle, March 2011

In my previous trips to Uganda, every time I returned to Kosovo the Uganda program would fall apart and then when I came back I had to start all over from the beginning.  This time it is going to be different because the Youth Volunteers are teaching with me now, and the students know that the Youth Volunteers will be the ones teaching and leading the program after I leave.  This is a summary of how things will run at each of the locations where we have programs–Pabo IDP Camp; Gulu Central High School; Holy Rosary Primary School; GUSCO; and Volunteer Training—after I return to Kosovo.

Cambel (in front), Burim, and Volunteers with Pabo "Dropouts" Class, Feb. 2011

At the Pabo IDP Camp, we teach three different groups.  First is the Pabo Primary School (students age 7-14), where the choir director George has agreed to teach our classes after I am gone.  He is a very good musician and a good teacher.  I train him every time I go to the camp and he has been teaching with me and is doing good.

We teach two other groups at Pabo.  They are known at the camp as “Street Kids” (children who are not able to go to school) and “Dropouts” (teenagers who have never attended school).  Cambel, an Adult Volunteer who has been coordinating all of our programs at Pabo, will continue teaching these two groups after I leave.  Campel has never had any music education before but he has been in training with me every week since I arrived and I can see that he is a good teacher and will do a good job after I leave.

Magada with Gulu Central High School Pennywhistle Students, April 2011

Three of our Youth Volunteers—Magada, Irene, and Isaac—are students at Gulu Central High School, and they will run our classes there after I leave.  Isaac is a new volunteer and not ready to teach yet, but he is very good at organizing things and he will make sure the students will be there and he will be the contact person between us and the school administration. Magada and Irene are both old volunteers and good teachers, they play instruments and can also lead the singing classes, and I am sure the program will do good in this school.

Holy Rosary Primary School, April 2011

At Holy Rosary Primary (Elementary) School, Otto Ball, who is 25 and one of the oldest Youth Volunteers we have, will be in charge.  He was away for awhile because of his school, but he is back in Gulu now and has been coming for training with me and helping me teach at Holy Rosary.

GUSCO Singing Class, February 2011

Ocan Collins was one of the first students and the very first volunteer in our program here in Uganda.  He has been a big help to me since my return in February, and has been helping teach at the GUSCO Center for former child soldiers.  There is also a group leader at GUSCO who I have been training.  Collins will be in charge of our programs at GUSCO and this group leader will help Collins organize and teach if needed.

Irene Practice Teaching

Collins in Ukulele Training

Collins and Irene will be in charge of the Youth Volunteer training after I leave.  They will make sure the Volunteers meet and practice together every week so they can help each other become better teachers and musicians.

Pabo Camp Kids, 2009

This last week the schools in Gulu were all preparing for Parents’ Day on Saturday so I didn’t get to teach all my usual students at their regular times because most of them were involved in preparing different activities for the Parents’ Day.  I was invited to every rehearsal and at first I thought they wanted me to help them perform.  But after I arrived, I realized that I was there to watch and enjoy, although the head schoolteachers asked me to give opinions and ideas to make the activities better.  They had many planned many activities for Saturday, such as drama, local dance, debate, and even a bible study group, and all of this was required from the school administration board.

So I had more time than usual this week to teach our Youth Volunteers and see how much they have improved.  I talked to them during the training and asked if they thought they has improved much since I had arrived.  We talked about the first training sessions we had when I arrived in February, and how they kept forgetting their instruments and having trouble playing the songs or changing chords, and how now they do not have any of these problems and can’t wait to come to training to show me how well they can play.

Volunteers Goofing Around After Training, 2011

They said that getting better on their instruments also gave them the desire to play for others too, like friends and family, which they are doing now but hadn’t been doing before.  And that now they think their friends like them better because they are more fun when they bring an instrument and play and entertain friends and themselves.

Volunteers Practice-Teaching, 2009

I don’t think I have taught them very much, because we only meet one time a week as a group, and then each volunteer has at least one hour a week of individual training, and the rest of our meetings are on teaching technique and lesson plan writing for the classes we teach together.  So I need to meet with them so much more because there is a lot they still need to learn.

