Artist Ben Rothschild Prepares for Trip to Uganda

Ben Rothschild, a native of Racine, Wisconsin and a recent graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD), is making final preparations for his upcoming trip to Uganda where he will facilitate arts workshops with children and youth at the AGYA Learning Center. Since graduating from MIAD, Rothschild has been studio-based in Racine, Wisconsin and has been exhibiting his work locally and nationally.

For Rothschild (pictured below), this trip represents his first visit to the continent of Africa and a unique opportunity to share his love for the arts.

* Photo Credit: A. Marie Phillips and Barbara J. Miner *

In Uganda, Rothschild will work with AGYA Youth Leader, Kenneth Mulinde who currently teaches AGYA's art classes. The collaborative teaching method between Rothschild and Mulinde represents AGYA's philosophy about international volunteers. "Although we welcome visitors to travel to Uganda and share their skills with the youth, all international volunteers are expected to work with AGYA's Youth Leaders to implement classes. Not only does this empower our youth but it also allows volunteers to contribute within the context of shared cultural understanding" said AGYA co-founders Abraham Matovu and Divinity Barkley.

Rothschild and Mulinde, who have been communicating via Skype and email for more than three (3) months, have developed an exciting curriculum which will include art classes and workshops four times per week for the duration of Rothschild's trip.

When asked to explain his thoughts on his upcoming trip, Rothschild said:

"It seems like it was yesterday that I first spoke with Kenny on the phone, as we discussed the possibility of me travelling to his home in Uganda. Kenny has been an inspiration to me since we first spoke. I cried tears of gratitude after our first conversation because he reminded me of what I had forgotten. Being an artist has little to do with how well one draws, paints, etches, or forges, it has everything to do with passion. The passion in Kenny's voice is so refreshing. Already a skilled craftsman at a young age, Kenny told me he would like to be a professional artist. I told him he already was.

During my stay with AGYA, it is not my goal to create artists. Rather it is my mission to give these passionate individuals the training that was so freely given to me, so that the can have the tools and resources to better express themselves and share their art with the world"

AGYA Goes to the Studio!

As one of the few community-based organizations in Uganda that has adopted hip-hop culture as a foundational element of our arts and education programs, AGYA is giving urban Ugandan youth the opportunity to express themselves through rapping, breakdancing, and graffiti art in an environment of shared values. AGYA has embraced the philosophy of conscious, positive hip-hop as a global youth culture by fully integrating the culture's messages, themes, style, and images into our After-School Program curriculum.

AGYA Youth have formed "BTH" which stands for Big Time Hustlers. Though inspired by American rap artists such as Jay-Z, T.I., and Lil Wayne, BTH are truly defining their own message and style that is uniquely African. Rapping in indigenous languages, BTH focuses on making music with positive messages that can inspire youth to reach their full potential, continue their education, and be who they are. BTH raised enough money for a studio session by selling chapati, tea, and groundnuts at AGYA's weekly Sunday community meetings. In recent weeks, BTH has performed at local schools, and recorded their first song. In 2010, BTH plans to record more songs, launch their first fashion brand of t-shirts, and create innovative music videos for their first single.

Hoping to record another song before the Christmas holiday, BTH is currently fundraising for their second studio session. To contribute to this effort, U.S. donors can mail your tax-deductible donation to:

African Millennium Foundation
c/o Amagezi Gemaanyi(AGYA)
468 North Camden Drive
Beverly Hills, California 90210

* write "AGYA-Uganda BTH project" in the memo line of your check or money order to ensure that your donation is properly allocated *

Ugandan donors should e-mail: amagezigemaanyi@gmail.com to make donation arrangements.

BTH in Pictures

AGYA Youth Leaders and BTH founders, Brian "B-Stat" Sseguya and Nelson "Vimcage" Kazibwe perform for high-school students, teachers, and parents at a special event hosted by Kampala Secondary School in October 2009.

ABOVE & BELOW: Brian Sseguya during BTH's first recording session.

