Winnie leaving St. Joseph’s Technical Institute

Linn writes in her blog: LinniUganda:
Winnie finished her course at St. Joseph’s Technical Institute this week! I met a very proud girl, carrying her leaving certificate, when I stopped by St. Joseph’s today. Winnie has been studying carpentry and joinery, and now she and her classmates are ready to leave school for good.

Photo: Linn Obrestad

She looks forward to start working and hopes she will find a job in a furniture shop.
However, her future is still very uncertain. There are very few jobs out there- and very many young people looking for work. With a median age of 15, Uganda has the world's youngest population, and the share of unemployed youth among the total unemployed is 83 percent, also the highest in the world (according to the new Africa Development Indicators launched by The World Bank in 2008). Finding a job is not going to be easy.
She has decided to stay in town instead of going back to her village because although her prospects of finding work related to her studies are low in and around the Kampala area, they are even worse in the villages.

Photo: Linn Obrestad

Linn hopes Winnie and her fellow classmates succeed in finding jobs- Winnie herself is quite optimistic saying that even if she doesn't find something in the line of carpentry, there will always be some small jobs around for those who are able and willing to work, and with her certificate, she is better off than many others.

Teaching practical subjects to visitors from lower Secondary

Rjukan videregående skole/ Upper Secondary school today:

Teachers of construction department at Rjukan High school, today imparted some practical skills to the students of lower secondary who intend to choose vocational studies next year. Among the teachers, was an Fk exchange teacher from Uganda, Mr. Kajumba Edward.

Students from S3 Rjukan and Atrå lower Secondary schools

Mengo School Anthem on Mount Gaustatoppen

“The mountain top is extremely cold. I couldn’t feel my toes and finger tips. I was scared and nervous going up the mountain through a tunnel. When we sang our school anthem at the mountain top, and people applauded and clapped, I felt really happy and accepted.” 

Mengo School trust in God

From whom you get wisdom

We shall overcome, let’s co-operate

Hard work does break no bone.

Challenging stereotypes on student exchanges

“I thought the Norwegian students were not social. I used to think of them as proud and arrogant as I heard from various stories. I now realise that they are friendly people who share the same fears and dreams as we do” Ugandan student
“This project gave me a chance to enlighten the world about my country, my culture and beliefs. Many times, people have a wrong picture about us and this visit enabled me correct that. It also made me appreciate more my culture, and to have respect for other people’s culture” Ugandan student

A history lesson in a Norwegian class

My best experience today was the History lesson with Tom, a Norwegian teacher, and Linda from S5 Mengo Senior School. It was a chance for me to explain to the Norwegian Students that there was another side to Idi Amin. He was a dictator but also did some good things for Uganda.
Before going to Norway , I had always wondered why we were studying about Napoleon, a General in a foreign land. I was struck when we went to class in Norway and they were discussing the history and presidents of Uganda.                                                   Mengo Student Dennis David Kazibwe

Emphasizing employment oriented education

This term students at St. Joseph’s have been doing various work outside of school: construction work (building a house) and a biogas digester. The students have been taken out eight at the time, with two teachers. The number is limited to eight because of lack of transport means. They are picked out not based on marks but on interest and willingness to work.

The project is popular among the students, and to ensure that as many as possible is given the opportunity the group is changed every day. The teachers guide and work alongside the students. Both students and teachers are positive that this is a great learning experience, building confidence and giving the students a feeling of what it will be like in the real world after they finish school.
Former Fk-participants, Charles Kalema, John Wasswa and Daniel Kasozi together with colleagues in St.Joseph are trying to implement some of their experiences from Norway in their work on VET in Uganda.

Kyambogo University Lecturers visit Rjukan videregående skole

Last week Rjukan videregående skole (High School) received unusual visitors, when it received two lecturers from Kyambogo University in Uganda. The two lecturers came on a study tour of the education system in Norway. The two, David and Gertrude spent a whole week interacting with both students and teachers, plus sitting in lessons to try to compare the system of education in Norway and that of Uganda.

When asked, Gertrude discovered that the system of education in Norway was more practical than theoretical, whereas that of Uganda was more theoretical than practical, a thing which she said, should be changed. She however noted that, unlike the students in Uganda, the students in Norway have a low level of motivation in academics. David on the other hand, who had the opportunity to work with the vocational students outside, was impressed by the quality of work the students in the construction department were doing. He said when he goes back to Uganda, he will advocate for this pedagogical kind of education.
At the end of the visit the coordinators, Ingrid Kjelsnes and Tom Nilsen urged the visitors to try and implement some of the good things they had learnt from the Norwegian system back home in Uganda.
                                                                                                                      … By Bernard Butare.

