At the end of March, we received Dr. Joseph Lample in Luxembourg, representing Kimanya-Ngeyo Foundation for Science and Education, our longstanding partner organization in Uganda since 2009.

Since its inception, Kimanya-Ngeyo has successfully worked with thousands of youths and adults representing a wide spectrum of rural and peri-urban community members: from students to school dropouts, young mothers to small farmers, as well as teachers and small entrepreneurs.In response to increasing migration to cities and the lack of opportunities in rural areas, Kimanya initiated the Preparation for Social Action (PSA) program to give youths and adults access to a high-quality education which enables them to further develop their intellectual and moral capacities and to take ownership of the development of their community.

It was wonderful to spend some days with Dr. Lample, fostering stronger connections not only between our organizations but also with other key stakeholders. On 21 March, we met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg and shared some highlights from Kimanya’s work. Updates on the implementation of recommendations from our recent evaluation were discussed, and of particular interest was the alignment between the efforts of our partner and our own endeavors within development education here in Luxembourg.

During the afternoon, Dr. Lample spoke at the annual event of the Global Issues Network organized by the International School of Luxembourg, with which we collaborate in the context of our development education activities in Luxembourg. Students attended from 12 different international schools around the world. Dr. Lample shared about his personal journey and the vision of education and development that animates Kimanya’s efforts. Drawing on insights from the PSA text Environmental Issues, he helped students think of ways they can approach solving environmental problems at their own level – there is much to do locally about global problems!

Dr. Lample met once more with representatives from the Atoz Foundation, which financially supports Kimanya’s activities, following their initial meeting in 2022, to discuss the latest project developments. These personal exchanges represent unique opportunities that strengthen the partnership between the organization and the donor.

We are immensely grateful for this visit and for the opportunity to benefit from the insights provided by our local partners for our activities in Luxembourg. Though our contexts may vary, there is so much we can learn from one another to help address the global challenges affecting humanity as a whole.