ABOVE: BTH members during a free-style practice session at the AGYA Learning Center in Kampala.

ABOVE: BTH celebrates AGYA's NGO Certification.

ABOVE: Rita Nansubuga, an AGYA Girls Member and BTH's only female MC, performs her verse during the studio session while fellow MC, Nelson Kazibwe documents the session.

Volunteer, Jenny Calvert, Shares Her Experience at the AGYA Learning Center in Uganda

Jenny Calvert, a 22-year old graduate of the University of Southern California and founding member of AGYA partner organization R.A.Y.S.E. (Rise of African Youth through Self-Empowerment, a student-led group at USC), has been in Uganda since September. In this article, Calvert who hopes to work in the field of international development shares her thoughts about AGYA and Uganda's language, culture, and people!

(Above: Calvert plays a card game with 3-year old Shafik)

(Written By Jennifer Calvert, 10-30-2009) Before I arrived in Uganda, when people asked me what I would be doing at AGYA, I responded, with enthusiasm, “Teaching!”. And though I technically have been holding English and creative writing classes twice a week and dance classes once a week since I have been here, the perpetual newness of my experiences and the energy and talent of the people around me has turned my entire world into a classroom.

Besides the actual classes that are happening every day – art, music, dance, film, photography and countless others – I am discovering a new way of life and a new culture in many simple, everyday tasks. And with every single new experience I have here in Uganda, I lose a little bit of my heart to this beautiful country and its people.

One of the first things that Divinity said to me when we sat down for my first Luganda lesson was, “The best thing about Luganda is that it makes sense. It’s logical. The ancestors knew what they were doing”. And while that is absolutely the case with the local language in Kampala, that observation also applies more broadly to way life is lived here. Take food, for instance. Families grow a variety of agricultural products on their farms and bring them daily into the local market, where other people buy them. This is not because we have an active Slow Food Movement chapter or a co-op of local farmers and a progressive streak in our neighborhood, but because that is how people have lived for centuries – healthily, and happily.

In addition to life as it should be, one of my favorite things about staying at the AGYA house is the constant positive and creative energy that both the youth leaders and the participants of classes bring to the space. And again, while I came to lead classes, being constantly surrounded by young people using their talent to express their dreams and their experiences has revived a spark in me that I lost somewhere among the books, essays, and analysis of other people’s thoughts that my education required of me. It was only when I recognized the positive influence that being a part of this community has had on me that I really understood how important the work of AGYA is.

In my short month here, the members of AGYA have become my surrogate family, and though I am half a world away from the place I was born and raised, I feel completely at home. And despite the cultural and linguistic differences, my roommates here and I laugh about and get frustrated by the same things, have the same big dreams for our future, and have dance parties to the same music as me and my friends back home. And if someone asked me today what I have been doing in Uganda, I could only reply “Learning, laughing, being inspired”.

Above: Jenny with the AGYA Family Melodies Choir before departing for a praise and worship ministry at a local church

Above: Jenny having a one-on-one Luganda language lesson with AGYA Youth Leader, Nelson Kazibwe

Above: Jenny assists with the AGYA Free Lunch Program by preparing chapati, a local favorite made from flour, water, and salt!

Above: AGYA Girls members participate in Jenny's weekly dance class.

Above: Jenny, Shafik, and Nelson celebrate Ugandan Independence Day at the Annual Trade Fair Exhibition on October 9th.

AGYA Family Celebrates NGO Certification

After months of hard work and tough decision-making, the Amagezi Gemaanyi Youth Association is proud to announce that the organization has officially been certified and accredited as an international non-governmental organization (NGO) by the Republic of Uganda.

"This is a huge step for us," said AGYA Executive Director and Co-Founder, Divinity Barkley. "Though our initiatives are grassroots, we are committed to financial and organizational sustainability because it is the only way that we can solidify our presence in Uganda and make a long-lasting impact."

