Back home

Upon returning to our comparatively easier lives in the United States, it can be easy to forget that there are people struggling around the world. Connect Uganda students work tirelessly to improve the lives of Ugandans in any way they can. Many feats have been accomplished, but there is still much to do! Through donations, grants, and possibly even an All-Greek Fundraiser, Drake students try to obtain our $60,000 goal. Check out what we're working on below!

Sure Prospects Braille Printer

Sure Prospects is a safe refuge to many blind children, however, these children have no ability to communicate through written language. The braille printer hopes to bring these children an opportunity they would not otherwise have. 

Sure Prospects Water Project

Connect Uganda is in the process of applying for grants to pay for a borehole system with integrated filtration. They are also working on a large scale grant through Drake University to establish a group to further research water usage in Kikandwa. There they hope to better understand what part of the water process is resulting in the transmission of waterborne illness and then in turn they plan to establish a system of educational intervention to help counteract the problem.​

Days for Girls

​The Days for Girls project promotes female empowerment by providing girls in Uganda with reusable sanitary products so that they do not miss school due to menstruation. They have fundraised money and partnered with the Days for Girls Des Moines Team and the Des Moines community to create reusable sanitary kits for girls. In June 2015, 150 kits were distributed to girls in several Ugandan schools. They continually collect items for the kits and participate in DfG Des Moines Sewing days. In June 2016, they will survey girls who have received kits in order to obtain feedback and distribute even more kits. 
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City Secondary School Computers

Drake University sponsored a computer lab by providing unused desktop computers with standard Windows and Microsoft office software. They hope to bring more computers to the school in the future!

Prisons Project

Upon visiting the Luzira Maximum Security Men's Prison in Kampala, Drake students were inspired by the amount of love and hopeful spirits in the prison. During Q & A with the prisoners, student Hallie Salee asked one of them if he could do anything at all, what would it be? And he said that he just would hope to tell his son and family how to never end up in his position. Later on in the trip, Salee met a close Ugandan friend who had a parent in prison. He told me about the innocence of his father and the corruption that lead to his imprisonment, and some of the family's struggles during his time away. Salee plans to write a book of the prisoners' stories to empower them and enlighten others around the globe. 

Kikandwa Health Clinic

Connect Uganda's most proud accomplishment to date, the health clinic was completed in the summer of 2014. In an area with little opportunity for medical advancement, the clinic has serviced dozens of expectant mothers and those suffering from curable diseases. Connect Uganda students are in the second phase of fundraising the clinic, trying to raise additional funds to buy even more life-saving equipment.

Projects that our students have worked on:
​Kikandwa Health Center (left), City Secondary Computers (center) and Sure Prospects Water Project (right)
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