Oct 2023

Make an Impact

Achieving Excellence Together

Through Empowerment & Education

Our goal is to nurture inspiration within the young minds of Uganda so that they may ultimately take part in the bettering of humanity’s future.

What are we up to?

Current Project: Female Empowerment Program

This program is designed to increase the overall literacy and retention rate for girls and women in the Pader District. It will be the first of its kind in the area and can truly elevate the impact of True Vine Education to unprecedented heights. We believe education, starting with literacy, can open doors of empowerment that may have previously been thought of as unachievable. We are committed to closing the gaps that exist between women and men surrounding education and literacy, and aim to raise overall awareness of the importance of gender equality.

truevineuganda

When we care for women’s health, we nurture the

When we care for women’s health, we nurture the roots of society. 🌿🌻

True Vine hosted its first ever free women’s health workshop where girls and women of our community came together to make reusable menstrual pads. We were facilitated by our dear sister, Winifred, of Women Together for Action, who helped teach over 65 individuals how to cut, sow, and care for their new pad. We were thrilled by the success of this program and look forward to hosting more of them!

#HereForHer #BePartOfOurVine #ugandaeducation #womenshealth #menstrationisnotachoice

Our work is meant to be shared with everyone; all

Our work is meant to be shared with everyone; all ages and all abilities. We don’t aim to only teach the children of our school. We aim to reach and inspire other adults, other schools, other districts, and one day, other countries.

Our director, Okello, was hosted on Teacher Talk by @teacherstvafrica . He discussed his thoughts surrounding unhealthy competition among African schools and also shared a bit about what we do at True Vine. We are not only transforming how students view education, but how parents and stakeholders do too.

#bepartofourvine #teachertalk #africanschools #ugandaeducation

We did our best, and our best is enough! Melinda c

We did our best, and our best is enough! Melinda completed her very first triathlon, and in the process raised $4000 towards our big projects! 🥳 We are beyond excited to start moving forward with attaining electricity and running water, as well as providing our community program for adult literacy.

A big shoutout is deserved for all of those who contributed to this fundraiser, especially our major donors. Your generosity is kinetic, and it will carry forward with impressive momentum.

Melinda will be in Uganda next week, and she is excited to share how your support is actively nurturing our True Vine family. 💚
#bepartofourvine #northernuganda #ugandaeducation #womenseducation #sustainabilityefforts

These children breathe life into Pajule! And you g

These children breathe life into Pajule! And you get to see it in nearly real-time, through your screen, thousands of miles away.
If you’re following our journey, you are witnessing extraordinary change in an incredible community. We thank you for being here. 💕
#bepartofourvine #pajule #ugandaeducation #northernuganda #acholi #acholiland

The universal language! Our dance team choreograp

The universal language!

Our dance team choreographed a dance for the kindergarten graduation ceremony and this was one of their first practices.
Who wants to see more from them? 🙌

#ugandadance #pajule #internationaleducation #danceteam #bepartofourvine

A big event with a big impact! Please join in su

A big event with a big impact!

Please join in supporting True Vine Education through Melinda’s first ever triathlon endeavor. Your donations will directly fund our highest priority projects, like installing running water and electricity, and bringing the power of reading and writing to more women in the area.

Your help is what allows us to maintain our collective learning environment as a beacon of light in Pajule and the greater area.

Please share our fundraising campaign with anyone and everyone you know. This post was meant to reach you. 😊

#beapartofourvine #paderdistrict #boulder #coloradomarathon #ugandaeducation

The new academic year has begun! With that, our an

The new academic year has begun! With that, our annual teacher training took place as well. We use this professional development opportunity to align all our teachers, both returning and newly joining, in the strategies our school uses to teach reading and writing. Additionally, since our school is different from many traditional Ugandan schools, we focus on how to transition from a teacher-focused teaching approach to a student-focused approach.