Gründercamp at Rjukan videregående skole

Gratulerer Rjukan High School! By Bernard Butare

Students of Rjukan High school have continued to excel in different aspects in both academics and vocational studies. This time around they were among the finalists and actually went ahead to be among the best in a competitive exhibition that involved many schools in Telemark county.
The colourful function took place last Wednesday 11th Nov, 2010, here in the People’s community hall in Rjukan town.

The function attracted so many people especially students from different schools around Rjukan and their parents plus some other invited guests. The evening was punctuated with a lot fun, with music from talented young people and a lot of eats and drinks.
Students exhibited so many things from the latest use of technology and architectural designs.
Here at Rjukan High school, we would like to congratulate our students of 1ST who made us proud!

Rjukan community commemorates United Nations day

On Sunday 24th October, 2010, was United Nations day and the Rjukan community was not left out in the celebrations. The day started with volunteers moving around the town door to door soliciting for funds to help the refugees who reside in the area. Later in the evening we converged in the town hall, where a couple of locals mixed with the numerous refugees, who were the main target of the day. Several refugees testified about the different problems they were facing in their different countries, the major problem being civil wars, which was also the main reason why they had left their respective countries. Among the refugees present were those from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Liberia and the majority from Somalia.

Illustration photo by Ingrid

The day was not all doom and gloom, some good music was played and a lot eats and drinks were served. The most important message of the day was through a song sung by a guest artist from Germany who called upon leaders in their different capacities to treat the people they lead with respect and dignity. The function ended at about nine o’clock in the night with a call on all people of good will to come out and help refugees wherever they are in the world.           by Fk-participant / Teacher in Rjukan videregående skole; Bernard Butare.

Celebrating Friendship North South in Oslo

Oslo, October 11th:

Friendship North South Celebration, Cosmopolite Oslo
Friendship North South / Vennskap Nord Sør

ELIMU school exchange programme

Fk exchanges gives Ugandan teachers a new lease of life….

by Bernard Butare Buteera: The woes of a practising classroom teacher in Uganda are innumerable, from the poor remuneration to inadequate accommodation and deplorable working conditions, surely to define your profession as a teacher in Uganda is like writing a litany of negative titles upon oneself. However, for some teachers who are in partnership with Fredskorpset (FK), teaching has become such an enjoyable profession than any other.

Peter Hormisdas Sssenyimba and Geoffrey Kizito together with Norwegian Colleagues

The FK is an exchange programme between the Telemark inNorway and that of Uganda, which gives an opportunity to Ugandan teachers to go and teach in Norway likewise those of Norway to come and teach in Uganda.

In Uganda the Programme is in three participating schools, that is to say, Mengo Senior School, King’s College Budo and St. Joseph’s Technical Institute Kisubi. In Norway it is in upper secondary school Rjukan.

The few teachers who have had the opportunity of benefiting from this programme had all the good words for it. Mr. Kasamba Godfrey from King’s college Budo who was one of the first people to benefit from the programme in 2005 had this to say…

“I was excited when I received the news that I had been selected to go and teach in Norway. I was excited because it was going to be the first good thing to happen to me ever since I joined the teaching profession.”

Mr. Kasamba continues to say that he was exposed to new methods of teaching and received international exposure in a number of other aspects.

Another Beneficiary Wasswa John from St. Joseph’s Technical Institute, who went in the third lot in 2007, didn’t defer from Mr. Kasamba, he also praised the programme, that it gave him an opportunity to compare the two systems of Education, the one of Uganda and that of Norway. He also pointed out that the programme gave him International exposure which made him a better teacher afterwards.

Jane Nansubuga from Mengo Senior School, another beneficiary who went in the second lot in 2006, has all the praises for the exchange programme. She said that ever since she went to Norway she will never be the same again. That she learnt new methods of teaching and got so many International friends and exposure.

However all the former participants I talked to cited the weather, that is the winter season and the fact that most books they were using were in Norsik as the major challenges they faced. They thanked the sponsors for the opportunity they had and wished that more teachers could get it.

They particularly thanked the administration at Rjukan upper secondary school, especially Ms. Ingrid Kjelsenes and Tom Nilsen for being such wonderful coordinators of the programme.

