Real Partner Stories

A Place to Sing

A narrative portrait of a 14-year-old girl living in Lukaya, Uganda by Nate Atwater. Nate’s intention with this film was to give viewers the most realistic look possible as to what life in Lukaya is like, without physically being there. Dorica’s story is quite typical and far from the most extreme compared to some of her peers. https://vimeo.com/71583243

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First Trip; First Impressions

Since Mustard Seed Academy began in 2009, I thought about going to visit Uganda. In February I decided to make it a reality. My main goal was to meet Eria, the boy I had sponsored for many years. He is now an S-4 student, and I worried I’d lose track of him after graduation. I was lucky to make the trip with Elaine Griswold. Her experience made everything easier. On the drive from Entebbe to Lukaya, the observations came fast and furious. I was struck by tiny mud houses with no doors, unpaved roads, the number of products sold along…

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Chess at Mustard Seed

Three years ago, four chess sets were brought to Rapha House, the orphans home at Mustard Seed School. The children and house mother took to the game, enjoying it very much. We made an unannounced visit and found them on the veranda playing. Two years ago, the Disney movie “Queen of Katwe” was broughtto the school in Lukaya. It is the true story of a street kid fromKampala becoming chess champion of Uganda. The childrenloved the movie. They laughed, cried, clapped, stomped theirfeet and sang along. A professor that we knew from UgandaMartyrs told us that he knew the real…

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In Memoriam

JOSEPH G. GRISWOLD, Ph.D. Founder and Guiding Light 1943 – 2017 Joseph G. Griswold, Ph.D., Founder and Guiding Light of Real Partners Uganda and the Mustard Seed Academy, died on December 30, 2017. Joe was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 15, 1943. He graduated from East Grand Rapids High School in 1961. In 1965 he received his B.S. from Denison University and his graduate degrees in Animal Behavior from Penn State University in 1971. Joe embarked on a career in teaching and research in the Biology Department at City College of New York. He continued his career at…

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