We love the commitment of our teachers to continual growth and improvement! Cheers to a successful 2024 year! 😊

What a journey it’s been! When you can visibly s

What a journey it’s been! When you can visibly see the changes in our kids from the time we opened until now, it reinforces why our efforts are so important. We went from 50 pupils to over 250 in a year and a half! That’s more readers, writers, and mathematicians than ever before! 😄 We love what we do, and we can’t wait to see how we grow in the coming years.

#truevineeducation #bepartofourvine #pajule #uganda #smilesaroundtheworld

There we have it! Another term comes to an end. Wh

There we have it! Another term comes to an end. What a year we’ve had so far!

True Vine is gaining more recognition from the community as a serious institution for education because we have committed ourselves to growth in every way imaginable. We understand these things take time, and with the educators we have, we know that one day we will be the model school for academics in Northern Uganda. Big dreams create big impacts. ✨ We are steady watering our vine.
#northernuganda #ugandaeducation #truevine #paderdistrict #primaryeducation #nurseryeducation #brightfutures

Our teachers have been working extremely hard this

Our teachers have been working extremely hard this year, and they continue to put in maximum efforts to nurture their pupils and grow as educators. Our staff recently participated in a training seminar for early reading implementation, and it was highly beneficial!

Many schools in Uganda tend to teach reading strictly through rote memorization. At True Vine, however, we are developing reading through phonics (letter sounds). This approach is scientifically proven to build a stronger foundation for early literacy.

#earlyreaders #ugandanschools #literacyforall #teachertraining #pajule

It’s already here! Our new academic year begins

It’s already here! Our new academic year begins February 6th and we are already mobilizing our staff and community. We need your help to fund some important items before the year begins.

Please take a moment to donate on our website at Truevineeducation.org. Every penny goes towards something crucial, like ensuring all our students and staff receive one meal each day. A dollar goes a long way.

Cheers to another year! 🥳

Happy New Year!! 🥳 Here is one of our founders

Happy New Year!! 🥳

Here is one of our founders, Okello David, who is also our school director, surrounded by the beautiful smiles of some of our pupils. We want to thank all of you for your support in the success of our first year open! Cheers to the new goals, new pupils, new staff, and new ideas of 2023. ☺️

If you’re feeling generous, please donate on our website Truevineeducation.org to bless the beginning of our new academic year! Thank you. 🙏
#ugandaschools #pajule #ngoeducation #nonprofiteducation

Huge updates are coming to our True Vine school! W

Huge updates are coming to our True Vine school! We are so excited to announce that we will officially have a P4 (4th grade) class in the next academic year! This means our current P3 class will get to remain with us this upcoming year. 🥳

With the hard work of our community, this pile of bricks will soon be transformed into the new classroom addition to our present building. We are so grateful for the opportunity to continue paving the academic pathway for over 150 pupils who have been with us for our very first year! #keepgrowing #ugandaeducation #northernuganda #truevine

Welcome to our school! Here are all of our student

Welcome to our school! Here are all of our students for morning assembly. We’re a few weeks into term 2 of our first academic year, and we couldn’t be more proud of our dedicated staff members and committed learners.
#ugandanschools #northernuganda #studentsforfuture #paderdistrict #educationforall #teachersappreciation #primaryschool #nurseryschool

An inside look at our new uniforms! 🤗 The kids

An inside look at our new uniforms! 🤗 The kids are loving their sharp new attire. The pink tops are for the three kinder level classes and the blue are for the three primary levels. We are looking forward to every student having their True Vine uniform, and your support helps us make sure that happens. Please consider donating today. Link to our website is in the bio.

#truevine #sharpdressedkids #uganda #readytolearn #brightfutures

May we continue to praise the strength it takes to

May we continue to praise the strength it takes to be a woman in this world through compassion, respect, listening, and celebration of all women everywhere. All of us here at True Vine have deep gratitude for the commitment and hardwork of our female teachers and staff. The motherly care they give to our students is essential for nurturing the vibrant garden of these young minds.

