Glenrosa Middle School ACES Program

History: 

In the spring of 2008, a small group of ACES students attended the annual SD#23  SCOPE Conference. The Conference gathers students from all over the district at the Rotary Centre for the Arts to discuss social justice issues.

The theme of that year's Conference was to address the UN's Millenium Goals. Students were challenged to address an issue and try to make a difference based on a Millenium Goal. To see all 8 goals, and learn about their 2015 deadline, click here.

Our students came back energized by the Conference and agreed that they would address Millenium Goal #2 which is to provide universal primary education to all. It was agreed that education is the key to addressing the other 7 goals.

Students began organizing themselves and fundraising in earnest. We found out about a local group of women, working through VIDEA, who were committed to working in our African sister-city of Senanga, in Zambia. Our ACES students decided that their goal would be to build a school there. Click here to see a map of Senanga.

Lui Namabunga

On the outskirts of Senanga is the small and remote village of Lui Namabunga. It is nicknamed the "forgotten place" by locals and suffers from many of the issues that plagues Africa; extreme poverty, lack of education, poor water supply, and AIDS. Most of the village's children are being raised by their grandparents as most adults of their parents generation have been claimed by the disease. 

Lui Namabunga was the site chosen to build our new school. Once the villagers were told of the good news they had a community celebration and named the building before it was built! They named it Sitio, which means safe place in their language. Now,for the first time ever, people from other communities are moving to Lui Namabunga because of the school. It i expected to educate between 300 and 400 students every year.

To date we have donated over $17,000 to the Sitio school. The money is given to VIDEA who injects it into the local economy. Local builders and materials are employed, giving a boost to local businesses and a sense of ownership to the village. It is truly a hand up rather than a hand out. 

Fall 2009: Waiting for the windows and roof. 

This year Ms. Cimbaro is spearheading a fundraiser in support of Sitio with what is planned to be Canada's largest quilt-a-thon. Quilters from throughout the Okanagan will gather at GMS in late February to construct quilts to send to Africa as well as for people in need locally.

The highlight of the day will be the draw for a custom, handmade Zambian themed quilt valued at well over $1000. The quilt was made a local group of quilters taking 100s of hours of work.

Tickets are now available for the draw, they are $2 each.