Daniel says that when he grows up, he wants to be an Engineer and he thinks this will be a good job for him to pay him enough money each month and thus do a lot of development and help his parents and the other relatives.

Francis likes playing football but he says that when he grows up, he wants to be a Business man. He backs up his point by saying this will give him time to build his talent in football “in business I will have time for myself, I will not be working for people” ……… Francis adds. He also thinks similar to his friend that business will help cater for his parents and develop.

Kids usually have a pretty good idea of what they want to be when they grow up, and no idea at all how much those jobs get paid. Blame it on childish innocence or fantastic imaginations, but most kids are in for repeated heartbreak when they get older–as when they realize how hard ballerina jobs are to come by, and when they find out what dancers get paid.

The scenario became more fun when I moved into one class room and I asked the similar question… the answers were on focus and off point. This tells me that other children in school know where they are cruising to and others are there for the sake

Take it a point to help the children hold focus for their future …. Such that they will become productive and responsible people in the community. I strongly believe that this is a two way traffic … it can be done by parents and teachers. One of my friends told me it can even be done by the community. Let us come up and help these young men and women.    Lots of love

Mathias Walwana

BROSDI

Tests are one method of measuring what you have learned in a course. Doing well on tests and earning good grades begin with good study habits. If your goal is to become a successful student, take the time to develop good study habits.

This digest offers a plan to help you study for tests. It explains how to prepare for and take tests. Techniques for taking essay, multiple choice and other types of exams are reviewed. Although these techniques may help you improve your test scores, other factors, such as class participation, independent projects and term papers also contribute toward grades.

Before the test, Organization, planning and time management are skills essential to becoming a successful student; so start studying as soon as classes begin. Read assignments, listen during lectures and take good classroom notes. Then, reread the assignment, highlighting important information to study. Reviewing regularly allows you to avoid cramming and reduces test anxiety. The biggest benefit is it gives you time to absorb information.

Read difficult assignments twice. Sometimes a second reading will clarify concepts. If you are having difficulty with a subject, get help immediately. Meet with your teacher after class, use an alternate text to supplement required reading or hire a teacher

Plan ahead, scheduling review periods well in advance. Set aside one hour on a Saturday or Sunday to review several subjects. Keep your reviews short and do them often.

Daily reviews–Conduct short before and after class reviews of lecture notes. Begin reviewing after your first day of class.

Weekly reviews–Dedicate about 1 hour per subject to review assigned reading and lecture notes.

Major reviews–Start the week before an exam and study the most difficult subjects when you are the most alert. Study for 2 to 5 hours punctuated by sufficient breaks.

Another useful tool is a study checklist. Make a list of everything you need to know for the exam. The list should include a brief description of reading assignments, types of problems to solve, skills to master, major ideas, theories, definitions, and equations. When you begin your final study sessions, cross off items as you review them.

For some subjects, study groups are an effective tool. Study groups allow students to combine resources; members share an academic goal and provide support and encouragement. Such groups meet regularly to study and learn a specific subject. To form a study group, look for dedicated students who ask and answer questions in class, and who take notes. Suggest to two or three that you meet to talk about group goals, meeting times and other logistics. Effective study groups are limited to five or six people. Test the group first by planning a one-time-only session. If that works, plan another. After several successful sessions, schedule regular meetings.

On exam day arrive early and get organized. Pay attention to verbal directions as tests are distributed. Read directions slowly. Scan the entire test, noticing how many points each part is worth and estimate the time needed for individual questions. Before you start answering questions, write down memory aids, formulas, equations, facts and other useful information in the margins.

Check the directions to see if the questions call for more than one answer. Answer each question in your head before you look at the possible answers. If you can come up with the answer before you look at the choices you eliminate the possibility of being confused by them. Mark questions you can’t answer immediately and come back to them later. When taking a multiple-choice exam guess only if you are not penalized for incorrect answers. Use the following guidelines to make educated guesses.

With all that stated and many other skills that may seem good will help you make good grade …… avoid cheating as last……………… wish you the best in your examinations

BY….. GALYANGA GEOFREY

PATRON TEACHER HILL SIDE SECONDARY SCHOOL

By introducing children to the wonderful world of gardening and to the intricacies of nature, you will open their worlds to new ideas and experiences. Is there a greater gift?

These days, full of ripened fruits and vegetables in the farmers’ markets and grocery stores, have us thinking about planting our own garden. This is absolutely something you can do with your children on your outdoor playground!

