Kennedy students collect books for school in Uganda

Kennedy High School students recently collected and donated more than 400 books and school supplies to support a sister school in Uganda.

The service project was launched after students viewed the documentary, Invisible Children, as part of a world humanities class and felt the need to help the struggling area. They were introduced to the Books of Hope program. 

Based in Madison Wisconsin, Books of Hope is a service-learning program where U.S. schools select a sister school in Uganda and create books to help meet the students' educational needs. Kennedy adopted a school in Abija, Uganda.

The Abija School of Homeland Tailoring and Carpentry and Nursery currently has a population of over 300 students; 85 orphans, 150 vulnerable children, and 150 former child soldiers for the Lord's Resistance Army. Students are between three and 24 years of age. The school prepares adults for skilled trade working and children with the education they need. 

At Kennedy, the class assignment was to create two books, one on elementary level education and the other on secondary level education. The assignment then expanded into an all-school book drive.

In little more than a month, students filled four large boxes and three 10 gallon tubs with 86 small novels, 34 craft, parenting, and work books, and more than 300 children's books, as well as an additional 130 books handmade by Kennedy students. Students also collected school supplies.