Youth Board
The KidsUganda Youth Board was established in the spring of 2010 after ten Woodlands Academy and Lake Forest High School students returned from a service trip to the Maranatha Schools and Orphanage in Mityana, Uganda. Driven by their passion to 1) stay connected with the school and its students, 2) educate more people about the challenges these innocent children face every day, and 3) raise money to improve their quality of life, they formed the KidsUganda Youth Board. The Youth Board is composed of high school and middle school students from schools in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, Illinois.
The mission of the Youth Board is to bring together local high school and middle school youth who are committed to helping the children of Maranatha by supporting the fundraising and educational efforts of KidsUganda. Particular focus is on projects that directly impact the education and quality of life of the students at the Maranatha Schools and Orphanage.
As their initial project, the Youth Board undertook the challenge of raising $50,000 for the construction of a boys' dormitory. Like the Maranatha girls prior to moving into their new dorm in 2009, orphan boys live in a converted storeroom without adequate light or ventilation and little room to walk among bunk beds stacked three high. Giving the boys a home significantly increases the probability that they will complete their education, including secondary and vocational training to equip them with skills to obtain jobs.
With the guidance of the KidsUganda Adult Board, fundraising efforts began in June 2010. They have included school bake sales, a car wash, a major letter-writing campaign, a community-wide event held in November at CROYA, support from the Woodlands Academy Service Club who donated funds from their school's fall play concession stand, and a benefit concert for young children ages 2-7 and their families, featuring local favorites Teddi and Fred Koch and The Lil' Cow Band. This event will be held March 12, 2011, at CROYA.
Membership in the KidsUganda Youth Board is open to all middle school and high school students. Students meet periodically on an as-needed basis. Meetings are communicated via email and on the KUYB Facebook page.
Mary Andersen is the adult coordinator. Please contact her for additional information at 847-345-9400.
This heart-felt video was produced by five high school students who went on the Adventures in Service 2010 trip. The video tells the story of their experience in Uganda and of the children who touched their lives so deeply.