Gardening with kids is totally do-able. It’s just a matter of education, preparation, and just a little patience. There are a lot of options when it comes to gardening. A mini garden allows children to access all sides of the garden to plant seeds, pull weeds and water the plants without actually stepping into the garden. They can dig, plant, nurture and harvest a variety of plants. This is the perfect size for planting some flowers by the front door; or planting vegetables that the children can grow and eat for a healthy snack.

Have you ever wondered about the underground world of roots, worms, and insects? Jump into that world with a root garden! Children can learn about the growth process as they plant seeds, water, and weed and harvest the “crops.” Periodically, children can open the Observation Doors and study the underground world of the root garden. These experiences will lead to conversations about nature and science.

By… Mathias Walwana

BROSDI

On writing this article, I tried fronting a question to most of my friends on what they think about the on going situation.  They had different comments and answers. “I am worried am going to lose my friends because I may not go back to my school …. My dad plans to take me to a different school” John commented. Also Lillian said “this situation is going to see most of us out of school for some time or forever because our guardians have got many of us to take care of yet the cost of keeping us in schools has grown so high.”

This situation is affecting us differently either as a category or individually. The question comes “whose concern and who is to blame?” I honestly have no answer but I appeal to whoever will read this and have the answer to please be honest and send it to us.

By: James Ngobi

H.C.C – Hill side Secondary School

Mark Receives a gift from Dr. John Balidawa after a debate at brosdi offices

Meeting him for the first time, he depicts a shy child and not the kind who holds all these titles. But Mark Mukyama, the 11 – year – old is not the ordinary child but an all-round boy who participates in every activity be at school or out of the school environment. He is in primary six at Lugolole Learning centre in Baitambogwe- Mayuge district.

Mark is a song leader, the chair person of the Debating and Readers clubs. He is also the prefect of health and sanitation. In his class, he scored 80% and above in all subjects in almost each term. Mark is a good artist too.

Apart from the above responsibilities, he also likes living in a clean environment. “When I am free, I move around the compound picking any dirty thing on my way. I hate unclean places,” he says. At he always helps the mother with washing dishes and cleaning the house.

Mark admires doctors especially those in St Francis Buluba hospital who sacrifice their time always to treat him when he gets sick and he loves the care and service they offer to young children. His dream is to become a doctor not a politician.

Mark is reading hard to score high marks in the primary leaving examination when he gets to primary seven to be in position to go and study from a good school. His message to fellow children majorly those of Hope Children Club is that they should put their trust and hope in God because He care about them all. He also calls on the government to stock more drugs in hospitals for children to access them and free education at university. Mr. Mufumbiro the Patron teacher Lugolole Learning Centre, describes Mark as an out going and a God-fearing child

By: Mathias Walwana

BROSDI

To our dear parents out there I guess you now understand that you have much to influence in the lives of your children, it doesn’t matter the age but for as long as a child to you.

A friend of mine told me a funny thing that disorganized my head the time I heard of it. He said that “the child’s behaviour is a reflection of the parents’ behaviours”………….. I just imagined the great numbers of people across the streets that are working against the norms of their cultures and guessed their parents were their role models.

In the African setting, much has changed and has caused the destruction of our culture as Africans just because the parents have not got concerned or have took everything to be “normal” forgetting the insults being caused to our culture.

Parents have left children to behave the way they imagine and to copy such kinds of behavior from soaps and movies. This reminds me of something that before we blame this generation, we should blame where it came from.

It is an appeal therefore to all the parents out there, to get concerned and have the behaviour of the children improved and preserve the norms of our cultures.

BY : KARUBA – HILL SIDE SECONDARY  SCHOOL

Even if we are all aware that the children are the potential parents of tomorrow, it is un fortunate that many orphans in rural areas wish they were dead.

Just like other developing countries, many orphans in rural Uganda are generally disadvantaged compared to their counterparts who are not orphans. Even if most orphans are cared for by extended family members, these orphans are more likely to live in households with more financial difficulties. The richer relatives usually do not want to associate them selves with the orphans because they don’t believe in extended families.

These orphans either have lower school completion rates or even no education at all. The foster parents educate them for a short time and claim there is no more money. In Uganda, there is free education under the UPE scheme but still parents claim they have no money to buy books and lunch. When I spoke to one orphan and asked her why she has to change school every term, she said when the school authorities’ demand for money for porridge or uniform, the parent tells her to go and study in another school with less demands and the moment the next school starts demanding for exercise books again the parent simply says change school again. In the end, in one school term of 3 months she said she moves to about 3 schools. This situation leads to very poor results of such students and in the end the parent says the child is too dense to continue with her education. The end result is staying at home to do house hold chores, being sent to town as a maid or forcing such children to get married to elder men. After all this yields property in form of cows and land to the care taker.

