(Gibraltar; August 27, 2008) – Long after the political instability and dictatorship of former Ugandan President Idi Amin, the country has remained in the ranks of least developed nations. Despite its wealth in terms of beauty and vast natural resources, it has ironically remained poor, with its people languishing in extreme forms of poverty with little access to education.
Soft Power Education has been working to help provide a better future to children in Jinja, Uganda through education.
“Our aim is to develop and improve educational facilities for children, mainly those in the primary level,†Ms. Hannah Small said, trustee and founder of Soft Power Education.
Based in Jinja, Uganda, Soft Power Education is a British-registered, non religious charitable organization and Ugandan NGO that has been helping children and local communities in the area through its Primary School Refurbishment Programme.
“We initially built two preschools for AIDS orphans and for the last five years, we have been involved in the refurbishment of over 30 government primary schools in the Budondo, Mafubira, Butagaya sub-counties of Jinja as well as several schools around the Murchison Falls Conservation Area.,†Ms. Small proudly stated.
From the School Refurbishment Programme, other projects have grown – The inspiring Amagezi Education Centre where children come to experience hands on, inclusive learning in Art, Drama, ICT, Agriculture and Drama. The centre also doubles as a community centre offering hands on skills based courses for members of the surrounding community. The Murchison Project based in the Murchison Falls Conservation Area aims to involve the surrounding communities in the conservation efforts in a bid to enable them to benefit from the growing tourism in the area.
“As Daisaku Ikeda of Harvard University said, the moving force of history has shifted from “hard power,†or military and political might, to that of “soft power,†or knowledge and information, culture, ideas, and systems. That is where we got our name,†Ms. Small shared.
People working for Soft Power Education say they are fortunate enough to find themselves in the position of being able to affect a phenomenal improvement in the lives and education of children in Jinja. But they need support.
“As they say, there is strength in numbers. We cannot do this alone. We need the help of others,†one of Soft Power Education’s volunteer said.
To continue with its mission of making a difference in the lives of Ugandan children and their families, Soft Power Education is actively seeking donations and volunteers in the United Kingdom, Europe and the rest of the world.
“Soft Power Education is 100% charity, so everything you donate will go into our projects, enabling all of us to make a difference to lives of Uganda’s children,†Ms. Small explained.
Thankfully, doing charity in the modern world need not be confined in the conventional limits of time and space. Right in the comfort of one’s home, with a simple click of the mouse or tap on the keyboard, those interested in helping Uganda’s children through Soft Power Education can easily send in their donations.
“If you are also into Facebook, like most people are, you just have to add the Coinjars application and you are ready to help make a difference in Uganda,†Ms. Small enthused.
Coinjars is a wallet application built on the iCoins platform that includes a fully secured and licensed eMoney issuer. iCoins is a digital cash mechanism designed to allow cash transactions between disparate and unrelated wallet systems in the digital era. iCoins are what bank notes are in the real world.
Coinjars enables the sending and receiving of donations right within Facebook. Donors can fund their Coinjars accounts via credit card, bank transfer or Paypal. Fundraisers and donation recipients, on the other hand, can withdraw via the same mechanisms. The best thing about the transactions is that while they are digital they remain free. Recipients will receive the money as is and without any deductions.
For more information on Coinjars, visit its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6489937223
Meanwhile, interested parties may visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soft-Power-Education/26342957259 to know more about the Soft Power group and how you can start donating via iCoins and Coinjars.
About Soft Power Education
Soft Power Education is a British-registered, non religious charity and Ugandan NGO working toward the development and improvement of educational facilities, mainly for children in the primary sector in Jinja, Uganda. By creatively integrating their advocacy with new and sophisticated technologies, Soft Power Education is actively seeking donations from all over the world to help them in their effort to make a difference in Uganda.
Visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soft-Power-Education/26342957259 for more information or check out the Coinjars application in Facebook found at http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6489937223
Log in to your Facebook now and start sending your donations to Soft Power Education and help make a difference in Uganda.
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FOR INQUIRIES ON SOFT POWER, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sharon Webb
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FOR INQUIRIES ON COINJARS AND ICOINS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sara Waller
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