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This family from Community Presbyterian Church, Brigantine, NJ represents the more than 150 individuals and families that sponsor a child at Mustard Seed Academy. Other people sponsor teachers, donate for campus development, support our new organic farm or help the Artisans' Guild.
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At this point we have dozens of "partners," who make contributions, large and small. Real Partners Uganda has received donations, so far, from individuals and families, churches, schools, and civic organizations. Over 95% of all money donated goes directly to the projects in Uganda. Members of the RPU Board of Directors work without compensation, cover the office and operating expenses, and pay for their own travel to Uganda.
As of the end of 2008, RPU received support from 150 individuals and families, five schools and five different churches and several organizations. It is our goal to establish personal connections between the donors and the children or teachers they support. In Sponsor-A-Child, for example, each sponsor receives a picture of the child and a small 'bio' prepared by the teacher. Some sponsors mail small packages to their special children at Mustard Seed Academy or shop on-line for them on this website. There are many ways our donors help. For more ideas see How to help...
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| Real Partners Uganda, Inc. |
Real Partners Uganda was organized informally in 2004. As our work in Uganda grew and became more complex we applied for non-profit status with the Federal Government and the State of New Jersey. Real Partners Uganda, Inc. received official approval as a tax-exempt corporation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code with charitable registration status on August 10, 2006. Our federal EIN is 20-5236756. For questions about our bank account or New Jersey charitable registration number please Contact us.
Much of the RPU administrative work is done by Elaine Griswold, who serves as Executive Director. Jackie Sarner coordinates the Sponsor-A-Child program. Members of the Board and our Advisors contribute to the quarterly newsletter, and work actively in networking and fund-raising. Joe and Elaine Griswold and Jackie Sarner give most of the presentations to donor groups. A group of RPU leaders travels to Uganda, usually twice a year, for three weeks, to work with our partners in Tree of Life Ministries. Individual board members, and advisor Judy Sconyers, have each made between two and nine visits to Lukaya since November 2003. Between visits we are in frequent email contact with the Ugandan leaders, and talk to them regularly by phone.
The following are personal statements contributed by the RPU Board members and advisors.
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The Board of Directors
| Elaine Griswold, Vice President and Executive Director |
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Joe and Elaine Griswold with one of their sponsored children, Ereth and her mom.
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After years of teaching Biology, raising two children, enjoying 3 lovely granddaughters, and traveling frequently to Central America, a long dreamed-of trip to East Africa in 2003 changed my life forever. The thrill of observing African wildlife in their natural habitats, the beauty of those habitats, and the resiliency, hospitality and joy of the African people contrasted dramatically with the burgeoning populations encroaching on the wild areas, and the over-whelming poverty.
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A visit to the village of Kalungi starting with St. Stephen's Primary School, and including the Kalungi Health Centre, and the local church made a lasting and haunting impression. "We must do something!" Over time that "something" began to take shape: first as a pen pal project, then, championing the opening of a nursery school/child care center in the town of Lukaya, then helping with the feeding and care of orphans at the Kalungi Primary School, and periodic gifts to the Kalungi Health Centre. Today, my time is spent traveling to Uganda, networking here in the USA, promoting Real Partners Uganda and communicating with Ugandan partners at Tree of Life Ministries.
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| Joseph G. Griswold, Ph.D., President |
I retired from the City College of New York, C.U.N.Y. in 2002 after 31 years of biology teaching and research. During the last half of my career, a colleague and I worked on improving science education at the college level with funding from the National Science Foundation, and eventually founded a small company called Science Learning Workshop to develop and produce the laboratory models we had invented and patented. Teaming with my wife Elaine Griswold, we led many study trips to Belize, Central America for high school students and mission groups, pursuing our love for wildlife, especially in the rainforest and on corral reef habitats of Central America. Following retirement, we traveled on safari to East Africa and our lives have never been the same. This website tells the story of what happened in a small town called Lukaya. At home, I write, make presentations, network and collaborate with our partners here and in Uganda as President of Real Partners Uganda.
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| Dana Hiscock, Board Member |
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Dana and Kathryn Hiscock receive special gifts at a church service honoring their contributions to enlarging St. Stephens Church
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| I have been a Trusts and Estates and Exempt Organizations lawyer in New York City for close to forty years, where I am currently a partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, LLP. Over the years I have been involved in many church and charitable activities. Two are noteworthy in that they reflect on my role with RPU. I am a longtime Director of the New York City based Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, which helps the economically underprivileged and where I have served a Board Chair and am now Chair of its Public Social Policy Committee. I am also on the Board of GreenFaith, a New Jersey based inter-faith organization that promotes economic and social justice and the stewardship of the earth's resources. Those interests, our faith as committed Christians and our love of hiking and nature travel, led my wife and me to Kalungi and Lukaya, Uganda. |
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There we met people who had dreams, intelligence and ambition and who just needed a chance. So we have committed ourselves to Kalungi and Lukaya, where, working through RPU, we seek to help young people to obtain an education that will give them a helpful start. By helping them, we are also helping their parents and the larger community. Working with RPU has given us a conduit to make a difference in a far off place where the need is greatest.
