Man, you give them a millimeter, they take a centimeter. We had a successful fundraiser for the Kasese Humanist School — they just wanted a chicken coop and a flock of chickens so the kids would start the day with good nutrition. And they got that. Here are these kids, grateful for an egg.
But that isn’t enough. These kids want more. Come on, guys, you’ve got an egg…it’s not enough?
No, it’s not. Now they want to own their school, which is currently on some leased property. So they’ve started another fundraiser to pay for a small plot of land — they need $7000.
I don’t know about this. First they’re getting a whole egg, and next they’re getting a school…I expect some day they’re going to be posting videos of kids graduating and getting diplomas and going off to college…scary stuff.
If you want to encourage that kind of ambition, go ahead, donate a few dollars.
“you give them a millimeter, they take a centimeter”
Somehow I think that they have their sights set somewhat higher than kilometers. Some of these kids are going to grow up to be important to a lot of people. Things are nowhere near as good in Africa as they should be, but the ‘lack of opportunity’ is beginning to be reduced enough that some of these children will be able to seize the opportunity to go very far indeed. Which suits me just fine, Africa has been prevented from being as important a contributor to human creativity, knowledge, culture, and wealth, as it could be for far too long.
I am in for $25.00
It’s great that the kids get an education free of religious dogma, but is it immune from the vile homophobia which exists in Uganda’s laws now, and could get much worse?
I will do my best to come up with some cash on the next payday. I’m sure there’s some stupid thing I don’t need to buy.
This is great, and I hope they get more than enough.
Rob,
From the KHPS website:
HUMAN RIGHTS:
Principle 1 Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
Principle 2 make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
No, they do not explicitly promote equality or protection from homophobia, but looking at their board of directors, reading their mission, it is a pretty good bet. No donation to a charity in the 3rd world from the comfort of your living room is completely risk free, but I am willing to take the chance.
Thanks Keith.
I’m in. Wouldn’t want those poor chickens to be living in a rented coop.
Yes! For the eggs and coop. I was glad to donate toward that and I’m glad to donate toward their own school, too.
Chipped in towards the purchase, this is a great cause.
A friend of mine at university was from Cameroon. (Yes, I know, other side of the continent, but.)
So, yeah. In on it.
Sure, I’ll chip in some money to buy some land for some kids to eat their eggs on.
Done.
Food and a school. You had me at “school” and before that “food,” well “egg” I guess.
I have -$2.61 in my bank account right now, and $9 in my pocket, but I get paid in two days…
Oops, sorry. I wasn’t actually intending to use that moniker. I considered it and decided no, but then didn’t update properly.
Wonderful to see KHS mentioned again on Pharyngula. Looking forward to the videos of the scary stuff.
Oh dear, KHPS.
I’m in again. Good cause.
Not in until next payday, but then for sure
On behalf of Kasese Humanist Primary School,Uganda. I am thanking PZ Meyers for mentioning us again on his site, i thank all those who have supported my school in its ongoing poultry project and now we have begun serving eggs to the children. The children are very happy having eggs supplement on their diet, Our teachers and the local community most of whom are parents and guardians are sending in message of thanks to the school management for coming out with such a project.
On the official stand of the school in regard to homosexuality, the school fully respects does not discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation and we are against homophobia that is currently going on against homosexuals. I entirely know that most people in Uganda do not know a lot about basic human rights freedoms, there is high levels of ignorance among the population and its like people are not aware that there are several ways how people can express lovemaking and homosexuality is among them.
At Kasese Humanist Primary School, we do not allow our children to engage in any form of love making as we feel this is not the right time for children to do so, we aim high at giving them a balanced education that is free from dogma and indoctrination. Owed to the high levels of religious dominance here we teach our children religious education but on comparative terms and Religious Education is taught at the school for examination purposes as a requirement by Uganda Government.
Special thanks goes to all those who have also donated towards KHPS Permanent home which i hope will be a model school to offer education in a spacious environment at the same time sending a message that people with no belief can also contribute to the betterment of humanity. Achieving this land fully will help us to plan further how we can have the place developed into a permanent home for KHPS.
With science, we can progress.
@3. Oh come on dude… You would begrudge people basic needs if they were didn’t have them simply because they are unfortunately part of a homophobic culture in a third world nation? Are you seriously suggesting that we should have restrictions on the money we give to charity?
We help those who need help. We don’t ask who they are or their political stances. Our hope is that if we create the same kind of society that we take for granted they too will have our stances towards minorities.
Change occurs, you just need to do stuff to make it occur.
“you give them a millimeter, they take a centimeter”
You give them a millimicron, and they take a megaparsec.
Oh! Count me in.
BTW, douchebag @ 23 quit hijacking one of my favorite bands for your stupid message.
So long as they learn evilution in the school, I’ll support it.
Of course it goes dead against the atheist values of complete selfishness and the meaningless futility of existence, but the hive-mind seems to have decided this is a good thing, so what can I do but donate?
@21
Yes, I discriminate as to who I give my money to. I refuse to give to the Salvation Army because they are homophobic bigots. There are lots of other charities deserving of my cash. There is nothing wrong with choosing who to help.
@Bwambale Robert
Thanks for popping in to clarify, and I think you guys are awesome :) I’m a bit hard up at the moment but at the end of the month I shall send some donations winging your way.
