The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

On February 21 Osborn Muyanja, educational director of the Masaka School and Orphanage and Good Samaritan Ministries Director for Uganda, walked into Heather Johnson's Health 2 classroom to share the story of his upbringing and how he started a school for 17 orphans under a tree in the Masaka region of Uganda. The students listened to the soft spoken Muyanja as he told his story of poverty, war, famine and illness.

Johnson had no idea how profoundly it would affect each and every student in her class.

"Osborn's visit encouraged my students, and they decided on their own that they would like to help bring transformation and empowerment to the 1,200 beautiful students in the Masaka district of Uganda who are deserving of an education that can break the traditional cycle of poverty and disease to yield a future of life, hope and peace," Johnson said. "The power of one man encouraged the power of one class."

In February, Muyanja flew over to watch Sisters Act, an annual talent show at Sisters High School (SHS), for the first time. The proceeds from the talent show benefit the Masaka School and Orphanage in Uganda. He also visited a few classrooms at various Sisters schools to share his story with the students.

His school in Uganda has grown from 17 students to 1,200 students from kindergarten to high school (ages 3-18) since Sisters Act began over 20 years ago.

A school-wide assembly for SHS students held on Wednesday, April 23, with the theme of "The Power of One" was presented by Johnson and her Health 2 class students. They demonstrated their support for the Masaka School and Orphanage through educating the audience about how they can help to make a change in the lives of 1,200 students in Uganda.

Johnson spoke to hundreds of attentive SHS students as she and 21 of her Health 2 class students sat on the edge of the auditorium stage:

"Imagine...coveting education so greatly that you walk six miles to school and six miles back, jumping over dead bodies, dodging stray bullets and whatever else it would take just to get to that classroom to feel the hope, the love and the amazing pursuit of knowledge."

The big screen hanging down on stage behind Johnson and her students came to life with a video of the students from the Masaka school in Uganda singing a song, "I Love My Life," showing the SHS students that amidst the hardship in Uganda, these children/students are resilient and find joy in the smallest of things.

"Let them be our teachers, to teach us simplicity, gratitude, and the value of our education, our health, our safety and our community," said Johnson.

Johnson had her health class students hand out care and connect kits in the auditorium to each student as the initial first steps to help support the Masaka School in Uganda. The packets contained a photo and description of two students from the Masaka School and a flyer for the second event that Johnson and her health class students have planned called "Walk to Water".

"Join us on our first attempt to bring relief to our sister school in Uganda," Johnson said. "This will be our first annual Walk-to-Water event. Our students at the Masaka School in Uganda must walk two miles one way to their water source during the dry season. They must do this every day to assure they have drinking water.

"Join us as we adopt the Masaka School and Orphanage in Uganda to be our sister school. Let us unite as a staff and a school to take the initial steps help support our sister-students by contributing to the resources necessary for their education, like a meal, first aid supplies, travel size games/toys or used computers," Johnson said. "Everyone in our community can also help with simple basic contributions that can make a difference, such as books, new and used clothing, toothbrushes, school supplies and volley or soccer balls and so much more."

The Walk-to-Water event was to be held for the high school students at the track/ football field on Wednesday, April 30. The second Walk-to-Water for the middle school students will be held on

May 15.

Contact Heather Johnson at [email protected]