These problems become even more severe if a child is forced to separate from their siblings when the parents die. When this happens, the land is sold and hence the orphan children have no where to turn to.

This in many cases forces them to streets to beg or seek food to survive.

Every culture has a different influence on grief among children. In some cultures, females cannot own land. As a result if the affected family has no boys, the brothers of the dead take the land and tell the girls to find their level.

During one of our gathering with orphan children, a 14 year old girl explained that when her father died, the successor chased them out of the house and claimed he needed to marry a wife. As a result, she had to look for another home.

It is a common practice that in most rural areas in Africa, children cannot speak on their own. This is because of inferiority complex or due to their continued suppression. The situation is worse when these children are orphans.

Hope children’s club in Mayuge has fought this through monthly debates organized by BROSDI together with patron teachers. The project is termed as Nezikokolima. Under this program, the children choose topics under themes like HIV, Agriculture and Education and debate on them.

This has helped them to develop decisive awareness. A child is now able to take a position and then his/her debate partner challenges it from many points of view.  They are now able to identify logical contradictions and challenges. This has helped them to improve their academics as well.

When BROSDI first introduced the program, many of the children could not express them selves even in their own languages. Currently majority can even speak in front of an audience in English.

It has helped them to develop their personality. It is obvious that one cannot remain shy and still manage to debate. You must speak up when your opponent challenges you.

Some of the children where even able to express what has been on their mind for long. One boy while suggesting topics insisted that HIV victims should be killed. We all wondered why he was so insistent on a very tough punishment. Later we discovered that one of his parents passed away as a result of rape by an AIDS victim. He was cancelled and since then is aware that not all victims are like that. This helped him to reduce the anger which he had before on all people with HIV/ AIDS.

On the other hand, the children have been able to realize that if one is arrogant or becomes angry, it is hard to express him/her self and, certainly, they are defeated by the partner. This has given them guts to balance their emotions.

It was joy at Lugolole Learning Centre as candidates were receiving exercise books, pens and other scholastic materials. These materials were offered to the candidates by the Executive Director of BROSDI Edna Karamagi through the Hope Children Club (H.C.C)

Delivering books to the school was the Education Program officer Mr. Mathias Walwana who said that BROSDI exists to help rural communities develop and the vehicle to rural development is education that is why educating children was given priority in the organization’s programs.

“We always get the little we can and share it out with our partners…… we couldn’t afford offering books and other things to the whole school population but what we have we are sharing with candidates. This package is to show the entire school community and candidates that you are always at our heart as BROSDI and we wish you only good in your studies for we believe that if the young generation is educated, then our rural communities will develop” Mathias said.

Witnessing was the Chairman Hope Children Club (H.C.C) Mr. Muwaya Patrick and other teachers.

On behalf of the school and candidates, the Head teacher Mrs. Annette Mufumbiro appreciated the package and acknowledged the good relationship between BROSDI and Lugolole learning centre.

“BROSDI has been good to us and has directly helped shape these candidates and to have them ready as they are through the different programs for children set at the BROSDI centre like Practice Makes Perfect and Nezikokolima which have helped our children.” The Head teacher said.

Agriculture is a sector of economic activity that provides human beings with some of their basic needs. Its outputs are food and raw materials. Without the food products, life can easily be sustained; without the raw materials, the industrial sector of the economy cannot be fully developed. This is because the agricultural sector of the economy supplies most of the raw materials used by the industrial sector.

In fact, the economy of several East African countries is chiefly sustained by agriculture. For instance, most of the East African countries (Uganda in particular) depend on agriculture for their export trade. Agricultural products from 85% of their export commodities are their chief foreign exchange earner.

We can formally define agriculture as the cultivation of the soil for food crops, and the breeding, feeding and management of livestock. The term also covers fishing in the seas and rivers, breeding, and management and harvesting of fishponds. It may be extended to include the preparation of plant and animal products for use by human beings and animals, as well as the disposal of these through marketing.

There are many economic activities under the broad term agriculture. The kind of agriculture practiced by a community or a country is influenced by many factors such as climate, soil, topography, and location of market, transportation and cost of land. Equipment, capital and technology are other factors that determine the agricultural pursuits of people.

Most of us our parents/guardians have managed to keep us in school simply because of agriculture ….. they either manage to get the resources (money) either directly or indirectly from agriculture and they manage to pay for us school dues…… really agriculture is great majorly for an African child.

By:

Mwesigwa Aaron

HCC – Busoga Secondary school