New Project (Plz Read! Need Your Feedback/Help)
04 Aug 2011 1 Comment
So, I’ve been looking for a project that will help the community and of something substantial, rather than just doing small things around the office, this could be it – but I’m going to need your feedback, ideas and eventually if you’d like to help some kids in my district of Uganda – a few dollars. This idea struck me this morning (pun intended) while having tea with my supervisor, Edith and my counterpart, Isaac.
We were talking about whether it rained last night or not and Edith mentioned that a child in a rural village was struck by lightning during yesterday’s storm. Each time there is a storm in the Kamuli area, it seems, that someone gets struck by lightning and schoolchildren are especially susceptible. Considering it is the rainy season, we have these bad storms with thunder and lightning fairly frequently. In this blog, I’m going to outline the idea of this project and I need you, my dear friends and family, to give me some feedback/improvements and to let me know if you would be willing to donate a few bucks.
Background: It seems that recently lightning has been getting more and more dangerous in Uganda. Why? Ask the weatherman (there isn’t one). But, schoolchildren are the most susceptible because A. they’re kids, and they like to play in the rain, B. because many children don’t have [rubber/any] shoes to wear, C. schools don’t have lightning rods, and D. they walk home / play outside in the late afternoon with no shoes when it rains most. Here are some articles that I’ve found:
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/759775 –
“Recent incidents – 2011:
June 23: Three pupils in Luwombo P.S in Buikwe district
June 26: Three mourners killed and 15 others injured in Alebtong district
June 28: 18 pupils killed and 36 others injured at Runyanya P.S in Kiryandongo district
June 28: 31 pupils and two teachers injured at Paidha PS in Zombo district
July 1: Two pupils killed, eight others injured at Kalagala P.S in Buikwe
July 4: Seven head-of-cattle killed in Luwero district
June 21: Two pupils from one family killed at Nawangoma Primary School in Jinja District
June 22: Eleven students injured at Valley Hill Secondary School in Kaliro district”
Note: The last two incidents – Jinja district borders Kamuli district on the south, and Kaliro District borders Kamuli on the east. And most of the district is flat, un-forested farmland with no electricity.
“Uganda has one of the highest rates of lightning strike deaths in the world and its capital Kampala has more days of lightning per year than any other city, according to the World Meteorological Organization.”
My Idea:
Vision: Minimizing Lightning Strikes on Schoolchildren in Kamuli District
Mission:
- Sensitize families about lightning in Kamuli District
- Provide schoolchildren with rubber-soled sandals (kids generally wear these all the time here) to help prevent them getting struck by lightning (to children in the most affected, generally more rural areas)
- Help set up and provide lightning rods to schools in rural areas around Kamuli District
The Plan:
To start out, I’m going to visit the nearby hospitals, health centers and speak with the District Health Officer to obtain information on how many lightning strikes per month occur in Kamuli and in which areas are most common so we can begin there. Once I have this information, my co-workers and I can begin to plan “Lightning Strike Prevention” sensitization meetings for these areas. My co-workers will carry out these sensitizations.
Now, I don’t normally condone hand-outs, as they have the potential to be abused. So, we are going to work around this in a few ways:
- Firstly, I’m not going to be the face of these meetings, my SACCO and its employees will be, because when a village hears that a muzungu is coming, villagers come expecting to get something/money/handouts out of it
- My co-workers will also handle the purchase of the sandals for the children, so we can get the best wholesale prices available – because again when they see a muzungu you can see their eyes light up with dollar signs.
- My main role will be gathering information on lightning strike statistics, prevention and arranging the meetings.
- Also, with some donations (hopefully) I will be providing the funding with my SACCO contributing as well, and they will be able to put their name on this project, which will benefit my organization.
The only information given out to the villages initially will be a “Lightning Prevention Sensitization Meeting” provided by Kamuli Twisania SACCO. We will tell them tips and ways to prevent lightning strikes and tell them it is aimed at helping their children. We will set up a time and place for these meetings (of which I will not attend). At the meeting, we will take an attendance list and get a list of their names and their children’s names. We will then arrange for another meeting with those people and their children to bring only those on the original list rubber-soled sandals. This is the best way to get people generally concerned for their children’s safety while minimizing the potential for abuse. I will not be attending those meetings or putting my face on this project because I don’t like promoting the idea that when a Ugandan sees a muzungu – they automatically think that I am there to give them money or free things.
A few side effects of this project would be:
- Even if it doesn’t help with lightning strikes, a shoeless child will get a pair of shoes that they wear (Today I was walking around town and about 1/3 of the kids I saw weren’t wearing any shoes – and that’s in town, a more wealthy area)
- It will have a goodwill/socially responsible marketing effect on our SACCO
- Some people will abuse this project (not myself or my co-workers), but recipients of the shoes (Most people will not, but there are some very cunning Ugandans that will find a way, i.e., selling their children’s shoes – but we cannot control this, just a warning)
I Will Need Your Help: What I would need from you, my readers, friends and family is a dollar or two. I will donate some of my monthly salary. My SACCO will donate at least $50. But to begin, $150 dollars at the current exchange rate of 2600 UGX = 1 USD, we can buy 312 pairs of children’s shoes. If you would be willing to do this or have an improvement on this idea, just comment on this post or on my facebook post/wall or send me a message. The easiest way of donating a few dollars is probably through PayPal (which I would eventually transfer to my bank account) unless someone has a better way. So, once I see some sort of response and I think I could possibly get $100 minimum, I will set up an account and get this off the ground. Any help would be greatly appreciated by me, my SACCO, the Peace Corps and Ugandan mothers of Kamuli District. Thanks guys.
Lightning Rods:
It seems that many events like these are happening at schools and I will have to do a bit more research on how much it costs to build a lightning rod and at which schools are the children most susceptible. But if these kids at least have on shoes, it will increase their chances of getting injured. I will look into this and get back to you.
Also, to provide confirmation, my organization and I both have digital cameras where we will document all donations/costs/shoes/rods, etc.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!! I NEED SOME FEEDBACK!
With Love,
Dan
Aug 04, 2011 @ 17:00:39
Hey Dan, sounds like a good project. Could you write a Peace Corps Partnership grant? with PCP, the PC doesn’t give you any money, but they let you post your project on the PCP website. People can go there and donate on-line via credit card. PC takes care of tax deduction letters and other such paperwork. The money goes to your Uganda bank account, then you can give it to your SACCO. Can’t wait to see you at All Vol!
LInda