But, all it took was getting them into the habit of practicing and playing music together, and now they are getting all the benefits of the music, the benefits of feeling good about themselves, feeling important and proud of what they can do, feeling happy and very confident, and believing in themselves.

Colins Teaching at Pabo IDP Camp, 2011

I just love seeing them play, sing, and teach. Every week we write lesson plans together for our classes and then I watch them teaching, and they are doing a very good job.  Many times they bring something into teaching that I have never thought of before, and the next time I teach I practice doing that myself and it always works.  So not only are they are learning from me, but I am also learning a lot from them, and I am looking forward to learning from each other even more.

Magada Helping Burim Teach Pennywhistle At Pabo, 2011

I have no doubts that our group of Youth Volunteers in Uganda will be able to lead the program and run all the classes and training on their own soon.  I have even started feeling like I do in Kosovo, where we just assign a Youth Volunteer to a class to teach and never worry because we know they will do a great job.

I think this is one of the most important achievements that I was looking forward to on this trip.   And I feel like it has been so great to be here and see this happening.  Thank you to all of  SMF  and to everyone who helped me come here and be able to do this.

Girl Playing Pennywhistle for First Time, Pabo Camp, March 2011

This week I gave 40 pennywhistles to the Primary School students living in the Pabo IDP Camp.  They are age 8-17.  The kids were so excited to receive the pennywhistle and to know that it is their own personal instrument.

Girls Learning Pennywhistle Fingering, Pabo Camp, March 2011

When I told them they get to keep it forever and I wasn’t going to take from them they all smiled and now they feel so good because they own something.

Pabo School Choir Director Teaching Pennywhistle Fingering, March 2011

Before the class I met with the choir director and gave him training on how to hold and play the pennywhistle and also how we teach the kids and then he helped a lot during the class.  The choir director will continue teaching the pennywhistle to these children after I leave Uganda, so they will get to continue learning.

Magada, one of our Ugandan Youth Volunteers, came to Pabo with me, so he and I taught the children how to hold their pennywhistles, and did some practicing and playing together. Magada did a very good job in helping the students individually learn how to place their fingers and how to make it sound good.

Youth Volunteer Magada Helping Pennywhistle Students, Pabo, March 2011

Part of Pennywhistle Class, Pabo Camp, March 2011

On Tuesday I went to Gulu Central High School to announce our program to the students and invite them to participate.  This school has officially made our program a part of their school program for any students who want to join.  I met with the Deputy Head Teacher and he called the teacher who will be in charge of our program in their school.  After a short meeting the three of us went to every classroom to announce the music program, and in every class we entered the students were excited and said that they want to join.

Burim Teaching Pennywhistle Class, Pabo, March 2011

Now that the school’s Board of Directors has approved our program and the school is helping a lot, we will have many students to teach and later to train to be Youth Volunteers.  Our classes will meet every Tuesday and Thursday, and I can’t wait to go back there.  After I leave Uganda, Magada, who is a student at Gulu Central, is going to continue teaching our program there.

Youth Volunteer Collins Wearing New Glasses, March 2011

Two weeks ago I took the Uganda Youth Volunteers to an Eye Clinic to get their eyes checked.  Pete Korpi, an Eye Doctor from Muscatine, Iowa, who has come to Kosovo twice to do eye exams and give prescription glasses to all of our students, Youth Volunteers, School Teachers and Cleaners, and Youth Volunteer families, said that if any of our Ugandan Youth Volunteers needed glasses, he would make and send them to us with an American woman Liz knew who was coming to Gulu.  After the exams, only one of the Youth Volunteers, Collins, needed prescription glasses.

Collins Looking Very Cool with Glasses on Pocket

The night that the glasses arrived I called Collins to tell him.  The next morning he arrived very early to get them. He said he couldn’t wait. When he saw the glasses, he put them on and was SO happy.  With a big smile on his face, Collins said, “I never actually thought that someone was going to send me glasses all the way from America.”

