Category Archives: News

We are so proud to announce the birthdays of Esther and Julie.  Esther (4) and Julie (12) celebrated their birthdays surrounded by their family and the US visitors from Florida State.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Thanks are also in order to Simone Vecchio, Bright Kids Uganda Foundation USA Board Member, who spent hours registering Bright Kids Uganda on the medicalmissions.org website. For any medical professionals interested in volunteering and providing much needed medical and dental services at our new Gloria Namusoke Health Clinic located on the Bright Kids Uganda grounds, Entebbe, Uganda; check out the approximately 30 Bright Kids Uganda posts on medicalmissions.org.  Just do a search for medicalmissions.org and type in Bright Kids Uganda.  Medical providers are needed for:  family medicine, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, dentists, nurses… and the list goes on.  Dr. Alan Konyer from Canada found Bright Kids by searching medicalmissions.org and spent 2 weeks this past February at Bright Kids providing much needed services for the Bright Kids children and also to the surrounding community.

For a small fee, medical volunteers can stay at Bright Kids Uganda in comfortable rooms with bathrooms and showers which are located in the Bright Kids compound.  Bright Kids Uganda will provide three homemade Ugandan meals and internet access as well.  If you choose to stay off site, Banana Village is a conveniently located Bed and Breakfast within a short 5 minute walk from Bright Kids.  You can access Banana Village’s website by clicking:

http://www.bananavillage-uganda.com/uganda_travel.html

Bright Kids Uganda is growing and to accommodate nearly 70 Bright Kids children, plans for a new dormitory are finally taking shape.  Thanks to Bright Kids Uganda Foundation USA Board Member, Megan Shannon, funds have been wired to Bright Kids Uganda to make the dormitory a reality.  Megan trained for several months to run in a difficult and challenging marathon this past May, 2013. With the support of her friends and supporters from all over the USA, Megan raised $3571.20. Already Victoria is breaking ground, buying bricks, bar supports, cement, stones etc. for the new Bright Kids Uganda dormitory.

The new dormitory will cost approximately $25,000 and with Megan’s efforts Bright Kids Uganda dormitory is well on its way to being built.  Megan said she will “keep on running” to ensure that all of the Bright Kids children will have a new dormitory with ample room for all to sleep comfortably and safely.  To read more about Megan’s challenging training and marathon experience, click on the following link: http://t.co/fx4dMmABSf

Bright Kids Uganda Foundation USA Board Members, Pauline Greenlick and Lou Picard met with Dr. Alan Konyer and his wife Susan, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Canada to discuss Dr. Konyer’s February 2013 trip to Bright Kids Uganda.   Joining them were Dr. Martin Pinto and his wife Marie.  Martin serves on the board of the Bright Kids Uganda Board and is the son of the late Manuel X. Pinto, Co-Founder of Bright Kids.

For three wonderful days, they all discussed past and present Bright Kids stories and made plans for a Bright Kids Uganda Canadian Foundation.  Look for future news about the planned September 13, 2013 Canadian Fundraiser for Bright Kids! Dr. Konyer also discussed his 2 week visit in Uganda this past February accompanied by his daughter. Dr, Konyer was the first physician to provide medical support at the new Bright Kids Uganda Gloria Namusoke Health Clinic.

You can read his interesting daily blog along with fabulous Bright Kids photos  on the Bright Kids Uganda website:  http://www.uganda-eh.blogspot.ca/ . In addition, click on the link to read the Canadian newspaper article interview with Dr. Konyer about his trip to Bright Kids Uganda and plans for the September BKU Fundraiser:  http://www.thepost.ca/2013/04/29/fundraiser-supporting-lindsay-duos-efforts-to-help-ugandan-children

 

Sadly, the mother of 3 Bright Kids: Stephen, Edith, and Faith passed away on Easter Sunday.  The picture below is one of the family’s last visits together. 

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On April 6th, Victoria and the children welcomed a new baby to the Bright Kids family… a baby cow, that is! The heifer, affectionately named Zebo Barber, was a donation from the Barber and Flanagan families. She delivered a bull around midnight and the mother and baby are doing great. The heifer project is essential to the welfare of the children and provides another economic activity to generate income for the organization. The mother will be producing milk, which eliminates the need to purchase milk for the children and provides surplus to sell to the local community. Special thanks to Simon and Phyllis Barber, Tom and Charlotte Flanagan, Phyllis Barber, and David Flanagan for their sustainable gift to Bright Kids that will produce for years to come.

Bright Kids Uganda has just received a generous donation from Purposeful Penny, a student-run charity organization at the University of Pittsburgh. Since 2010, Purposeful Penny has been supporting BKU’s efforts of rescuing vulnerable children and providing them with a home and an education. Purposeful Penny has done this by selling coffee, hosting fundraising events, collecting monetary donations, and holding potluck dinners. BKU board members Dr. Lou Picard, Pauline Greenlick, and Kristen Frye were presented with a check for $1,616.55 by current Purposeful Penny President, Laura Barry and former presidents Morgan Brown and Jonathan Jeong Bok-gyo. Two of our children have been direct beneficiaries of their fundraising efforts. Bright Kids Connie Amongi and Ivan Onyait have received sponsorships for the last three years. Since 2010, Purposeful Penny has donated a whopping total of $7,135.66. Bright Kids Uganda is very grateful to all of their hard work and fortunate to have established such a lasting partnership with Purposeful Penny. Thank you to all of their members, past and present.

BKU is grateful to be hosting Dr. Konyer and his daughter Alicia!  Follow their story at

http://www.uganda-eh.blogspot.ca/