Here we have [from left to right in pic 1]: Cook Proscovia, Cook Vicky, Teacher Scovia Arach, Matron Irene, Teacher Robina, Teacher Harriet, and Teacher Agnes. 💕

Happy International Women’s Day!

Here is a beautiful poem by Ugandan poet, Susan Kiguli.

My Mother in Three Photographs

Her face looks out
flawless
her sexuality electric
in a mini dress and sheer satin stockings
the girls of the 1960s
beautiful beyond belief.
She is looking through the camera
like her space is here and beyond
enchanting and enchanted
by the times when the dreams of freedom were young
the fortunes of Uganda
hot and sizzling.

My mother in the 1970s
More sombre but her skin
Still flawless
The abrasive years gentle on her youth.
Her body wrapped in a long nylon dress
stopping her ankles and
full sleeves touching her wrists
hooded sorrow in her posture
the flowing dress
is not because
she is a widow (which is by government action)
but it is a government decree.
Her magnificence and elegance
Seems to support the given name of the dress
Amin nvaako.

My mother in the 1990s
neat short hair
luring in its intricate curls.
She wears a **busuuti
a sign of the times
a return home, a finding of
uncertain peace
a maturing of a woman and nation
an endorsement of a recognition of the troubles
she has weathered
a sitting down to count her losses and blessings
and a hand over of the future.

#uganda #IWD #pajule #truevine #educationforall #vibrantminds #investinginchildren #ugandanpoets

1st grade teacher, Scovia Arach, preps her classro

1st grade teacher, Scovia Arach, preps her classroom for the first day of class by repainting the chalkboard with a fresh coat of chalkboard paint. 😊

President Museveni of Uganda has finally permitted nursery and primary level school to reopen. All of our staff, students, and community members have been patiently waiting almost 2 years for this moment.

Please consider donating to our school to continue our efforts during our first academic year. PayPal is preferred (please DM for more info) or you can donate directly through our website at truevineuganda.com.

Cheers to our very first year! 🥳 Apwoyo matek!

Apwoyo Kato Mwaka from True Vine Education Center!

Apwoyo Kato Mwaka from True Vine Education Center! 2021 was challenging in many ways, but it brought a lot of growth for our school and community. Our milestones include:

- The construction of our school was completed in March

-True Vine was officially registered with the Pajule Town Council in Pader District.

-The families of the nearby village, Aringogwa, worked tirelessly to construct a direct path to the school for the children.

-True Vine gained a total of 13 cattle to help our self-sustainability initiative.

-We purchased 5 acres of land for the school farm. This land will be used to rear the cattle as well as grow food for our school’s feeding program.

-All personnel have been hired and are ready to begin our first year.

-Over 100 students have been registered for our opening year!

-And finally, as of today, January 31st, President Museveni has declared that all schools are allowed to reopen. Our first day will be January 10th, 2022!

We express our sincerest gratitude to all of you who have donated, shared, and supported us along the way. We are beyond excited to begin our first academic year, and hope you continue to follow our journey as we continue to grow. Apwoyo matek! (Thank you so much!)

#ugandaschools #northernuganda #pader #pajule #2022 #education

A short teaser video to help introduce our school!

A short teaser video to help introduce our school! Please follow the link to learn more about our efforts. Even a small donation goes a far way. We thank you all for your support. 🙏

During the country-wide lockdown that has halted n

During the country-wide lockdown that has halted nursery and primary education for over a year now, we try to create opportunities that allow the youth in the area to be exactly who they are; children. We believe they need space to be free of the burdens of the lockdown. It’s beautiful evenings like this, seeing them use the school compound and new football (soccer ball), that remind us we can continue providing for the community despite the academic restrictions. We hope to begin our school year soon, but regardless, the football matches will. play. on!
#pajule #truevine #uganda #football

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