Fk.exchange teachers;Kajubi Mark William and Kasozi Daniel 2009-2010

Fk preparatory course

The three week long Fk preparatory course came to a close on Friday 1st October, 2010 at Hotell Hadeland.

Participants of Friendship Telemark Uganda

The course which attracted over 50 participants from different countries around the world was geared at preparing these Peace Corps, cope with living and working abroad. Among those present were participants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Nepal, Ghana, Ethiopia, Norway and many others from different countries.

While addressing participants, the FK Course coordinator Mr. Nahuel Polesel urged the participants to be good ambassadors wherever they are going to work, and keep the FK flag flying higher.
During the three weeks, participants were taken through a number of issues such as Intercultural communication and how to handle personal challenges among others.
The participants on their part thanked the management of FK and all the partners involved for giving them the opportunity of living and working abroad.
The function ended with awarding certificates to the participants, and the coordinators wished them good luck wherever they going to work.                                                                

                                  

Goodbye Rjukan

Mengo Senior School on Facebook: Goodbye Rjukan! The Mengo team today left Rjukan for Norway from where they will fly out back to Uganda. This concludes their visit but begins a new chapter of collaboration, sharing and mutal understanding. Mr. Komeja challenged them to share with peers and collegues in Uganda their experiences and perspectives from the visit as a means of cascading the impact of the program.

Leaving Rjukan and our host class 1ST (S4) tomorrow...

Students working together

Farewell to Rjukan! Let's meet in uganda

ELIMU friendship North - South: Mengo-students and teachers in Rjukan, Norway

A visit to the Gausta-area

Making pizza for lunch with Norwegian host students

Mengo-teacher Glorious Bua and the Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim

fk-participants 2010-2011

Norwegian and Ugandan participants in a three weeks Preparatory Course FK-north-south, Hadeland Norway: Trond, Randi, Edward and Bernard

New Vision: Norway rewards Ugandan teachers

Ingrid Kjelsnes hands over the laptops to Bakka Male at King’s College, Budo

Norway rewards Ugandan teachers
New Vision skriver i sin tirsdagsutgave om samarbeidet mellom Telemark og Uganda:
Ugandan teachers are to benefit from Norway’s extension of the teacher’s exchange programme with Uganda to 2013. The programme that initially ran from 2002-2007 was reviewed by the Norway in partnership with Fredskorpset due to the good implementation in Uganda.

The programme has one teacher from Kings College Budo, Mengo S.S and St. Joseph technical Institute, each selected to teach in the Norwegian schools.
According to the arrangement, teachers from Uganda teach practical and science subjects in Norway while Norwegian teachers handle information technology, physical education and wood and metal work in Uganda.
One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Peter Ssenyimba of Kings College Budo, said Ugandan teachers will be exposed to the Norwegian system of conducting lessons in groups to facilitate close teacher-child interaction in class.
“I implemented it in Budo and now I can easily relate with my students, which was not the case before. I can quickly establish any problem if there is any,” says Senyimba Ugandan teachers will also learn to use teaching aids to enrich their lessons.
Meanwhile, Kings College Budo has received a donation of eight laptops worth sh16m. Handing over the donation to Patrick Bakka Male, the school head teacher, Fredskorpset project coordinator, Ingrid Kjelsnes, said the donation was an extension of the warm relationship between Norway and Uganda. (Mubiru Kakebe, New Vision)

going home to Uganda

Mark and Daniel attending Fk Homecoming Seminar for debreafing after 10 months in Norway 

Fk Certificate ceremony

How can we contribute in developing vocational education?

Today we had a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador, Bjørg S. Leite, to talk about projects on vocational education in Uganda

Girl's Dormatory June 2010

The showers

Afternoon activities - preparing for the party

One of the girls by her bed

Cooking for the party of "Cleanest dormatory of the term"

There will be a good meal of their goat

Gayaza High School

Guro  and Ingrid Together with students of Gayaza High School

Education in Ssese

Visit to Ssesse Agricultural Farm School

Visit to Kyambogo University

Representatives of Kyambogo University, St. Joseph Techncal Institute and Friendship Telemark Uganda

The intention is to create a platform where the three groups could meet and share experiences regarding how they are implementing knowledge and skills acquired during their stay in Norway, challenges they are facing and support each other to mention but a few.

The venture started with a visit to Akershus University College so as to share their intentions and pave a way forward.

