Northern Uganda School Brings Hope to Disadvantaged Students Following 22 Years of War
Ocer Campion Jesuit College, located in war-ravaged Gulu, Uganda, began as the dream of a Jesuit priest and is now open for learning while construction actively continues on 98.5 acres of land donated by a local Ugandan family. The initial enrollment of 22 girls and 12 boys is just the beginning of a comprehensive 10-year plan to house, educate and teach vocational skills to up to 1,200 students eager to learn.
Round Rock, TX (PRWEB) August 3, 2010 —
With peace finally dawning in war-torn northern Uganda, many believe that education will be key to prosperity in the region. Catholics, Protestants, local Ugandan families and friends around the world have united to build a school and vocational center named for the Acholi word "Ocer" meaning "He is risen." Recently opened with an initial enrollment of 22 girls and 12 boys, the comprehensive 10-year plan will provide education to up to 1,200 disadvantaged students. In an effort to share this remarkable project with others within social networks, a new Ocer Campion Jesuit College Facebook page (http://www. facebook. com/pages/Ocer-Campion-Jesuit-College-Gulu-Uganda/127090617336217), YouTube channel and blog are now online.
Father Tony's Dream — The northern region of Uganda and its main city Gulu have long been marginalized, made even worse by 22 years of horrific civil war where nearly 30,000 children were abducted and thousands more people maimed or killed. Nearly everything in their lives is broken down — culture, family life, morale, morality, health, economy, and education.
In 2006 while visiting the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) refugee camps, Father Tony Wach, an American Jesuit priest living in Uganda since 1991, recognized the need for a center that would provide education, vocational training, financial aid and community services.
"We have to educate people about peace. We share the Christian concept of forgiveness as a peace-building element. If refugees hold on to hurt and hatred, it will be the cause for new conflicts later on", explained Fr. Peter Balleis, International Director, Jesuit Refugee Service.
A vivid multi-media presentation of Fr. Tony's visit to the IDP camps and resources about northern Uganda are available online on the new community blog at Aloyo. org (http://Aloyo. org).
Fr. Tony envisioned a 10-year plan beginning with the construction of a secondary school. A 98.5 acre site located northeast of Gulu, Uganda was donated by a local Ugandan family. In 2007, with the help of private donations and contributions of needed services from Jesuit partners, construction began.
"Dreams don't go very far unless other people join the dream", said Fr. Tony, President/Project Director, Ocer Campion Jesuit College, Gulu, in an interview available on YouTube ( Father Tony's Dream (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=S0RWt85h09U) ).
Second Term Begins For 34 Students Eager To Learn, With Many More To Follow — Ocer recently opened its doors for the second term with an enrollment of 22 girls and 12 boys. There is a waiting list for 3rd term in September 2010. A dormitory now under construction for girls, who currently make up two-thirds of the enrollment, should be finished for 2011, allowing Ocer to accept students from a much wider area. Photos of current students and staff are available at Aloyo. org (http://Aloyo. org).
A Photo History Depicts A Truly Ground-Up, Hands On Effort By Local Ugandans And Jesuit Community — The construction effort involves local Ugandans, Jesuit partners and other supporters. Bricks and concrete materials were made by hand on site by men and women who were motivated to be a part of the post-war reconstruction of their homeland, with high hopes that education — and this new school — would secure the future of their children. Photos taken by award-winning photographer Fr. Don Doll, SJ during the construction of Phase 1 are available at Aloyo. org (http://Aloyo. org).
Comprehensive Plans And Designs For Building Expansion Now Online — The Ocer Campion Jesuit College boarding school will accommodate up to 1,200 disadvantaged boys and girls. The comprehensive educational complex in Gulu will foster both liberal arts and vocational schooling to promote self-reliance as well as respect for the manual arts and the related trades. The school is designed to meet a fundamental need for both financial subsidies and a pre-secondary year for orientation, remedial education and trauma counseling. Agriculture, the main economic resource in the area, will be a required subject, teaching valuable skills not passed down to children who spent most of their lives in the IDP camps. Students will participate hands-on, which also helps feed students and staff at the school.
The detailed plans and drawings are available at Aloyo. org (http://Aloyo. org), where enlarged drawings can be viewed using zoom technology.
Join Ocer Campion Jesuit College On Facebook And Become A Friend Of Ugandan Students — Interested parties can keep track of ongoing project activities and support the school and Ugandan students by becoming a Friend at the new Ocer Campion Jesuit College Facebook page (http://www. facebook. com/pages/Ocer-Campion-Jesuit-College-Gulu-Uganda/127090617336217).
To contact the Jesuit Wisconsin Province or Fr. Tony Wach about the school or to contribute to the project, visit Aloyo. org (http://Aloyo. org). Aloyo means "I have survived" in Acholi.
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