Hi, I'm Devaki Douillard

Hi, I'm Devaki Douillard, the Mwebaza Foundation's Development Assistant. This year I'm returning to Africa to visit our partner schools in Uganda and Kenya. I'll be working on documentary interviews, scholarship programs, solar panel purchases, 2 new school building constructions, sustainable lunch programs and much more! Follow me on this journey from June 30th-July 26th.

The Mwebaza Foundation’s mission is to enrich the relationships among our Colorado and African partner schools through cross-cultural exchange and service learning that enhances educational opportunities, fosters a healthy learning environment, and promotes self-sufficiency.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

This morning I woke up to sunlight shining through my bedroom window and the sounds of roosters in the distance. After a morning of running errands with Sammy, I met up with a group of students from United States International University (USIU). These students have been working tirelessly to set up an online educational program at Empakasi School. Using one pocket projector, two donated mini iPads, and a transportable solar panel, they have created an innovative way to enhance student learning and participation. The teachers at Empakasi are now able to incorporate internet activities in the classroom to accompany their lesson plans. The results thus far have been overwhelming. The students are more engaged than ever and the teachers are slowly being exposed to the wonder of the internet. One student in particular, Kevin, and I worked together with the headmaster of Empakasi, Peter Lekutit, all afternoon and into the night familiarizing ourselves with the iPad apps and discussing ways to further the program. A second projector, and two speaker systems would strengthen the program so that two classes could use the online programs at once. We also discussed the possibility of using iPad keyboards so the students could learn how to type. At the end of the day, I was exhausted yet inspired by the amount of dedication and passion I have seen from this group of students. They have helped improve the situation at Empakasi significantly already, and are only more excited to take this program to the next level.

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