Introducing UDS Learning Center 2.0

Liberian children and youth witnessed their wishes being answered in the past two weeks. Uniting Distant Stars (UDS) raised $2,042 (shy of our $2,500 goal) from our generous Star Supporters to upgrade our Learning Center in Congo Town, Liberia. Our Liberian team led by Kelvin Fomba, Co-Founder and Country Director, went the extra mile to check off the items on the students' original wish list. In the last eight days another $360 was donated from new and existing benevolent supporters. Their gracious generosity will buy other items on the list such as fans to keep the center comfortable, additional books for the library, chalk board for instructors, and other crucial needs for its operations.

Like any good upgrade you need to have a release party. On Friday March 25, UDS Learning Center hosted two programs. The first one was organized by the UDS Youth Group. Since it was Good Friday, they focused on Easter. During this three-hour program they talked about the meaning of Easter, played some games, and also had a Bible quizzing contest between the boys and girls. They had two rounds with each having 20 questions and one question was worth 10 points. The boys and girls tied in the first round. However, in the second round the boys out scored the girls 120 to 80. Our Youth Group's program was a resounding success and everyone had a great time.

Youth Groups Program

UDS Youth Bible Quizzing Contest

The second program followed soon after to introduce our youth to the new UDS Computer Lab. They have eagerly waited for this lab ever since we started the upgrade campaign last year. The original plan was to have four computers, but Kelvin reached out to his connections and helped secure six used PCs--four laptops and two desktops. He is still negotiating on adding one or two more computers. Our team also built computer desks and bought a stabilizer to protect the PCs from power surges and outages, because electricity is neither consistent nor reliable. Another stabilizer will be purchased with the recent donations to ensure the electrical load is distributed evenly.

UDS Computer Lab

Our team expected 25 to 30 young Liberians to attend this three-hour program, but it attracted over 50. Computer training is in high demand with Liberian youth, but not everyone can afford to take courses at vocational training schools. This is why our team went all out in preparing the lab and its introduction program.

Kelvin Fomba introducing the computer lab.

Kelvin opened with how the computer lab will operate and its corresponding rules. Next part was to determine who would be the first recipients of this training course. Kelvin and his volunteers devised a raffle drawing to select trainees since there was a ratio of approximately four students to one computer. Our youth anxiously waited to hear who were the lucky winners as each name was pulled. Soon twelve students were chosen to attend one of two classes, because we wanted to accommodate as many as possible.

Liberian Youth learning about the new UDS Computer Lab

The students will learn about computer hardware, basic software and internet functions in this month-long course. Other students wanting to attend this course signed up on a list and will participate in computer theory classes as they wait their turn for the practical training. The training materials and curriculum for this program are being developed by our volunteers in Liberia and Minnesota.

UDS Youth learning about computers.

First Students of the UDS Computer Lab

Another part of the upgrade included expanding our library collection. On Monday March 14, two of our youth volunteers, Patrick and Princess, purchased 52 books from the list of requested titles and topics from our students. These books are required by their schools as part of the curriculum. Though our volunteers bought 80% of the books requested by the students, their list continues to grow. Eventually, we like to purchase additional copies of the main books to allow more than one student to use for their homework assignments.

Additional books purchased for the library

UDS Youth appreciating the new books.

The following day these new books were included in our studying classes. There are two objectives with these study classes as follows:

1. Students are asked a series of questions about the subject(s) and topic(s) for their assignments and are then shown how to find books in the library and search for the information within the book.
2. Students are given detailed instruction from one of volunteer teachers on a particular subject area that they are working on at school to help bolster their understanding and ability to apply it in their homework and exams.

Students receiving a tour of  the UDS library. 

UDS first opened our learning center over a year ago with a small library and providing skills training courses such as auto mechanics, drivers ed and Backpacks for Peace. In September 2015, it had its first upgrade with building extra shelves for additional books donated from the U.S. and more tables for students to complete their homework. This second upgrade was centered on the requests of our students to best meet their educational needs since their schools are not able to provide the required books and textbooks or computer labs. Through our growing community of bighearted supporters, our students are extremely grateful and overjoyed with seeing their wishes being fulfilled.

