Students in the Social Action Club at Muirlands Middle School in La Jolla CA collected many, many items for the students at the Gayaza school, and had a great learning experience about life in Uganda. Led by their energetic teacher/mentor Ms. Susan Minnicks, these middle school students worked on a year-long project to get donations from their fellow students of needed items, including school supplies, notebooks, art supplies, pens, pencils, scissors, protractors, personal hygiene items, soccer balls and pumps, athletic clothes, a microscope, and much more. All of this (22 cubic feet) was boxed and shipped by land and sea to the Gayaza school. Included with the shipment were more soccer balls donated by Coach Shannon Collins from Point Loma High School in San Diego CA. After five months in transit, the shipment made it across the Pacific Ocean, and inland to Uganda. Once there, after it had cleared customs, the five huge boxes were picked up by the teachers and transported to the school. The boxes were opened at a full-school assembly and all the items were passed out to the students.

In Uganda, school fees often correspond to nearly half the annual income of a family. So, sometimes it is not possible for all children in a f

amily to attend high school. There is usually little money left for school supplies.   The principal of the Gayaza school, Dr. Frank Kakinda, reports that the students are so grateful to receive the gifts, and they are excited to know that students in America care enough to collect these gifts for them. Dr. Kakinda also is grateful for the soccer balls. He said: “We use four soccer balls each year at the school and since you have given us 28 soccer balls, this means we have enough balls for seven years”. This statement truly expresses the spirit of the Ugandans we are helping in Uganda.   Quench and Connect sends many thanks to Ms. Minnicks and the students of the Muirlands Social Action Club for their hard work.