Sorin College

Sorin College
Yay otters.

Home of the Otters

Uganda Initiatives

St. Jude Primary

Michel Dewan	Dorm Result of Dewan Fundraising
Classroom Before Renovations	Reidy with St. Jude Kids
Lunchtime	Exam Study

I only pray that I might give back all that I have been so generously given.
--Pat Reidy '08

Every summer since 2004, Sorin has sent a student to work for eight weeks at St. Jude Primary, a K-7 school located in a area called Bukewela on the outskirts of Jinja, Uganda's second largest city. It is one of three grade schools run by a parish staffed by Holy Cross priests. The Sorin volunteers typically teach English, science, and math to 5th and 6th graders. They live at the nearby parish which also sponsors several post-graduate volunteers from Notre Dame in a house nearby. The student placement is coordinated in conjunction with the University's Center for Social Concerns.

Over that time, the hall has raised more than $120,000 for the school. Nearly 50% of that has come through the fundraising efforts of the Sorin students who volunteered there of their own initiative. For the last two years, the hall has put on a play in Washington Hall directed by John "Forman" Maltese who went to St. Jude's in 2008.

Our contributions go a long way in Uganda. Our funds have allowed the school to construct two dorms; renovate a classroom building; build a kitchen and toilets; grade and fence the entire property. Currently, St. Jude's is building teaching quarters to attract and keep quality faculty. As the St. Jude's kids often tell our guys, "Webale inho sebo." (Sir, thank you so much)