How did we get Started?
A Ray of Hope is a happy partner with the youth, the world over. We have an acquaintance of about 2 couples of years with this College. When I first met the headmaster in his office years ago, I read a mind that we would partner with for the benefit of the school, and particularly the youth. My reading was irrefutably very correct. I have worked with the school since then on UNESCO and Kabubbu library projects, which have seen a great number of benefits accruing from the acquaintance:
- The school’s sports and games have been greatly supported by the UNESCO Youth Ambassador
- Today, the school boasts of a website that can be accessed in every part of the world, and in space, a privilege scarcely enjoyed by rural institutions. And the school is at liberty to periodically keep updating this website. For purposes of helping those not yet aware, the address for this website is www.unesco.co.uk
- The youth ambassador has provided medals and trophies for students’ activities in the school.
- The school has been selected as one of those lucky few to partake in the global school twining projects organized through the unesco umbrella.
- The school has developed relationships with a number of projects, notable of them all; Kabubbu Community Library and Kabubbu Health Center
- Around the year 2005, a leadership training was conducted for the student leaders. And I hereby undertake to conduct more such trainings whenever needed
- It is for that acquaintance that students of the college have started to receive training in basic computer skills.
- Certificates have been provided for, and will continue to be provided for all students who will excel in acquiring these skills.
- The school remains open to all possible unesco support.
The whole idea of providing computer training started when I saw some unoccupied computers in the headmaster’s office when I had paid a courtesy call on him way back in 2006. I told him they were a very good resource for students especially those who intend to live in the world, today and tomorrow, with a mark of success. We drew a plan of how to follow through, and today, here we are, with the first fruits of cooperation from everyone of you. I say first fruits because we are set for more, better and greater harvests in the times that lie ahead.
I want to gladly inform you all that I will be able to take on a new group as soon as I am given the names of the students to commence with.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I bring to your attention the haunting fact that the school is still in a very needful state of computers. We barely have enough for our students or teachers, and the ratio of computers/students is 1:3 in a group of 17.
Our students are unable to practice their acquired skills for lack of enough computers.
This should suggest to us that we need more computers and accessories to at least reduce the computer/student ratio to 1:2 in about a period of two years. More computers would imply better skills development and better skills practice.
We must get ourselves working 24/7 to realize this goal. Every one of us has something to do here. There is nothing as bad as going through a failing institution. When we meet new people, we are always asked where we come from, it would be such a sad thing to say, Cambridge College when we left the institution to fail. This applies to the Headmaster the same way it does to a teacher or the least popular student in the college.
When we are asked, “where did you learn your basic computer skills?” It would be such a big shame for one to say, “at Cambridge College ”, when computer training at the school ceased many years ago.
Call your friends and relatives, talk to them, write to them and tell them about our need. Ask them to contribute in whichever possible way towards the progress of this computer project. They can make donations ranging from financial help to computers and computer accessories.
You as individuals or groups can make financial contributions for the sustainability of this project. Your donation can enable you be part of the next class or your brother or sister or friend to be part of it. And your name will forever remain in the College’s records as one of those who committed themselves to its success. I am sure many of you, 20/30 years down the road would rather have your children go through Gayaza Cambridge College .
Nothing fills the heart as looking back at one’s path through life and one is proud of the places they went through and the things they did, and the people they met.
Mr. Zziwa, Miss Mariah, Miss Kambejja, Mr. Lugemwa, Mr. Lwanga, I mean to say all the teachers, would make such a marvelous step by committing a minimum of 5% of their salaries for a minimum of three months to help raise funds that would enable us get more computers. 5% would imply that you donate 500 shillings for every 10,000/= of your salary; which would mean 5000/= for every 100,000/=
I am opening up an account to help raise funds for this project. I am appointing myself to Head of Treasury, hoping no one objects
I am accepting deposits in cash and check from this very moment….. I invite you to start passing on cash right now….and to consider writing checks, and making more cash deposits later.
When these funds are sufficient enough, I am to open up an account with a commercial bank and deposit them there. To do this, I will need two signatories from the school, one of whom must be a student, and the other a member of staff.
Depending on how well our treasury shall have functioned, I will ask for permission from all concerned, students and staff to deposit these amounts with the Central Depositary System. The object is to accumulate this amount to a point where we can start to buy at least one PC every half year.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the future is all ours, we are here determining how tomorrow shall look like by the actions of now, now, and now has always been the best time for action.
Our efforts of today can never give us more fruits in the short-run than in the long-run. We sow now, sometimes it gets so exasperating and burdensome, but we ought to keep sowing, we oughtto give care to the seed and the crop. Anything cheaply acquired is cheaply esteemed. Let us throw our hands and minds behind the computer project…it is and will always be a worthy cause.
Some of you have already, or intend to, or in a short time from now will find yourselves deciding to embark on a carrier with computers. Now is a very good opportune time to keep going and to commit yourselves more to the object.
I want to draw attention to all of you who have received the training and receiving certificates today, to the fact that what one owns, knows or has is never important beyond what he uses it for. You might have a life, that life will never be more important than what you use that life for; you might have basic skills in computer, these skills are no more important than what you use them for, nor are the certificates you are to be honored with today.
Keep up hope, keep moving, read more, learn more, change your surrounding.
Allow me to pass on to you the message from The Director, A Ray of Hope, UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace, and I quote
“To my friends at Cambridge and in particular the graduating students of 2007.
Could I proffer to you both my best wishes and congratulations on behalf of myself and A Ray of Hope, UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace.
To hope is good, to strive is better, to achieve is excellent but the epitome is always to do what is best and to do one's best. This of course applies to the individual and the individual's contribution to the milieu in which they live.
When one is starting in life the world appears to pose more questions than solutions. Living and experience will provide many of the answers, however, not all. It will be your enthusiasm, endeavour and initiative that will allow you to help our global family with your own thoughts, aspirations and action.
Let me use this opportunity to wish you all much health, happiness and success in which ever path or direction you take.
Again my sincere best wishes.
Don McBurney
Director
A Ray of Hope
UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace
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