Gulu GO

2009-08-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

Friday Blog from Atim

We finished strong on Friday with both Secondary and Primary and real hot sun! We had the honor of the Gulu District Uganda Sports officer who graced us with his presence and encouraged girls basketball and sports for all girls in Northern Uganda! We also had a great performance by the WAYA dancers and presented certificates to all 140 camp participants! IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. The camp ended with actual 5 on 5 between girls who didn't know how a basketball felt like only 6 days prior to Friday. The 2nd annual Gulu girls basketball camp was a tremendous success and the girls are already eager for next year!

Thank you for all the support, blessings, and well wishes from all in Uganda, UGISA, and around the world.

Apwoyo ma tek (Thank you very much in Luo- languange of the Acholi tribe of N. Uganda)!

Leadership is the WORD!

2009-08-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Thursday Blog from Laurie

Primary camp started today at 0830 with campers rolling in up until 1000. We worked in five stations of shooting, lay-up, defence, dribbling and passing. We ended camp on the court earlier than usual so we could jog to Gulu's youth center where we did an activity called "Burn My Burden." The girls wrote down something that has been or is troubling them on a piece of paper then placed it in a box that would be burned. As a group we discussed ways of releasing our troubles. With the Secondary girls it was too hot in the afternoon to jog to the youth center so we found some shade under a large African tree near the courts and had our discussion of coping with our burdens there. It was a very good day, but also very long, hot and tiring. We can't believe the week has flown by so fast and camp ends tomorrow.

Travelling around Gulu...

2009-08-23T16:43:00.001-07:00

Wednesday Blog from Laurie

Campers were combined today, primary and secondary.... distribution of shoes turned interesting with 130 campers! We taught three man weave, knock-out and 3 on 3. Coaches and campers had a good time. Camp was over about 1230-1300. Afterward we loaded up the van, picked up Dennis and headed toward Anaka. Our first stop was the youth center where approx 30 teens sang us a welcome song. After a brief overview of the center they sang us another song about the importance of testing your blood for AIDS. After the choir we visited briefly with the "child" mothers, gave them a few gifts and wished them well. Last stop was an Internal Displacement Camp where many people still remain. We had a following of young children our entire walk of the camp. We saw a woman pounding millet and another women grinding peanuts into odii. It was a very humbling day seeing people living in such meager circumstances, but these people are resilient!

Women Rule: Day 3

2009-08-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

From GuluGO volutneer Elisa:

Today we finished our 3rd day of camp. It actually went really well.
We talked about Responsibility for the character value and the coaches
assistant, Francesca gave a wonderful lesson to the campers. She is
an amazing young women who is doing great things in her community of
Gulu for the youth, specifically women. She is currently working with
a proposal, Women In Action. I love to see strong women like her to
show an example to these young campers.

The girls seemed to have a lot of fun with the stations today. They
seem to be opening up to us coaches. Some of the most valuable moments
I've had here has been talking to these young girls and getting to
know them and their culture. It has given me some perspective and love
for the Acholi culture and people.
l

Today is the Day!! GuluGO 2009

2009-08-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

The team- Atim, Cady, Claire, Elisa, and Laurie arrived in Kampala on Friday, August 14th and travelled to Gulu the next day. Today, Sunday August 16th kicks off the first day of the 2nd GuluGO Basketball and Leadership Development Camp!!!!!!! We were very excited to finally get under way. After months of planning, we were ready to play some basketball!

Gulu had a very good rain last night, so the temperature in the morning was fairly cool. When we came into town last night we aired the basketballs out and picked up the t-shirts. We had about 42 primary campers this morning. After passing out shoes and registering the kids, we put them thru some basic drills to get them comfortable on the court. We took a short break before the secondary campers came for their session. We repeated the drills for the older girls. They are very shy, so we're hopeful they communicate more tomorrow as they get more comfortable and start having fun. We're hot and ready for some cold water and a shower. Tomorrow we will have a full day of camp with both the primary and the secondary!!

THANK YOU

2008-12-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

The basketball camp was a great success as you can see from the pictures and the comments from the coaches clinic. Great appreciation and thanks goes to all those who donated the basketballs, shoes, clinic supplies, shorts, t-shirts, and camp t-shirts, monetary contributions, and most of thier TIME to make this camp possible. A special thank you to Uganda International Sports Academy and Friends for Peace in Africa's partnership. Looking forward to next year and gearing up for another great camp.

Pics from the Camp

2008-07-03T07:41:00.001-07:00

Atim with the girls

Primary Camp Participants and Coaches

Feed back from the Coaches Clinic on July 1, 2008

2008-07-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Feedback Reponses from Coaches Basketball Clinic – July 1st, 2008

-My request is that you organize basketball tournament

-Thank you very much for adding knowledge of basketball to our lives. I request that if possible please come often to give us more information and even teach us how to play. I have gain/benefited a lot form the short time you people have shared with us. God bless you all, hope to meet you again – Suzan

-If possible you provide us with ball for basketball. Thanks a lot for facilitating us – Pece P.7 School

-It is commendable to empower us with skills for basketball. Keep us in touch and update us as promised. Follow up our performance. Keep advising on the cheapest means to manage basketball as a new game for us. Leave communication open for us to share the challenges with you. Thank you very much – Walter

-Wow!! That was really a great effort you’ve done today. Thank you for changing our attitude towards basketball and all that. Thanks a lot for that.

