ARU in Action

VISIONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Contributed by Patricia Seybold

As we bumped our way through the countryside on the dirt roads that link villages together, with the young women from the African Rural University (ARU) who were going out into the villages to do their field work, the women would point to a dwelling along the road and exclaim: “There’s someone with a vision!” It’s true. You can easily spot the results of URDT’s education, training and unique philosophy: “Create a VISION of the way you would like to be living, contrast that vision with the CURRENT REALITY of the way you live today, and COMMIT yourself to achieving your vision.”

Photo: Results in progress of a Vision in action. This is one of the Girls' School student's "Back Home"  projects.

Scattered among the one-room mud and wattle huts visible from the road, you see neat outhouses with ventilated roofs (to disperse the flies), thriving multi-crop gardens, brick homes with metal roofs, children who are well-fed and well-groomed, and herds of healthy cattle. You see village children fetching water from protected wells. You see school buildings for both primary and secondary schools, many of them  built by members of the local community, working together, across tribal and cultural barriers, to achieve a common goal: better education for their children.

 

In Memoriam: Betty Kauma Namukuba

We mourn the loss of our beloved fellow ARU student and Girls' School teacher, Betty Kauma Namukuba.

Betty passed away on February 27th. She died of complications resulting from repeated asthma attacks. She leaves a husband and two small children and many saddened members of the ARU, URDT and Kagadi communities. May she rest in peace!

FIELD WORK IN KABAMBA-Continued

(Continued Report by Patricia Seybold, ARU Council Member)

CONDITIONS IN KABAMBA. After Father Matthiew spoke, the next introductory remarks were made by two village leaders--a man and a woman. They explained the current reality in Kabamba. The village already has a water source and a bore hole (which is not adequately protected) and a primary school (without very good teachers). They talked about the fact that the community members longed for prosperity and peace. Both community leaders pledged the full support of the community for the workshop and for the hard work to follow. Community members and ARU students spoke a number of different tribal languages. But they were all able to converse. Much of the documentation was done in English--Uganda’s official language--so we were able to follow along.

Photo: Resty Namubiru, first year student at the African Rural University leads a current reality/vision discussion among the opinion leaders in the small rural community of Kabamba.   


THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

The ARU students and staff asked the community members to divide into five groups:

• Opinion leaders--including the village elders and the local government and church leaders

• The Men with families who work and live in the community

• The Women with families who work and live in the community

• Children between the ages of 6 and 12

• Youth--young men and women who are not yet married

LEARNING CIRCLES AT ARU

This is how we come together and do things together as ARU students. We talk about our feelings. We share good things and bad things. And we help each other through all circumstances. We share our experiences and build on them to become better people. And we do this under the supervision of our lecturer, Doreen Kyomugisha.

What's the Degree Program?

The African Rural University Students are engaged in a three-year program that will culminate in a Bachelor of Visionary Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Rural Development and Gender.

The African Rural University Students in Action

The African Rural University for Women is the first university in Uganda to offer specialized training in integrated rural development. ARU is based on the 60-acre campus of the Uganda Rural Development and Training  center (URDT) in Kagadi, in the Kibaale District of western Uganda. ARU was founded in 2006. The first class of students entered ARU in September, 2007.

The community transformation specialists who graduate from ARU after three years of study and completion of their dissertations will be visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, rural development experts and gender and technology professionals.

You can follow their work here!  Here's a photo of the entering class of students with Mwalimu Musheshe, the founder of ARU and the chairman of URDT (far right) and the Vice Chancellor of ARU, Dr. Remi Munyonyo.