Dear Christopher,

I really appreciate you posting this message and as Mary says, no need to apologise for it.

I want to reassure that we are here to support you in any way you and the community decide to go ahead with the project. We are here to help and we do it with no other interest than wanting to see your project succeed.

We are also here to try and make the project successful and that is the reason why we mention all the alternatives than from our experience could make the project successful.

It would be great to see what you think of the contacts Mary has kindly put together and I also look forward to seeing you in Kampala. We are working hard to get an organisation that support water related projects on board.

Take care and talk soon,

Raul

Dear friends,
Thank you so much for the information provided.
1.Barb Briggs,Raul,are coming to Uganda for the 15th July workshop:All of us here at Notre Dame School,do not know of the program after the workshop.We would invite you to visit our school.From the site,then we could work for the development of our school better.Please,Barb Briggs and Raul ,spare some time after the workshop and visit us.lf this is not possible,may you please avail us some time for a brief talk after the Kampala workshop.
2.Mary,thank you so much for providing to us the information.We shall start making contacts to the provided people for better information for our water project.
3.Mary, you have mentioned that you have a number of kind organisations/people that may be willing to donate books,
educational equipments etc...Please help and provide to us at :
NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL
P.O.BOX 226
MASAKA
UGANDA -EAST AFRICA.{inform us when you post them}
Contact Person: Christopher Wamala
4.Raul,Mary,thank you so much for the great encouragement.
But when i read about other village with more or less the same objectives like ours,lt looks as if people have very little interest in our school program.l have invited very many people to our village,but people just respond with big promise of support,but very very few come back to us.
But when we recieve such an encouraging infos,then we know our vission for the needy is getting its roots/going.
5.l call upon all of you,to provide any information that may help us develope any good for the needy children at our school.
Christopher

HI Christopher

I do hopw the meeting between you, Raul, Barb and the other local reps goes well. As well as the training, I hope this will also give you the opportunity to meet people from other Nabuur communites face to face, talk about each other's projects, learn from each other.

Sometimes it is difficult when there are so many similar projects on Nabuur, as people cannot work on all of them. I get invites to join many villages and can't say yes to everyone and other people will be the same.

As I said, I think we are more likely to get more active people involved when there are more specific tasks for people to work on. Do you think the three of us should try and define some steps and tasks for the project to see if this is a way to move forward? Also maybe reword the information at the top of the main project page to give more information about the Masaka project instead of about tools for defining projects. Raul, what do you think?

The list of groups that donate books and equipment that I mentioned in my last post is at
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dgs9fnp6_0g5zp8p3n
(click on the links to go to the relevant sections)

The majority contain details on application procedures. I don't know if any will be able to help Notre Dame but I do know that some other schools have been successful in getting books from some of them. It also contains information on ways to find partner/twin schools (I know you have one already).

Although there is also a section about possible sources of funding, I think it would make sense to wait until you have talked to some of those rainwater organisations and have fully worked-out plans first before looking for money. As I have said before, you may find that you need a lot less than you think, also that it is faster and easier to look locally, rather than internationally. And if you do need to look outside, you are far more likely to succeed if you wait until you have clear plans to present to them. Raul, would you agree?

Mary

Dear friends,
Thanks for your further comments.
The idea from Mary,of how to obtain more active people to help with these tasks is very good and welcome.
To try to define more tasks and steps for the project.
To reword the information at the top of the main project page to give more information about the Masaka project instead of about tools for defining projects.
ln the first days when we were registering with nabuur,we sent many programs i.e building of more classes,Water project,dormetories put ups,Toilets provission etc...
But only water project was included.
Thus the idea from Mary may look very fine.
The program should not be looked at as a one for water only but a combination of joined programs for the development of a common cause ..education for development component
Tommorrow,we are having a function for schools in the southern Masaka Diocese ,music,dance and drama festivals and competetion.
But we shall start to make some writtings next week.
Meet you next week.
God's blessings

Hi Christopher

That school event sounds like fun! Hope it went well?

