Monday Jan. 31 was the first day of the 2011 school year here in Uganda. December and January are summer vacation for our kids.
I had an opportunity to see at least a bit of several of our school’s first day. I did not make it out to our vocational institute but was able to briefly visit New Hope Academy (see brief video NHA First Day taken by my sons who are attending for some classes) and spend a bit more time at Essuubi Epya Vocational Primary School and our new special needs classroom that is associated with it.
At EEVPS, Headmaster Simon Katabazi was very welcoming. After having all the teachers lead the student assembly in praise songs, the Ugandan national anthem, the Ugandan pledge of allegiance, and the pledge to the Bible, Uncle Simon introduced all the new teachers and prayed for them. Next he called forward new students and we all prayed for them. Then we had a prayer of dedication for the school year. It was very clear we are looking to God as our source of learning.
I was also able to stop by our new special needs classroom headed up by Kate Tolhurst – for now, their classroom is one of the rooms in our new Clinic. For most, if not all of the students there, this was there first day ever in a school. It was so clear that they were pleased to be there and are very comfortable around Kate and the other staff.
We would love your prayers for all of these students and their teachers.
- Tal Anderson
By Nabagesera Jessica, Investment Year Coordinator, NHU Staff since July 2005
Keep reading, keep reading…
This new slogan, which has recently replaced the traditional “they say”, is now the talk of many of our secondary school students. I have picked it up myself because it is a mark of history in our nation.
This is the result of the ongoing campaign here in the New Hope community to all read through the Bible chronologically over the next year and a half. When it clock strikes 10:30, a reminder bell rings and all work and school comes to a stop; its Bible reading time… Amazing.
Children and staff all get out their Bible.
I mean, everyone gets down to serious reading of the Word. Even the pre-schoolers look out their classroom windows waiting for who is coming to tell them the story of the Bible for that day.
You may wonder how and why this a big deal and worth of sharing. Culturally, as Africans, we are not so keen with reading. I mean, we read maybe for exams and things like that, but it is much easier for us to sit and listen to a speech or sermon for three hours than to sit and do focused reading for 30 minutes. Secondly, we usually get facts of life and truths (even the Word) passed on to us through other people, like elders.
It is easier to believe something because “they say” than to take the trouble to find out for oneself.
But this is not the case anymore here, especially with the children. They are now eagerly digging into the Word and getting amazed by the truth they are discovering for themselves. They are so proud about the new venture whereby they do not have to believe something from the Word of God because so-and-so said so… but because they have beheld it themselves.
Please pray for us that the Word of God does not stay in our heads but gets to our hearts; pray for a Godly people in a Godly nation as we keep reading, keep reading…
Monday Jan. 31 was the first day of the 2011 school year here in Uganda. December and January are summer vacation for our kids.
I was also able to stop by our new special needs classroom headed up by Kate Tolhurst – for now, their classroom is one of the rooms in our new Clinic. For most, if not all of the students there, this was there first day ever in a school. It was so clear that they were pleased to be there and are very comfortable around Kate and the other staff.