All of us at Uniting Distant Stars extend our heartfelt Thanks and Appreciation to our most generous Star Supporters!

Please read these additional posts about our learning center.

Enjoy a Tour of the UDS Learning Center in Liberia

Liberia: Read How UDS Learning Center Benefits Deborah

Uniting Distant Stars Dime for Dreams Campaign

Hello, Uniting Distant Stars supporters and followers! Our organization has made a lot of progress this past year and it's all thanks to you! The UDS programs such as our school supply drives and learning center continue to grow, and so do the students who benefit from your generous gifts.

Today, Uniting Distant Stars is excited to introduce our new fundraising campaign: Dimes for Dreams. Through the continued help from our supporters, Dimes for Dreams will enable many of you to help contribute in your churches, offices, schools, and communities!

But, how will Dimes for Dreams work? Uniting Distant Stars is currently looking into ordering custom-made charity coin canisters. With these canisters, UDS will send them to all of our supporters who are willing to help further the education of our students in Liberia by reaching out to local businesses and schools who would be willing to place the coin canisters in an open space on their counters or front desks.

How will Dimes for Dreams help raise money? Each coin canister will cost UDS on average between $0.80 and $1.25 each. But, do you know how much money could be raised in each canister if it was full of dimes? Almost one HUNDRED dollars! That could mean expanding the UDS Learning Center's library, purchasing more computer equipment for the students or school supplies for our three schools we support, and that's only with one full can!

    

School Supply Drive                                                  UDS Learning Center Library

Uniting Distant Stars does not expect every canister to be filled with only dimes and quarters, or even be filled up at all. But, we can still raise a lot for our students with very little effort from our volunteer supporters! In order for UDS to make this work, we need any supporters who are willing to find places in their community who are willing to keep a Dimes for Dreams canister on their counters for a few months and then have the money raised be sent back with the canisters. If you are willing to help us out with this new project, please contact us today at info@unitingdistantstars.com!

Thank you to Adam Pederson, UDS Volunteer, for developing this campaign!

Rogma International School Give Thanks

On Thursday, March 17, Uniting Distant Stars Donors, Sponsors and Volunteers received this Thank You letter from Rogma International Christian School System for providing school supplies for the students and other learning materials for the teachers at the start of the 2015/2016 academic year. Last year we increased the numbers of schools from one to three for the annual supply drive. Rogma is one of the new schools supported in 2015 from the generosity of our supporters. Thank you!

Meeting UDS Kids via Google-Hangout

REMARKS BY TEEN YOUTH VOLUNTEER, ANNA BERTCH:

Foreign countries, especially the people in them, can sometimes feel unreachable to American teenagers like me.  We read about the world in school… But, there just isn’t life in a textbook.  There is such a great disconnect between an individual looking at a picture, and the actual person inside the photo.  It’s one thing to hear about children who’ve been orphaned from diseases (like ebola), and another thing entirely to be able to talk to them.

Thanks to modern technology (Google Hangout, specifically), I had the opportunity to meet the Liberian children I’d recently volunteered to support through Uniting Distant Stars. We were able to establish a live-video connection, and for the first time, I was able to see their smiling faces in a setting far more personal than a photograph.

Initially, there was some degree of difficulty connecting to the internet on the Liberian end, but after a choppy start, we finally could see each other and everyone broke out into grins and applause.  

Prior to the meeting, the UDS-supported youth formulated 5 questions to ask me, and I brought 5 of my own for them. One of the things I asked was, “What are your dreams for the future? What/where do you want to be?” And their responses were not much different than had I asked the question in an American school: “doctor,” “teacher,” “writer,” “mechanic,” etc.. Their eyes were lit with hope and it became obvious to me why Uniting Distant Stars does the work it does.

Those sweet students became extremely real to me after the meeting and the need to help and uplift them became even more evident.  Inspired, I decided to create a “PSA” (Public Service Announcement) in their honor.  

It is an incredible thing to love and feel loved by individuals all the way on the other side of the globe. I will never forget the feeling of gratitude I had immediately following our meeting, not only for the luxuries and abundance which became apparent in my own life, but also for the opportunity to touch lives which used to feel unreachable. The impact has been mutual; their smiles, words, and impressions have left an unfadable mark on my heart.