Just in case you don't already know, Raul is travelling at the moment so is not able to get online as regularly as usual. But he will when he gets a chance.

I know you have many needs at the school, and its important for the school to create a list, plan what you are going to do and in what order. Many of these things will be linked. For example, if you find ways for the school to make money for itself, the money could then enable you to go on and do other things such as build toilets or buy equipment. That is where something like the piggery project could come in.

Things usually work best on Nabuur if there is one or two main focus at a time. So when I was talking about defining tasks, I was really meaning within the water project, as you have said that is the highest priority at the moment. Once that is complete, you can then move on to other things.

So its really about listing the things you need from neighbours and creating tasks to match with this. As you have looked at several other villages, you will have seen examples of this.

Now you have details of other water projects, you may prefer to get in contact with them first, see what advice they can give you, then decide what input you need from neighbours after that?

As well as specific tasks related to the water (or other) project, you cold also have another general task about finding books, equipment, partners etc for the school, as this is something that can go on in the background. The Google Docs list I posted last week could be a good start for that, and you may be able to do a lot of it yourself - many of them have fairly simple application forms. And we can help you.

Raul, as have been a facilitator of two villages, you have experience of working out which tasks work best and of how to encourage more people to get involved. What are your thoughts?

Mary

Hi Christopher

One more question...

Is Notre Dame school officially registered as a community organisation? Or are you able to work through another local group? If you do decide to look for outside funding, nany organisations will only fund projects being run by registered groups.

Mary

Hi Christopher and Mary,

I am indeed in a long trip and I will try to check Masaka as often as possible although it is a bit difficult at the moment.

I also agree having more specific tasks will help so hopefully once a facilitator takes on the role maybe that can be worked out. IN the meantime I am sure we can continue discussing the project here and hopefully the time during the activity in Kampala will also help.

Again, we are here to try our best to support your project Christopher.

Hope to talk more soon,

Raul

Dear friends,greet you once again.
Last l had informed you of our school's participation in the music and dance competion for the Southern masaka catholic Diocese.
Notre Dame High school,took number one in overall perfomance.See photoes attached
1.Yes,Notre Dame School,is registered and can work on its own.
2.We are waiting to talking to Raul and Barb when in Uganda.
Christopher

notreamemusicfestivals.doc

Hi Christopher,

Good to hear the news and to see the photos.

You mean Notre Dame School is officially registered as a Community Based Organisation "CBO"?

Raul

Hi Christopher

Thanks for the pictures - well done to your students for winning the competition!!!!

I hope the meeting with Barb and Raul brings you some new ideas on the best ways to do things. If there are things you would like assistance with before then, please let us know.

Mary

Hullo christopher its nice to hear from how are your students,the pictures were really nice, about the project for your students you need first to write down the requirements you need in order to start up this project.And if your school is aregistered CBO,you can decide to look for external funding since many organisations are funded if they are registered.

regards to all

Hi Christopher

Were you able to contact any of those organisations that I gave you details of and if you did, were any of them able to provide you with useful information that may help with school or wider community projects?

Mary

Dear Mary,
Sorry,we had to put everything on hold,until after the meeting 15 July 2008,with Raul and Barb.We want to have a descussion on our programs,as we are well aware the they have alot of experience on such concerns.
Bukenya Isah Abubakar ,THANK YOU for writting to us,we are having a problem of getting our projects for the school on rail.lam requesting that,you direct me exactly to your place so that you provide to us some advice.
Our school is a registeed CBO.
All what is needed is listed,only that we are lacking to put them in orders of priority.
Mr.Bukenya,is it ok if we can make an appointment and we meet and then further visit us at MASAKA,l hope visiting us ,we may have more of ideas from you -- when at site.
We wait to hearing from you.
Christopher

Hi Christopher

Thanks for letting me know.

Mary

Thank you so much for the good work your doing if possible and i visit your project i would be blessing to you Christopher stay with Vision
Pastor Fred
www.gidcco.org