Lincoln-Way Central student Tori Spetz was so impressed with the story of children in Uganda needing help for their education, she decided to donate half of her graduation money to help them. Last week an Ugandan educator stopped by Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West to thank the students for their contributions and to thank Tori personally.

Tori was a guest for lunch to meet with Robert Nabulere, director of the Miracle Destiny School in Uganda, along with her reading class teacher, Jayce Shilkaitis, and Tim Reilly, Director of Instruction for District 210. She was eager to learn how her donation had helped the school children. The sophomore student was excited to see photos of the school children and was told that her money went for school supplies, school uniforms and food to feed the children lunch.

Robert Nabulere, who operates a school for 148 underprivileged children in Kawempe, Uganda, came to talk and meet with teachers and students and to thank them for their donations of loose change to help feed, clothe and educate children they have never met. Nabulere benefitted from a charitable organization when his father died when he was twelve. The organization helped pay for Nabulere’s schooling, enabling him to graduate from college and become a school director.

For two years, Lincoln-Way students have decided to collect loose change and donate to Nabulere’s school after reading the book Of Beetles & Angels by Mawi Asgedon. Last year, Tori was in her freshman reading class reading the story of Beetles and Angels’ by Mawi Asgedom when guest speaker Robert Nabulere talked about his school in Uganda, and thanked the students for their past donations.

The book, Of Beetles and Angels, tells the story of how Asgedom’s family fled civil war in Ethiopia and later moved to Chicago where Asgedom earned a scholarship to Harvard University.

“I just wanted to help. We were reading the story about Mawi and how important education was for him. Then Robert told us about how important education was in his life, and I wanted to help the children get a good education so they can fight the poverty in their country,” said Tori.

“Our passion is to give an education to children. We seek to reach those children most in need, those who wouldn’t be in school if we didn’t give them a place,” said Nabulere.

“It makes me feel really good. It makes me feel that I really helped some people and children, and I want to keep supporting the school,” stated Tori.