Help Us Train Montessori Teachers in Uganda!

Many thanks to all those who supported our effort to fund the practicum training of four Montessori teachers for Mother Earth Montessori School (MEM) in Gulu, Uganda.  You did it!  Your donations met our goal, enabling the four young adults to complete their practicum training.

COVID-19 pandemic had wrecked havoc with the plans of Mother Earth Montessori School to train four primary teachers at St. Ann's Montessori Training College in Nakuru, Kenya.  These four student teachers were to take courses in child development, Montessori principles and make their own Montessori primary materials, before beginning their practicums.  But the pandemic snarled all their plans.  The students were stuck in Nakuru for months when the border between Kenya and Uganda was closed.  Eventually, they returned to Uganda, but then another lockdown prevented them from returning to Nakuru to begin their practicums at Corner of Hope early in 2021.  They eventually returned to St. Ann's late in the spring of 2021, to began their classroom studies at Corner of Hope.  

Listen to Adong Sharon Mitchelle talk about her experience learning about Montessori principles and education and her dream of the impact it will have on the children in Uganda. https://youtu.be/2OlgL7aqL_Y

She and the other three students finished their practicums in November 2021, passed their exams with flying colors and returned to Gulu, Uganda. Now they will begin their teaching careers at MEM, about a year later than planned.

Mother Earth Montessori School first opened its doors in February 2020 to children from an internally displaced persons camp (IDP).  In the first several days, a handful of children came to the school, but shortly thereafter more than 90 children clamoured to attend. MEM knew it had to have trained Montessori teachers to work with these children and thus it set about to train these four young adults.  But as noted above the pandemic stopped the training, isolated the student teachers, shut MEM and delayed the education of its many children.

Your donations closed the financial gap MEM encountered.  Your gifts made it possible for the four student teachers to complete their practicums, finish making their Montessori materials and return to Gulu and MEM to restart the school and help the children to reach their infinite potential.

Thank you so much for all your support.

Links:

• The story behind our effort to fund MEM's student teachers