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| Kathryn Hiscock, Secretary-Treasurer |
I am a retired chemist and artist from Northern New Jersey. My husband and I are committed Christians and avid hikers. My church work has led me to an active participation with a homeless shelter in Paterson, New Jersey, and my love of nature has found expression in environmentalism. Our church connections led us to include a side trip to Kalungi as a part of a Kenya/Uganda safari in 2003. There the small village and its people -- young and old -- changed the course of our lives forever. I began and continue to communicate with the priest at St. Stephen's church in Kalungi and that has led to the church being expanded and refurbished and a new rectory being built. Those experiences made us realize that it only takes a little to make a big difference in Uganda. Now we work in collaboration with our RPU members to provide more opportunities for the larger community of Lukaya.
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| Jackie Sarner, Coordinator of the Sponsor A Child Program |
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Sponsor-A-Child coordinator Jackie Sarner stands with a happy father of two sponsored children
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| As a mother of two grown children, a grandmother of one, a former educator and a retired learning consultant, I am now at a time in my life where I would like to be available to help others. After meeting Joe and Elaine Griswold at our Community Presbyterian Church and hearing about their experiences in Uganda, I was touched by their story and decided to accompany them on their next trip. Little did I realize it would be such a life-changing experience! Currently, I am responding to a need as Director of the Sponsor-A-Child Program in which I oversee the matching of sponsors in the States with children who desperately need the help Tree of Life Ministries is providing. It is such a joy to see these children with opportunities to have a future full of hope. |
Advisors to the Board:
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Board Advisor Judy Sconyers, shown here with Justus, a child she sponsors.
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I am a librarian by profession, and I love to travel. Nothing in my life prepared me for my reaction to my first visit to Uganda in 2006 and to the town of Lukaya in particular. The hardworking women and the charming children captured my heart, and I have been helping through Real Partners in the ways that I am able to provide educational opportunities and health support for the some of the children in the community. I have returned to Lukaya two more times with the Board members of Real Partners Uganda to witness the ever expanding child care project, the development of the property, and the growth of the children.
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| Reverend John R. Scotland |
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Board Advisor John Scotland Pastor of Community Presbyterian Church,Brigantine,NJ
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| Rev. Scotland has served as pastor at Community Presbyterian Church in Brigantine, NJ for the last 15 years. During that time he has been instrumental in the development and operation of Sister Jean’s Kitchen in nearby Atlantic City. That operation feeds meals to about 500 poor and homeless people each day. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Friends of Jean Webster, and acting head of the Atlantic City Presbyterian Mission Council. At the church he takes special responsibility for the Crossroads Youth Program that invites all teens from the city of Brigantine to participate. His background and dedication to community organizing and serving the poor has been especially helpful in advising the Board of RPU and supporting their fund-raising efforts. Under Reverend Scotland's leadership, Community Presbyterian Church made the original grant in 2004 that launched the Uganda Project. |
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Tree of Life Ministries is a faith-based organization registered in Masaka District of Uganda. It projects are located in the Lukaya area, a truck stop town of 12,000 people on the "AIDS Highway" between Kampala (the capital) and the national parks in the west. It was founded with the financial support of the Community Presbyterian Church of Brigantine, NJ.
The leadership team for Tree of Life includes a Board of Directors with both American and Ugandan members, and a paid staff of Ugandans that manage the various projects.
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The Tree of Life Leaders
| David Bakeine, Project Manager |
| David worked part time with Tree of Life for two years before joining us full time in May 2008 as Project Manager. He was instrumental in organizing the Cultural Tourism Project and Artisans' Guild. Before this he worked as the top-ranking Ugandan staff member at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in central Uganda. There he held various responsibilities including Acting Executive Director and Education Manager for 3 years. He developed and presented environmental conservation education programs to Ugandan children across the country. |
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David, who has worked in the areas of education, tourism and conservation for many years, recently founding his own company, Kipepeo Travel Limited, that specializes in cultural eco-tourism in Uganda. David recently completed the last term of his bachelor's degree in tourism operations management at Nkumba University, Entebbe. We are benefitting greatly from David's outstanding leadership abilities and great communications skills in heading TOLM operations and development.
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George Kateregga, Assistant Project Manager
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George graduated with honors from Makarere University in Kampala completing a major in business. He is also an experienced teacher and has worked with us since the beginning of the project. He coordinates the Sponsor-A- Child program for Tree of Life among his many duties as Assistant Project Manager for TOLM. George is a patient person, an analytical thinker and has great organizational talents. His ability to work with families and understand their needs has been critical in choosing children for sponsorship in the project.
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| John Robert Inyalio, Head Teacher |
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John Robert joined the staff in 2007 after earning a Grade III teaching certificate at the Kabwangasi Teachers College in 2005. He has very strong English language skills and is working to further improve language teaching for children in the program. He has special interest in guidance counseling of traumatized students, and has brought great leadership to the project. One of his important goals is to return for further schooling to obtain a university degree.
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