Between the 21st and the 24th of November, we had the great privilege and honour of welcoming in Luxembourg Dr. Joseph Lample, Programs Lead of Kimanya-Ngeyo Foundation for Science and Education, our partner organization in Uganda since 2009. Our week was so rich and eventful that we decided to share it with you in two parts.

Since its inception, Kimanya-Ngeyo has successfully worked with a few thousand 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 youth 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. Today, the work of Kimanya focuses on three main lines of action in three districts in Uganda – Buikwe, Jinja, and Kamuli:

1. Community development // 2. Agricultural research // 3. Teacher professional development

Agricultural activities in Kamuli.

One of last week’s highlights was our meeting with Ms. Sylvie dos Santos and Mr. Thierry Lippert, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg (MFEA). The questions raised by the MFEA representatives allowed everyone present to gain deeper insights into the various processes that are happening in the field – for instance, Kimanya’s response during the pandemic, the opportunities that it provides to think meaningfully and deeply about agricultural practices, our partner’s innovative approach to training local teachers using the PSA program, the promising results that these efforts are generating, the subsequent support and collaborations with the Ugandan Ministry of Education and more broadly, the long term vision that Kimanya has for the transformation of communities. 

At the entrance of the Ministry’s offices: Anne Cuvilier, Angela Roldán, Joseph Lample and Fernand Schaber

Mina Neshvad (UF), Thierry Lippert (MFAE), Anne Cuvillier (UF), Joseph Lample (Kimanya), Sylvie dos Santos (MFEA), Angela Roldán (UF) and Fernand Schaber (UF).

Dr. Lample’s visit was also a unique opportunity for our sponsors and partners, such as ATOZ Foundation and Linklaters, to connect and hear directly of the project’s impact in the field.

“It was a real pleasure to meet you and Joseph. We had no doubt about the impact of this project, brought to light by Joseph’s intelligence and passion.” Testimony from a meeting between UF and a sponsor.

A conversation with Dr. Lample, discussions at Linklaters’ offices. 

Next week, we will bring you part 2 of this enriching visit, where we will share about Dr. Lample’s meetings at the International School of Luxembourg, as well as our public event – two activities that helped strengthen our efforts in the context of our Development Education project’s here in Luxembourg.

Stay tuned!