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Rubaga Friends

- a non-profit, tax-exempt charity
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www.rubagafriends.org
rubagafriends@gmail.com
Based in Tucson, Arizona
Phone 520-327-7922
African children in huge numbers have lost their parents to illnesses and wars.
Insufficient nutrition and health care, and uncertainty about education and where to live add to their traumas. Their future is imperiled and they need all the support they can get.
RUBAGA COMMUNITY SCHOOL  AND
RUBAGA FRIENDS
Rubaga Friends is a non-profit tax-exempt support organization, is based in Tucson,  Arizona.  A five-year program, started in 2008, assists about 300 needy children, the majority orphans, at the Rubaga Community School in Kampala, Uganda. The school receives no government support. Since its start about 20 years ago, it has been a haven for many children without family and with uncovered basic needs.         
AFRICAN CHILDREN
Updated May 11, 2012

Rubaga Community School

R U B A G A  N E W S   No. 10. February 2012
                  from Rubaga Friends      
E-mail us: RubagaFriends@gmail.com    or phone: 520-327-7922   More information:  www.RubagaFriends.org
                                                



*  With several items on a sub-menu.
   ** Incl. 2011 Financial Statement
and Activity Report
*
**

               Special Fundraising with Match                                  NOW $817 to go





            
NEWS
$5,000 before the end of May 2012! That is the goal of a special fundraiser. Our generous member, Ardis Grob, will match dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000; read more below. We need the money to keep the support programs running. Please, help us seal the deal: $5,000 + $5,000 = $10,000!

       $1,000      $2,000      $3,000     $4,000      $5,000   $6,000
MATCHING $5,000 PLEDGE
Once again, our very generous member, Ardis Grob, will make a special contribution to the support programs for the Rubaga Community School. She pledges to match new donations, up to $5,000, in a special fundraising drive from Valentine’s Day till the end of May 2012.  
    
New funds will make it possible to purchase equipment, scholastic materials and furnishings for the completed Grammoo Kindergarten building, the project closest to Ardis’ heart. Some of the proceeds will help in securing adequate support for food, healthcare and wages to teachers and staff.

                 
                  SPECIAL FUNDRAISING
                  Help make it a success!
                  Your contributions to the matching funds project can be mailed to our bank:
                           Rubaga Frienda, c/o Edward Jones Investments
    1745 E. River Rd., Suite 155
               
                          You can also pay from your computer at our web-site, www.rubagafriends.org
                          Select   HOW TO PAY   from the Navigation Menu (top of page)
                  
Progress of the special fundraising towards the $5,000 goal will be updated regularly and shownn our web-site.

REDUCED SUPPORT IN JANUARY 2012
Recent years’ economic hardship has caused a slowdown of contributions to Rubaga Friends. Therefore, the January transfer to the basic program for the first half of 2012 had to be reduced to $7,000, two-thirds of the earlier funding level. The school is in a constant economic struggle to continue caring for almost 300 needy children. It needs and deserves all the support that can be mustered. Rubaga Friends has decided to continue the support beyond expiration of the initial five-year program period in 2012. The level of support will, of course, depend upon the amount of future contributions.

IMPACTS FROM THE SUPPORT PROGRAM
Rose Andersen, school director, reports that the support for food and on-site nurse and doctor services has dramatically improved the children’s health and class attendance. The Pima Rotary Club textbook and computer lab projects have powerfully influenced teaching and learning at the school. Teachers’ wages have been increased from a mere one-third to three-fourths of wages for state paid teachers, which helps the school in recruiting and retaining good and dedicated teachers.
      The enhanced academic performance by the students shows in the state examination after the seventh grade of primary school education. The percentage of graduating students with Grade I or Grade II scores has increased from 62% to about 80% since 2008, which clearly enhances the chances of finding jobs after graduation.
PARTNER SCHOOL PROGRAM – AMERISCHOOLS AND SIFE
Welcome to Courtney Braren, principal, and Rane Clements and Shakira Smiljanic, teachers, at the AmeriSchools Academy, mid-town Tucson, who will develop cooperation and communication with students and teachers at the Rubaga Community School. With new equipment in the Rubaga School computer lab and intensified education in its use there is a much better basis for exchange of information, personal letters, pictures, videos and more between the two schools.
      In the past, SIFE at the University of Arizona was very active in the partner school cooperation between the Sam Hughes Elementary School and the Rubaga School, and SIFE continues its work together with AmeriSchools. Allison Raymond now manages SIFE’s Rubaga Friends related activities.

RAFFLE TICKET SALE
Rubaga Friends has earned $3,500 on sale of raffle tickets for the Nissan LEAF donated by Jim Click. This essentially helps in keeping the support program running, unfortunately at a lower level than before. Clearly, we need to attract more supporters to maintain sufficient funding of the activities.

TRANSFER OF FUNDS SINCE THE BEGINNINGS IN 2008
Almost $125,000 was channeled to the Rubaga School in the period 2008-2011. The basic program for food, healthcare and wage improvement received $82,500. A reduction of support was necessary in 2011, and further reductions have been decided. The Grammoo Kindergarten building was supported with $32,220 based on donations to Rubaga Friends from Family and Friends of Roberta Calkins and others. The two Pima Rotary Club projects for textbooks and computers added up to $8,017; $3,280 of the total was provided by Rubaga Friends.
Summary of Annual Support from Tucson 2008 – 2011, US Dollars
                          Year 2008Year 2009Year 2010Year 2011Total*
Basic Support Program, $:
  Food                       14,800   14,800            14,800    13,700        58,100
  Healthcare                1,200     1,200      1,200              1,140         4,740
  Wage addition           5,000     5,000      5,000     4,660        19,660
Basic program total     21,000            21,000   21,000    19,500        82,500
Other support, $:  
  Textbooks                              4,000                            4,000
  Computers etc.                                  300        625      4,017         4,942
  Fire prevention                        1,000                            1,000
  Kindergarten                                      20,000    12,220        32,220
Other support total                     5,300   20,625    16,237 42,162
All transfers, US$             21,000    26,300   41,625    35,737       124,662
* On January 3, 2012 $7,000 was wired for funding of the basic program during the first-half of 2012

Donation Balance 05/11/12:  $4,183
  Read more in Rubaga News, February 2012 -- copied below
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