How a penpal exchange between Colorado and Uganda grew into a lasting partnership.
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 sought to provide an education that broadened their students' worldview through cross-cultural exchange.
In 2007, Dale Peterson, a first-grade elementary school teacher in Niwot, Colorado was preparing to teach a course about Africa when he noticed that the curriculum focused solely on Africa’s wildlife, with no mention of its diverse history and peoples. 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.