The NGO certification represents a crucial step on what has been a difficult journey for AGYA, an organization that was founded only 10 months ago. Despite being a young organization, AGYA has already registered more than 200 women and children in the urban communities of Kasubi, Nabulagala, and Lubya. In the next year, the organization is set to strengthen the foundation of its social entrepreneurship ventures as well as potential micro-credit initiatives.

In 2010, AGYA looks forward to forming new partnerships while also fostering its relationship with key partners such as the African Millennium Foundation, the Century City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the University of Southern California (USC) student-group R.A.Y.S.E. - Rise of African Youth through Self-Empowerment, and Point Youth Media, a Canadian-based non-profit that conducts film, media, and photography projects at the AGYA Learning Center in Uganda.

Below, please view photos of the women and children who make up the AGYA Family as they celebrate AGYA's N.G.O. certification!

AGYA Co-Founder, Abraham Matovu and AGYA Volunteer, Jenny Calvert celebrate the NGO status at the AGYA Learning Center in Uganda!

Above: AGYA Girls Participants celebrate the NGO Status!

Below: Members of the AGYA Hip-Hop Crew, "BTH" celebrate the NGO status. The boys, who recently received funding to do 2 studio recording sessions, plan to write a song about the impact AGYA has had on their lives.

AGYA Girls Scholarship Recipients Announced

After a competitive application process, which required all scholarship applicants to complete an online application, the five recipients were selected based on their responses to the application questions, timeliness, their involvement with A.G.Y.A. programs, their family’s financial need, their student progress reports from the past academic year, and their leadership potential.

15 year old Racheal Nankya

17 year old Shamira Naiga

16 year old Shamira Nansubuga

16 year old Shida Nanyongo

17 year old Aisha Kyebakuwadde

Scholarship funds will be distributed during the upcoming academic year, and will be provided by AGYA’s newest partner, the Century City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

By providing scholarships, AGYA hopes to level the playing field for Ugandan girls who, like many young women in developing nations, are fighting an uphill battle against entrenched gender roles, low academic expectations and lack of access to educated female mentors willing to challenge them to be high-achievers.

This scholarship program represents a golden opportunity for girls like 16 year old Nansubuga who was forced to drop out of Senior 4 (10^th grade) two terms ago because she did not have money for school fees. By receiving the scholarship, Nansubuga will return to school next term and continue towards her dream of becoming a film director. Though shy and soft-spoken in person, Nansubuga’s passionate desire to learn came through loud and clear in her scholarship application. When asked to describe how she envisions her life in the next 10 years, Nansubuga wrote:

I envision my self in the next ten years having my own business as a woman and specialist in the things I want to do in future or my goals. Having my own photo studio and may be professional in computers and a teacher…I envision my self being a great leader empowering other young women in any aspects of life. I envision my life in the next ten years traveling in various countries trying to know more about other countries learning about their societies, cultures and customs.

While providing scholarship funds represents the first step, AGYA will also provide tutoring support to the scholars who will be required to meet strict academic expectations in order to keep their scholarships throughout the year.

Photo Gallery: USC Student Volunteer Trip Edition

ABOVE: USC Student Volunteers, Emily, Warren, Chris, Kristina, Jillian, Marianna, Hayley, Nicolette, and Natalie!

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BELOW: USC Student Volunteers complete a community service project at Nabulagala Good Hope Primary School.

ABOVE: R.A.Y.S.E. Co-President, Marianna Singwi-Ferrono films during AGYA's weekly community meeting.

.BELOW: R.A.Y.S.E. Co-President, Jillian Chou leads a dance class with AGYA youth participants.

ABOVE: USC Student Volunteers Warren Hsiao and Marianna Singwi-Ferrono take a ride on a boda boda in Kampala!

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BELOW: USC Student Volunteers and AGYA Co-Founders, Divinity Barkley and Abraham Matovu visit the Royal Kasubi Tombs, the burial ground for the Kabakas (kings) of the Baganda Monarchy.