Our story
Long before the Mwebaza Foundation began, the family of Ms. Namatovu Catherine built Mwebaza Infant Primary School on their land in Kyengera, Uganda. Namatovu and her staff were exceptionally dedicated to the well-being of their students and wanted to provide an education that gave their students a broader worldview through cross-cultural exchange.
In 2007, first-grade elementary school teacher, Dale Peterson, was preparing to teach a course about Africa when he noticed the content of the curriculum focused solely on Africa’s wildlife and nothing about the diversity of its people. He wanted to broaden his students’ learning, so Peterson sought out a first-hand experience that would deepen his students’ understanding of the continent of Africa.
Peterson and Namatovu enrolled their respective classes in People to People International, a cultural exchange program started by President Eisenhower that works to promote understanding between cultures through travel and communication. People to People connected Peterson and Namatovu, and their students began corresponding through a penpal letter exchange.
Both teachers valued the opportunity for their students to engage in authentic writing experiences and learn about other places and people. Peterson and Namatovu realized that their students were receiving much more than knowledge about a different culture. They were building relationships that changed the way they viewed the world.
Peterson’s class raised funds to send a box of disposable cameras to Mwebaza School so the students and teachers could document their lives. When Namatovu returned the cameras, the photos depicted students at school, in their homes, doing chores, and engaging in community life. Peterson transferred these photos to DVDs and gave them to his students.
Through these pictures, Niwot Elementary families witnessed the need for infrastructure improvements at Mwebaza Infant Primary and wanted to be a part of the solution. Peterson carefully discussed the situation with Namatovu, who was reluctant to receive any assistance for fear that the involvement of money could endanger the friendship that existed between the schools. Because Peterson and Namatovu had come to trust and respect each other, they agreed to forge a partnership that would benefit students at both schools.
For the first project, teachers at Mwebaza Infant Primary identified the need for a concrete floor in the classroom. Students were frequently bit by jiggers while sitting on the classroom’s earthen floor and would succumb to infections. A new concrete floor would cost around $1,000.
For this first service learning opportunity, Niwot Elementary hosted a community garage sale and lemonade stand. Even though the event took place during a Colorado snowstorm in April, dedicated volunteers, participants, and donors showed up in droves. Once the fundraiser was finished, Peterson realized he had raised $4,100, which could provide more than a concrete floor. Peterson and Namatovu decided that the small school building could be replaced by a sturdier and more spacious structure.
At this point, Peterson concluded that an accountability mechanism was needed for the management of donations and for the oversight of any projects. With the help of others in the Niwot community, he created a 501(c)(3) corporation through the State of Colorado called the Mwebaza Foundation.
“Mwebaza” means “gratitude” or “thanksgiving” in the local Luganda language. Members of the local community encouraged Namatovu’s family to name their school “Mwebaza” because they were grateful to finally have a school in a neighborhood where none had existed before. The Mwebaza Foundation, in turn, used this same name as a way to reflect the gratitude felt towards those who have participated in the Foundation’s efforts to partner with and learn from our sister schools.
Over the course of this shared, cross-cultural pursuit, Peterson and Headmistress Namatovu built a lasting, meaningful friendship that has provided a strong foundation for the organization.
The Mwebaza Foundation now has partnerships with elementary, middle, and high schools all along the Colorado Front Range that collaborate with our sister schools across Uganda to inspire global citizens who take action in the world with a global understanding and a deepened worldview.