The Brick December 2020

 

The Brick December 2020

The Brick October 2020

President Annet Nannyonjo's October 2020 Message

This month our country attained 58 years of Independence.  As much as many joined in the virtual celebrations, a big majority continue to wonder what kind of independence they have when they have not yet attained economic independence? Many religiously wake up every morning before birds begin to sing and work hard in the hope of improving their income levels and boosting their livelihoods. Studies show us that only a few people in the world live above the poverty line – the rest who are the majority still live below the poverty line which means they earn less than 1$ per day.  Welcome to the month when Rotary reflects on engagements to empower communities and boost economic welfare.

Economics rules the world! A person who is economically empowered walks with his head up, speaks with confidence, has a vision, communicates with optimism, and maintains positive social behaviour. Poverty and inequality deprive man of his God given dignity. Man suffers in the hands of a fellow man because of poverty. Empowerment is liberation, it is trust, it is maturity and autonomy.

Economic empowerment is a set of measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self determination in people and communities in order to enable them to represent their interests in a responsible and determined way, acting on their authority. This illustrates and helps us to understand why world powers are not nations with the tallest and strongest of men but rather ones that control world economics.

It is so amazing how Rotary is so broad and well-rounded to reach all key aspects of meaningful life, health, education, sanitation, peace and conflict resolution, water and sanitation, environment and economic empowerment. All these areas complement each other and are necessary ingredients of a better standard of living. Economically empowered societies are most likely to be peaceful as everyone is engaged in production, enjoying a better quality of life, having greater access to social amenities, valuing education, appreciating small families and committing more time to planning and positive thinking hence registering low crime rate. No doubt, they enjoy better health. As Rotarians, we have a duty to make the world a better place by offering opportunities for economic liberation.

I am enthused yet humbled by the numerous projects across the globe that have received funding from Rotary to promote peace through economic and community development, projects that individuals could never have imagined. Rotary commits to a theme every month and critical analysis of all leads to the same objective, service to others. We have just concluded the month of Education and Literacy and we all appreciate that literacy is crucial in economic empowerment. Prior to that, we had membership extension. Again, a question is asked, why extend membership? The answer is precise; to have more hands on the job. There is greater synergy in numbers, and we should embrace all efforts to bring us together. We must celebrate every life we impact. Life cannot remain the same in areas where Rotary operates, those that visited Buikwe at the inception of our project and now can attest to this. What about Katwe Bweya, does anyone remember that school before PP Charles Magala started the first engagement­? Friends, we aspire to do more, but let us celebrate what we have done so far that way, we will be more energized. 

This struggle does not require heavy machine guns, it is about identifying social needs, available resources, population analysis and helping people to use their environment to solve their problems. Empowerment does not lie in handouts! Teaching one how to fish is more rewarding than gifting him with fish! Rotary has played this role fervently and millions of dollars have been injected in communities all over the world. Bravo!

The Brick September 2020

 Dear friends,

Please receive our September edition of the Brick though it has come out late. 

Welcome to the month of Basic Education and Literacy. My heart soothes to the fact that Rotary chose Education as one of the focus areas. Education transforms individuals who in turn lead societal change and community development. 

Basic education comprises  two (2) stages; Primary and lower Secondary Education.  In Uganda 32% of the total population are of this school going age. Imagine what would happen if there was no opportunity to go to school! Basic Education combines formal education which children attain when they go to school, but this builds on and complements the informal school which is the home! There is no question therefore on who imparts the knowledge; everyone is a teacher.

 I am so proud that our Rotary Club of Kajjansi chose to focus on Education as a key area that all Presidents contribute to. The developments in Katwe Bweya transformed what was a pitiable school into an enviable one! The establishment of the Technical institute in Buikwe transformed the village and community at large. Education gives confidence, it promotes security, leads to open mindedness, controls the population, reduces mortality rates, solves the unemployment challenge as people acquire new skills, opens up more opportunities through mobility, the list is endless. The quality of any country is largely attributed to the quality of education! It is therefore imperative that due consideration is given to the education system so that it produces the desired quality of citizens.

 Education has been largely affected by the Covid 19 pandemic globally! This brings a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness, but it has been an eye opener to many opportunities that could never have been! Families have had chance to strengthen their bonds, parents have gone back to their primary role of nurturing their children than delegating all responsibilities to house helps. Children have learnt new skills and techniques for learning. Those from advantaged families have improved their computer skills and broad reading has been enhanced. Although many lament a year lost we should appreciate what has been able to be done and the checks and balances that the new system has revealed. Policy makers and curriculum developers have also given value for their earnings as they strove to come up with workable solutions. A new system of online learning has been embraced and is here to stay! I hope the role of teachers will no longer be underestimated now that parents have tested the deeper waters. 

Literacy is a process by which one expands one’s knowledge of reading and writing in order to develop one’s thinking and learning for the purpose of understanding oneself and the world. People are literate in different areas and it is wrong to judge a person as illiterate just because they lack knowledge in one field; Birds fly and fish swim! Literacy being a process implies that we can improve any skill up to our last day of living. 

A lot of Literature has been written to help us in understanding our heritage and diversity and it is the duty of every adult to interest the young into knowledge acquisition. It frustrates me at every mention that if you want to hide something from a Ugandan, put it in a book!   Take a look at some of the works of celebrated writers in Uganda and do a self assessment showing your knowledge before and after; Charles Mayiga, Barbara Kimenye, Wycliff Kiyingi, Mahmood Mamdan, Catherine Samalie Kavuma , Michael Nsimbi, Barbara Barungi and many others. Their message is put into systematic, enticing stories, poems and tales. 

With a critical mind, any book read, changes the perception and outlook of the reader. I thus implore you to interest yourselves in the art of reading. We can start with simple, small volumes as we grow into sophisticated literature of the likes of Shakespeare. 

Annet Nannyonjo

President 2020-21