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The Needs of the Bagishu People of Eastern Uganda
Sebastian Wanzama-Piro's Fundraising Efforts
Sebastian Wanzama-Piro was born on Masaba, the hilly side of one of the peaks of Mt. Elgon in eastern Uganda. He believes that his dedication to assisting the residents of the village where he was born is a "moral imperative."
Although he emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, with his family twenty-three years ago, he has not forgotten where he came from. He grew up in a family of eight, and the cost of education was very high. But the community pulled together to see him through high school and a seminary. He opted for a secular education in electronic journalism and supported his siblings to continue their education. Today, he is a community worker in Toronto and executive director of the Canadian-African Centre. But he remembers his humble beginnings and acknowledges, "I am lucky to be what I am today."
This has inspired him to give back to the community where his mother, sister, and brother still live. He wishes to help his community by assisting in micro-projects such as a child care centre, a health care centre, and clean water by constructing simple wells.
Before Global African Village began, Sebastian worked many overtime hours to begin these projects because he wanted to share what he has with his native village. In memory of his father Joseph Wanzama who died in 1996, Sebastian converted his childhood home into a child care center to care for children who are alone while their parents farm. Now some 300 children, ages 3 - 12, come to "Joe's Playhouse" to receive food prepared by Sebastian's sister Betty and lessons from an all-volunteer staff. The original building soon became too small. With your donations, Global African Village constructed a larger building in 2008; in 2011, a simple library was added. Of course, there is no electricity, no running water, and limited school supplies.
Sebastian understands that children who are not properly cared for today can have problems when they grow up, so he sees these contributions as an investment in the future. Because he also wants to inspire the spirit of volunteerism in others, he has enlisted students to volunteer at Joe's Playhouse and to assist the village's infirm and elderly. He says, "I'm inspired to transfer my desire to help because being there for one another is so important."
His philosophy is grounded in three fundamental elements: community, spirituality, and sharing humanity. We usually hear about rural Africa only in times of war or political unrest. However, the needs of the people of Sebastian's village are great. They include basic things that North Americans take for granted, such as simple preventative health, dental and optical care, clean and accessible water, electricity, paved roads, and education. Sadly, these needs seldom make the news.
Sebastian has worked three jobs to accumulate funds for his village. In addition to the child care centre, he also funded a simple bridge to shorten villagers' trips for water and purchased a generator. But he acknowledges, "I can't do it alone."
He believes that we are all members of a "global village." How easy it would be to contribute a small amount that could make a tremendous difference for people whose average annual income is a mere $6 a year. Many of us spend that much every day on coffee, lunch, or gasoline. Your contributions will help improve the child care centre and help us build a much-needed health care centre and more wells for clean water.