@janiceintoronto
Refusing to fund a group like the Salvation army, which you know actively promotes homophobia and which is likely to use some of your donation for that purpose, is entirely different from refusing to give to a charity because the people that charity helps happen to be part of a homophobic culture, which is what Avicenna is arguing against. “The Salvation Army teach homophobia, so I’m not giving them any money” is fine; “That kid’s a homophobe because he’s been taught to be a homophobe, so I’m not giving any money” is not fine. Big distinction, and actually I kind of agree with him.
Anyway, Bwambale Robert has popped in to assure that’s not the case, so the point is rather moot.
Thanks so much to everyone who donated to this cause!
As for those who have concerns about homophobia, please take a look at Bwambale Robert’s, school director, response in @20. You can also find this within the…
Kasese United Humanist Association’s 2011 Annual Report.
Thanks again to everyone who is making this happen!
@bradleybetts #27 – I read Rob’s question as asking whether or not the school promotes that culture of hate. It is a fair question, and something I was wondering myself.
I am one of the selflsh jerks who has disposal income. However, I am one of those selflish jerks who understands that I am in a unique positioin to help, so I help; all over the place. I could only feel comfortable giving $25 though I feel that I should give more to this worthy cause.
PZ, can you update us on the status with a week left in the campaign. I usually give a significant amount more to my bartender friend in Zimbabwe for his kid’s schooling. I could change it up for a cycle in order to help some other kids.
Sometimes, I wish that I was Rmoney without a conscience. How much easier life must be? Unfullfilling, but easier.
Avicenna @21: I don’t begrudge anyone. My main concern was how much of the legalized homophobia would be enforced on the school’s program. Bwambale Robert, Keith and godlesspoutine addressed my doubts and questions very well.
Oh Wow! I did *not* know that such a thing existed. My children’s secular school have been sending educational supplies to African schools, but the many ‘Thank You’ letters they receive from the grateful students clearly show Jeebus to be in full effect, which is somewhat disappointing, even if the focus should always be that quality education is the only route out of theist mind control.
But this place, this is something new and very exciting.
School Motto: With Science,we can progress – Freaking awesome!
Will be donating to this school forthwith!
Count me in!
(But damn, no real-time donation meter.)
Donation being made now for a child’s tuition for the year. And on the subject of gays and Uganda, the Canadian International Development Agency has discovered it is funding an evangelical homophobic group working on infrastructure there.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/02/10/pol-cp-anti-gay-religious-group-gets-funding-from-ottawa-to-work-in-africa.html
Donated what I could, and pointed it out to my favorite living author, Cory Doctorow, who put it on the front page of BoingBoing, which should garner a few donations as well.
The bravery and ideals of the kids, parents and staff of that school literally brings tears to my eyes.
This blogging thing the young people do seems to have an effect. Compared to this morning there seem to be a lot of pupils getting sponsored on the school website! I guess next I will need to donate for some of that land.
The lack of real-time donation meter bummed me out too. I tried my best to get one but couldn’t figure out how to get it to interface with AAI’s donation page.
Hopefully this can be rectified for the next fundraiser.
OK, I chipped in $25, but the meter was still at less than two grand. Tsk.
I also read the homophobia question as asking whether they turn a blind eye to the hate in the culture, looks instead like they try to inoculate against it.
That is so, so great. Now I have an outlet for whenever I hear from my more benighted Facebook friends that their wackjob church is supporing missionaries in Uganda. I’ll just go give a little more.
janiceintoronto–I don’t donate to the Salvation Army for the same reason. I wouldn’t donate to the Boy Scouts either, but my little neighbor boys are Scouts and so I feel obliged to buy popcorn from them, as they are pretty much unaware of the whole homophobia business. Girl Scouts, however–definitely.
I guessed they’d hit that $7000 within a day of this post, but it looks like that was over-optimistic: still around $2000 to go. Come on, people! At this rate, it might take a whole two days!
OK, I’m in. The not-real-time meter is over $5K now!
Thank you guys for all the support towards the KHPS permanent home funds. I want to assure the world that we are determined to fight against all forms of injustices. At the school we embrace humanist values and ethics,we teach evolution and we are interested in passing to our children facts not fiction. We disregard intelligent design and pseudoscience and instead teach evolutionary science. To those who want to learn more about the science and skeptical world,we have a large stock of free thought literature at their disposal. We aim also at exposing our children to the world view thru the usage of computers and the internet. We were lucky enough that Swinburne University based in Australia is working with KHPS in uplifting the computer infrastructure and internet usage at the school in a project codenamed the Curly Questions Project . Check http://www.curlyquestions.com.au
Thank you guys for all the support towards the KHPS permanent home funds. I want to assure the world that we are determined to fight against all forms of injustices. At the school we embrace humanist values and ethics,we teach evolution and we are interested in passing to our children facts not fiction. We disregard intelligent design and pseudoscience and instead teach evolutionary science. To those who want to learn more about the science and skeptical world,we have a large stock of free thought literature at their disposal. We aim also at exposing our children to the world view thru the usage of computers and the internet. We were lucky enough that Swinburne University based in Australia is working with KHPS in uplifting the computer infrastructure and internet usage at the school in a project code named the Curly Questions Project . Check http://www.curlyquestions.com.au
They’ve reached 7525 of 7250 $! :-)
Yes! I’m happy to announce the goal has been reached! Thanks to everyone who donated! I will post on my blog when the land deal is finalized and the deed is in the school’s hands!
Thanks to everyone!
Hi All,
We got the land! Now we’re trying to fix up a building on the land and bring electricity to it! Thus, another fundraiser. If any of you could spread the word or chip in a few bucks it would be amazing!!
http://ow.ly/jyTeR or http://ow.ly/jyThx
– GP/Sean