For three weeks in July and August, David and Debra Ferguson visited Tanzania and Uganda to see firsthand the effect that NHI's training has had on schools in these countries and to also assist schools in setting up accountability structures that will ensure resources that are sent to these countries are accounted for correctly. The 'Restore Africa Project' (formerly Restore Africa Education Association) has been going since 2004 and they were amazed at the work that has been done in such a short period of time. They were both shocked to see how many Africans have been affected by aids and the number of orphans that are in Africa because of this disease. No matter where they turned there was yet another orphanage and more needs to be met.
During their visit to an area North West of Kampala they were instrumental in the formation of the Ugandan Christian Schools Association which will assist schools in the area, and eventually all of Uganda, to network, train staff, share resources and ideas and to assist each other in their roles as educators in Christian schools in Uganda. NHI believes that one of East Africa's greatest need is, teacher training, with the formation of such an association it will assist these teachers in being further trained and giving the students an effective education. Approximately fifty percent of teachers within East Africa are untrained teachers and have only completed Australia's equivalent to Year 10 in schooling. NHI is now looking at developing a curriculum that will enable these teachers to become trained as a teacher and to have the Bible as the foundation for this training. This training would be similar to the training that NHI does in other countries within the South Pacific region. They also made contact with several influential people in Uganda and believe that this training could become recognized by the Government of Uganda and that the teachers would receive recognition for completing our training when looking to obtaining their diploma, degree or certificate in teaching from their countries Universities.
