Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary Club
A Ugandan educator who exemplifies Rotary’s motto of “service above self” shared his inspirational story Thursday, Aug. 26, with the Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary Club.
Robert Nabulere, who operates a school for 148 underprivileged children in Kawempe, Uganda, told the group how he benefitted from a good education as a child and used it to pull himself out of poverty.
He’s now doing the same for a group of children in Kawempe.
“I knew education was the only way to break away,” he said, explaining how a charitable organization helped him stay in school after his father’s death.
Had the organization not stepped in, Nabulere would have had to drop out of school at age 17 and returned to a life of manual labor. Instead, he graduated from college with an honors degree in economics and statistics.
Nabulere could have used his degree to become a wealthy businessman, but he chose to join a full-time ministry instead and serve others.
“I had no ambition to work for a lot of money,” he told the club. “I wanted to be in a community and serve the people.”
In 2005, Nabulere and his wife, Rose, started their own church in Kawempe. They expanded to include a school — Miracle Destiny School – three years later.
The school helps feed, clothe and educate children – many of whom are orphans due to AIDS.
“Almost every family in Uganda has been affected by AIDS,” said Nabulere, whose school gives children an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and succeed in life with an education.
By modeling service, sacrifice and trustworthiness, teachers encourage them to grow up to become public servants and contributors to society.
“We’re raising people who can be good stewards of national resources,” said Nabulere.
It’s a mission that parallels Rotary’s goal of serving others and improving the human condition locally, nationally and globally.
“Rotary’s motto of `service above self’ seems to fit very well with that you’re trying to teach these children,” said Karen Wegrzyn, assistant district governor for Rotary District 6450.
Nabulere, who is in town visiting folks who have supported his efforts (including Grace Church in Minooka and students from Lincoln-Way High School District 210), stopped by Thursday’s Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary Club meeting to talk about his school and raise awareness about their efforts.
He stayed afterward to talk to reading classes at Lincoln-Way North High School where students have been reading the book Of Beetles & Angels, which shares similarities with Nabulere’s life.
Before he returns to Uganda next month, Nabulere will visit all four Lincoln-Way schools and talk about his life experiences and how education has helped him succeed.
Additional information about Nabulere’s school may be found at http://miraclecentrek.org/
For more information about the Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary Club, contact President Paul Lyons at (708) 326-4001 or visit the club’s website at www.tinleyparkfrankfortrotary.com. The club meets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at Lincoln-Way North High School, 19900 S. Harlem Ave., Frankfort.