-A tournament is necessary, at least to encourage others. These kind of clinics are important, they should be organized regularly to improve our performance. Lastly, we really appreciate this so much. God bless you – James

-Need for proper sensitization of community. Need for more and frequent clinics. Need for an organized basketball tournament for girls in Gulu. Need to extend in area of Acholi sub region to create regional (sub-region) tournament. Richard

-As a basketball player I appreciate very much what has been done today; but please you would have give us more time and all your contacts.

-It has been a good training and it should not be the last. Expecting more information on basketball from Coach Betty.

-The workshop training should be more practical than theory Thanks. It should take at least two days.

-Please Madam Betty you send those hand outs through UGISA so that those other participants who do not have email can also have them. Thanks. I would like to thank you very much for initiative you took up to come and train us here in Gulu. Safe journey back home. Nemwa

Gulu Camp Success!!

2008-06-30T03:23:00.001-07:00

Two days into the 1st Annual Gulu Girls Basketball Camp and the girls are learning. We started with primary students on Saturday morning at 9am. Camp has been an exciting and fun experience for all involved. Please stay tuned for more updates and pictures. Until then, thank you for your support and happy thoughts.

Cheers,

Gulu Girls Camp Coaches

Children in Idaho Falls share love of basketball with girls in Gulu

2008-05-30T02:45:00.000-07:00

Children participating in the annual Skyline basketball camps between May 27th to the 29th surpassed the goal of collecting 100 jerseys and donated 150! Thank you Skyline campers for sharing your love of basketball. Also a great big thank you to the Shippen family who graciously organized the entire fundraiser. Swoosh!

Check out this little news clip about the camp and the donated jerseys.

http://www.kidk.com/sports/19375799.html?video=YHI&t=a

Curves for Women in Boulder, Colorado donates shoes for girls in Gulu

2008-05-20T03:41:00.000-07:00

Curves for Women, located in Boulder, Colorado, is a franchise of fitness centers concentrated on women's fitness. Curves for Women promotes health information and fitness programs for women. Women from this the Boulder center have donated running shoes for the camp participants. This will help tremendously since many of the participants would've had to play without shoes. Thank you Curves for Women, Boulder!

San Diego State University will donate basketballs for camp

2008-05-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

The San Diego State University Women's Basketball program has agreed to donate basketballs for the girls basketball camp! One of the volunteers who will be facilitating at the camp, Atim Otii, was a former basketball player at SDSU. Thank you SDSU Women's Basketball for your support!

Welcome Gulu Team

2008-03-17T01:36:00.001-07:00

Let us welcome the Gulu Team – these individuals from UGISA will be partnering with the US Team in preparation for the camps to take place between June 28th - July 5th. The Gulu team, lead by Francis Anguyo - basketball coordinator for UGISA, has been meeting to organize facilities for the camp and discussing topics that are central to the advancement of girls in northern Uganda. Keep up the good work!!

Fundraisers to be held in Idaho Falls, Idaho with the help of former BYU women's basketball player

2008-03-17T01:29:00.000-07:00

Kaly Gillette Shippen, as a fellow supporter of Gulu GO will contribute to the girls camps in northern Uganda. Mrs. Shippen will hold two jersey drives thanks to the help of Apple Athletic Club (www.appleathleticclub.com), in an effort to collect jerseys which will be given to the participants in Gulu during the camps. Kaly – Thanks for the help and support!

GULU GO!

2007-12-30T18:47:00.001-08:00

Dear all,

A little idea has come a long way and grown into something unexpected. Volunteers from the United States in collaboration with Uganda International Sports Academy (UGISA) and Friends for Peace in Africa (FPA) will collectively bring together experience from collegiate athletics, high school coaching, youth facilitating, basketball camp management, basketball officiating, leadership building, high school education, professional athletics, and the ability to give time. The team will travel to Gulu, Uganda to hold several all girls' basketball camps for primary and secondary aged girls! This opportunity is just a small contribution to the greater good for peace in northern Uganda.

Goals and objectives:

Empowering a segment of the youngest and largest population presently in northern Uganda through sports
Teaching young girls the fundamentals of basketball
Using sports as a tool for self development and success in other areas of life
Teaching skills to acheive in school and self potential
Facilitate coaching clinics for physical education teachers and other youth facilitators

Date of camp: June 28th - July 5th, 2008

Fundraising goals (all amounts are in dollars) :

Equipment and shipping - $ 910

Participant (approx 80 + volunteers) - $ 1100.00

*Donations should be directed to specific fundraising goals - see link to PayPal account

Contact information for all inquiries:

GuluGo - guluuganda@gmail.com - Attn: Program administrator