Mr. Bastin’s students went above and beyond on their human rights project. Their task was to choose a human rights issue around the world, and research the issue, the causes, and the culture of the people being affected by the issue. They were to present their findings to the class, as well as research solutions and ways in which to help. 

Through this project, some of our students connected with an orphanage/school in Uganda that is in need of help to continue supporting the children under their care. We were able to connect with the students at this orphanage in Uganda through live video chats and messages. It was an eye-opening and powerful experience for our students. They learned about the culture in Uganda, as well as some of the struggles that children face in Uganda. It moved our students so much that they wanted to help as much as possible, so we created a gofundme so that we can raise money to help the orphanage in Uganda.

The foundation running the orphanage is called Duol Ministries, a Ugandan Christian-based foundation serving several of the community's vulnerable populations, ranging from orphan and underprivileged children to single mothers and pupils in dire need.

Over the years, Duol Ministries has been able to provide the following to their pupils: clean and potable water, clothes, food, shelter, education (incl. female-empowered education), medication, medical bills, etc. Much of what is provided is based on donations received.

This project allowed our students to look beyond their current surroundings and connect with other students across the globe in an empathetic way.

Speaking on the experience of live chatting with the students in Uganda, 9th-grade student Falanda Louis said: 

“I’m inspired to help them, like the younger individuals, after seeing them in the video. They are such vibrant, lively, and active people; I enjoyed seeing how delighted they were to meet us.” 

Another 9th-grade student, Deborah Hernandez said: “ It makes me more motivated to help them because they are all so young and adorable. There are a lot of them, which shocked me. After talking with them it made me happy to see the number of kids that my class is helping. I’m excited to continue to learn about them since they were all so happy and excited that we were able to help them. They were all so enthusiastic, including the teacher. He said that his goals are to help the children’s futures and help them grow, which is nice, and I agree with it. I’m glad to be a part of helping them out.” 

Thanks for reading about our project. If you are interested in helping the students in Uganda, please email Mr. Bastin at for the gofundme link. Thanks!