Team Uganda: Lehigh Students Fundraising for PDI

Over the past ten years, Dr. Kelly Austin has led Lehigh students on numerous trips to Uganda, developing a well-established research program, internship opportunities, and an overall enriched relationship in the rural Bududa region. This summer, thirteen Lehigh students will be traveling to the Bududa District to conduct research, engage in internships at the Pathways Development Initiative (PDI) youth programs, and continue to develop the already enriched relationship with those in the Bududa community. The Bududa District is in constant struggles with challenges including a weak education system with 71% of children not surpassing the 7th grade, large numbers of vulnerable children and youth at increased risk for HIV/AIDS, harmful traditional practices including early marriage, child labor, and neglect and abuse, vast food shortages and environmental degradation, frequent landslides, and an extreme percentage of the population living below the poverty line. Of course, COVID-19 has exacerbated these challenges, and Uganda just ended the longest school shutdown in history, lasting nearly 2 years. 

This GoFundMe will extend the Lehigh project to family, friends, and the communities of our students in order to maximize the donations for the Bududa District and Pathways Development Initiative. Each year there is progress in the region, especially with the help of the Lehigh students, and the donations provided will be used to sustain essential programs at PDI Education and Youth Center. A donation of only 30 dollars can greatly increase the pay of coaches at PDI Sports Academy program, buy soccer balls, training kits, and cones, as well as facilitate transportation of staff and buy printing materials for the students.

The PDI program is run by the Zaale family who has also served as the Lehigh host family for the past 10 years. PDI runs an education center that provides otherwise extremely vulnerable students with the opportunity to succeed in the government education system. The pre-primary program opened in 2012, and enrolls students aged four to six for early childhood education, providing each student with a daily meal. Lehigh students will also be working with the sports clinic and youth tutoring program, which aims to bring organized sports to youth in the Bududa District and is working towards a model that includes athletic training as well as education on public health, environmental conservation, healthy social behaviors, and educational goal planning. 

Thank you from the Lehigh Summer 2022 Uganda Team for your donations! Any amount whatsoever is an incredible help to PDI and the Bududa District!