Youth Volunteers Teaching Singing Class at Pabo, June 2009

It is so fun teaching together with these youth volunteers. We meet together one day before we are going to teach. We write the lesson plans together and practice to make sure we know the songs that we are going to teach really well.  I am loving it and they are also having fun.  They are becoming amazing teachers and it’s really great having the opportunity to watch them improve and see how confident they are in teaching now.

Youth Volunteers with Burim, March 2011

This last week was kind of slow.  Monday and Tuesday, March 7 and 8, were both public holidays. Monday was election day for the youth MP’s and Tuesday was International Women’s Day, and schools were closed both days.  So I spent all day Monday with the Youth Volunteers, doing training, playing music for fun, taking pictures, and getting to know each other better.

Ugandan Youth Volunteers Isaac, Magada, Irene, Mercy, and Collins, March 2011

Nine Volunteers had said they would be there, but only five came.  The others contacted me and said they had work to do or health problems.  Even though there were only 5– Isaac, Magada, Irene, Mercy and Collins–we still had fun.  We started with singing songs and playing instruments outside, and the kids and adults who were near us came to listen to us and thought it was very cool that we did that.

Goofing Around, March 2011

We have never had a day like this in Uganda before, so it was very good for the volunteers to spend a day differently than they usually do.  These teenagers are amazing. They are growing up being very responsible. They don’t drink or smoke, (and drinking is a big problem here in Uganda–I see young  boys and girls they drinking a lot, day and night, but our youth volunteers don’t) and they also help their families work on their farms or do various jobs to get money to pay their school fees.  They all love our program and are very happy to be part of SMF.

Ojak Isaac, 2011

We have a new Youth Volunteer in the program.  His name is Ojok Isaac, and the other volunteers welcomed him and were so good to him that he was very surprised.  You can see in all the pictures he looks like he has known them for a long time.  Isaac was a student in our program at Gulu Central High School.  He is 18 and still has 2 years to finish High School.

Irene in Action at Pabo Camp, June 2009

Irene is one of our best volunteers in Uganda.  Her mother lives in Gulu but her father lives in Kitgum (2 hours from Gulu).  Irene used to live with her mother, but she’s been staying with her father lately because her mother could not pay for her school and the father is the one paying.  Even though she is now living in Kitgum, Irene comes to Gulu very often now that I am back and she helps a lot.

Mercy, March 2011

Mercy goes to school in Gulu and she lives at the school.  She has one day of the 3-month school term for her family and relatives to go and visit her, but she is able to leave the school after lessons finish to come for her training with SMF.  Mercy lives with her mother when she is not in school.

Magada Collins, 2011

Magada also goes to school in Gulu. He is from another district but his father is a police officer and he has been transferred to Gulu.  Magada doesn’t have his mother living with him, only his father who is not home most of the time. Magada is now staying home because he did not pay all of his school fees yet and the teacher sent him home. His father has been sending money to his other son who is in University, and now is working very hard to get the money so Magada can go back to school soon.

The First Time Burim and I Saw Collins Teaching, November 2007

Collins was the first student in our program and he is now the oldest.  He is working part time as a plumber and still looking for a full time job, and even though he is working, he is always willing to help the program to make it better.  Collins teaches, he translates and he comes for his training.

On Tuesday I met again with the volunteers, but this day they came for their individual training, and it was very good because they kept me busy.

Collins Trying to Play Pennywhistle and Ukulele at the Same Time

Gulu Central High School wants me to go to their school and make an announcement in each class so that more students will join.  I will be going there next Tuesday to do this.

Pabo IDP Camp was also good this week. I went there early and I stayed there longer, to make sure I could meet with all the groups, and since we are adding one more group out there I needed to make sure we have the schedule all together and we understand what time each group has to come.

Hanging Out, March 2011

We taught the kids one of our songs but in their language—Acholi–and they loved it and thought it was so funny to have a “muzungu” (what the Ugandans call a white person) teaching them a song in a local language.

The Primary (elementary) School kids were very interested in learning the notes and songs too, and they are learning so fast that I am going to give them their pennywhistles next Friday.  I think I will be able to do a lot of good music with them very soon,