BUILDING NETWORKS - vocational education

On the 19th, of May 2010 :fk coordinators (Ingrid and Tom) and participants (Mark and Daniel) from Rjukan vgs visited Akershus University College, Norway. They held a meeting with (Johan Houge–Thiis, Dr. Liv Mjelde, Roger Bakken and others) coordinators of NOMA Masters program in Vocational Pedagogy project at Akerhus University College.
Since NOMA is project which sponsor students from Kyambogo University in Uganda to pursue a Masters degree in Vocational Pedagogy in Akerhus University College, Norway and :fk partnership between Telemark County Norway and Ministry of Education Uganda exchange Teachers from Vocational / Technical and Academic schools in Uganda, members who attended this meeting stressed the need for the two projects to form a cooperation in order to join efforts and work together to improve Vocational Education in Uganda.

Laila Larsen (HiAk), Roger Bakken (HiAk), Fatin Osman H. Ahmed (Upper Nile University), Liv Mjelde (Kyambogo Un Ug/HiAk). Daniel Kasozi and Mark Kajubi, Friendship Telemark Uganda

In order to cement this cooperation, :fk coordinators from Rjukan vgs promised to visit Kyambogo )University, Uganda in June and have a meeting with teachers and former students of Masters in Vocational Pedagogy (MVP) at the University.

The two teams also agreed to organize seminars about Vocational Pedagogy both in Norway and Uganda to emphasis the need for a field of knowledge oriented towards trades, occupations and professions in both countries.
They stressed the need of holding workshops and giving short courses to grass root Vocational Teachers in order to speed up the dissemination of Vocational Pedagogy in Uganda.
We’re optimistic that this cooperation shall bring a fundamental changes in Vocational Education in both Norway and Uganda.

Rjukan barneskole: Working hard for children in Uganda

Last week pupils of Rjukan barneskole (primary school) had a week of social entrepreneurship. They worked for children in Uganda: Rjukan barneskole jobba hardt i Uganda-uke
FK- participant Mark Kajubi's reflecting on this work:
Last week pupils at Rjukan elementary (primary) school Norway, were involved in raising money to help re-settle fellow Ugandan children who live on streets of the country’s towns and cities.

They have been able to achieve this by making waffles at school and selling them to Rimi- one of the big supermarkets in Rjukan town.
Fellow Ugandans, there is a price to pay for anything good in this world. Norwegian pupils in the above mentioned school are raising the money by providing a service and so, the recipient s of this money should not perceive it as surplus money that these pupils have got from their own pockets – or pockets of their parents . Therefore it must be used responsibly to serve its intended purpose.

Foto: For Radio Rjukan Tarjei Solvang Stensrud (7.trinn)

Visit to Sund folkehøyskole - a tradition of FK exchange teachers

The last two years Ugandan participents visited Sund Folkehøyskole to teach students in UN-class.

Daniel and Mark :fk exchange Teachers from Uganda visited Sund folkehogskole nearTrondheim in April  2010.
From Daniels report:
Sund folkehøyskole is a wonderful place, special and far different from the other schools we have visited. Teachers and student are socially different from many Norwegians in the society. They are very lively, charming, happy and social to one another. We’re involved in many activities both on Saturday and Sunday they were all full of fun, we rely enjoyed their company.

On Monday 27th we had a lesson with : fk class, UN class and the Development class, all the three classes combined made approximately 40 students. We presented about political trends in Uganda since independence and about culture (the differences and similarities between Norway and Uganda) we had a very interesting discussion, students asked a lot about Ugandan politics and culture and contributed the same about Norwegian Culture.

Climbing a three....Saturday activity

Ugandan FKers visiting other schools in Telemark

Ugandan FKers from Rjukan visit Kvitsund vgs

One of the teachers in Kvitsund vgs requested the Ugandan FKers to share their experience in Norwegian culture compared to Ugandan culture with classes of sociology and anthropology. On 13th and 19th of March Mark and Daniel had lessons with three different classes. In all these classes students and fk-ers discussed the differences between Norwegian and Ugandan culture. Another theme was about poverty in Africa.

Norwegian National JA - YE Championship Lillestrøm

 UE, Lillestrøm today; April 30th: FK-participants Daniel Kasozi and Mark Kajubi the enterprice;Globand.UB (Drammen vgs and Kololo S.S.S  presenting how to work on entrepreneurship in Uganda to the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development; Liv Signe Navarsete

Bringing people together!