Campus Campaign Supports Teacher’s KULE Initiative

Earlier this month, the entire Pearson campus — including students, staff, and faculty — showed their community spirit by raising $4,547 to support students to travel to Kenya and participate in KULE summer 2022 projects. Funds were generously matched one-to-one by Head of College, Craig Davis and his wife Sarah Lee for a grand total of $9,094.

KULE (Kumbuka Universal Learning Experiences) is a non-profit organization that brings together volunteers from around the world to make a difference in the rural communities of Kenya and Uganda.

KULE was founded in 2000 by one of our own teachers, Geoffrey Tindyebwa out of a desire to give back to the village community that had adopted him after his escape from his home in Uganda during the murderous regime of Idi Amin in the late 1970s. Geoffrey’s ambition broadened to provide annual summer opportunities through KULE for volunteer work in safe and supervised environments as part of providing education outside and beyond the classroom.

The KULE Foundation provides a venue for students from Pearson College UWC, Mukangu Primary School, and the International School of Geneva to learn from each other and through action. These cross-cultural exchanges echo the larger UWC mission that calls for education to be a force to unite people from different backgrounds.

 Since 2017, KULE has been an official CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) at Pearson, giving more students the chance to get involved throughout the year, without necessarily travelling to Africa. Students in the CAS are divided into teams, getting involved in activities such as social media, fundraising and a feminine hygiene initiative (providing greater access to hygiene products and destigmatizing the culture around it).

 In line with their goal to empower communities in Kenya and, now, Uganda, KULE has established a variety of initiatives, from a pen-pal project to building classrooms and other community infrastructure projects for the region. Among these projects includes a library for the primary school, supported by the greater Metchosin community, which has increased the level of academic achievement and provided a space for children to learn to great success.

 While severely impacted in summers 2020 and 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic, KULE is bouncing back stronger this year and is aiming for a summer 2022 community-based project.

 On behalf of all student and other KULE supporters and volunteers, Pearson College UWC thanks everyone who donated and supported this initiative to provide education and learning across borders!