Visitors from Uganda

I will be bringing guests from Uganda to the January 8th meeting.

 

This is a family that Carolyn and I met 16 years ago in Uganda as part of The Int'l Rotary Foundation and Rotary Club of Winnetka's 3 H Grant (Micro Credit to Alleviate Poverty and Empower Women) in Uganda.

 

Joseph Olanya (Father) was Entebbe Rotary Club Secretary at that time and eventually became both President of the Entebbe Club and Member of District 9200 Governing and Oversight Committee for the Project. Joseph currently works for the National Government of Uganda and has traveled extensively to India, China, Europe, and now his second trip to the USA.

 

Subsequently (1999) his wife Christine was sponsored by Carolyn and I to come to the USA and receive Montessori Teacher Training in Chicago and did her one year Internship at the Deerfield Montessori Schools,

 

 With the financial assistance of W-N Rotary Charitable Foundation, Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center, Deerfield Montessori Schools and Parents and a few individuals, Christine returned to Entebbe and started the first American Montessori School in her country and in fact the first affiliated American Montessori School in Africa. Christine and her husband Joseph are the Directors of the Victoria Montessori School.

 

The Victoria Montessori School is privately funded (primarily tuition based) serving children ages 2 through 12 and currently enrolls approximately 500 students. Some of the children are from the poverty level and some are orphans who formally resided in Northern Uganda during the rebel activity years. This is quite a financial feat considering the source of the funds from an impoverished nation.

 

Her brother Lanam (who also came to us in 1999)  opened his first school in the capital city of Kampala, and now his second Montessori School in Northern Uganda.

 

Unfortunately Christine had to return early back to Uganda to prepare for the opening of school, so only her husband Joseph and their 4 children will be at our meeting.

 

As an important aside, Christine was awarded The Paul Harris Fellowship Award, compliments of the generosity of Rodger Morris. At the time, Christine was the first female Paul Harris Fellow in Uganda.