Father Lawrence Kizito Kimbowa (left) of the nonprofit Change a Life Uganda meets with Red Bank Charter School principal Meredith Pennotti (second from left), during his visit to the school on October 5.
Press release from Red Bank Charter School
On Monday, October 5, the students and staff of Red Bank Charter School welcomed a pair of special guest speakers, Father Lawrence Kizito Kimbowa and Jean Semler. Both guests were in Red Bank as representatives from Change a Life Uganda, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned and disadvantaged children and their families in the Ugandan communities of Migyera and Nabbingo.
Addressing a classroom audience, Father Lawrence shared his personal history as a Ugandan child refugee during a civil war, as well as the impact that one family made on his life when they sponsored his education — an outreach that led in turn to his life-long mission to continue the gift of education to children of rural villages at the St. Lawrence School in Migyera.
With help from Semler and Dave Thelen, Change A Life Uganda was founded with the aim of allowing many more Ugandan children access to a school education.
The important visit coincided with the weeks-long planning of the annual RBCS International Day, to be held on October 22 — a special event designed to create awareness of global issues and conversations that shape understanding of our common global community.
Over the course of several weeks, the students of Red Bank Charter School will research countries around the world; learning about their customs, politics, religious practices, and languages. On International Day, each of the school’s classrooms will transform into a different country, showcasing what the children learned. Activities will include performances and samplings of specialty food items. The doors of RBCS will open to families and special visitors, and everyone will use a “passport” to visit these countries, ending the “trip around the world” at a closing ceremony.
“There’s no better way to launch our preparation and studies for International Day than to host Father Lawrence and Jean Semler, and hear their significant lesson on the impact each one of us can make to our greater community”, said RBCS Principal Meredith Pennotti. “Every International Day, we prepare our young learners for a rich understanding of the complex world in which we all live.”
For additional information on International Day at RBCS, email [email protected].
