South Je co Rotary remembers Marcellina Otii, the Rotarian who built a school in Uganda

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e South Je co Rotary recently took a meeting to memorialize Marcellina Otii, a longtime educator and school founder who died July 8. Amongst the stories told were about Otii’s time in Colorado and how she convinced the Denver Metro Rotary Clubs to sponsor a preschool in her hometown of Gulu, Uganda.

Two of the South Je co Rotary members shared some stories about Otii’s work with the club.

“Marcellina was a longtime educator,” Rotarian Pamela Lacy said. “She wanted to be able to partner with Rotary to help support her school. And we agreed this was a great idea.” e South Je co Rotarians were early supporters.

Lacy described a few projects that the South Je co Rotary undertook to help with the Mother Earth Montessori School in Gulu City, Uganda. ese include funding grading for the school building site and bricks for the walls of the building.

“I mean, we’re starting back when it was still school being held under a tree,” Lacy said. “Today they have a building. Our very latest project is for hygiene, to put in bathrooms for both adults and children and a hand washing station.” e Mother Earth Montessori School in Gulu City was the work of a lifelong educator. Otii was a teacher and she trained new teachers before eeing Uganda in 1979.

Lacy is in Uganda with other Rotarians working on this project at press time.

According to her obituary, Otii came to Denver and continued the work of educating kids.

“Marcellina completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree, a K-12 teacher’s certi cation, a diploma in Montessori education and an educational administration certication,” Otii’s obituary reads. “She taught adult education to immigrants before serving for nearly 30 years in early childhood education as a Montessori teacher and coach at Family Star, Mile High Early Learning Center, and in Denver Public Schools.”

According to her fellow educator and longtime friend Rotarian Sue Davis, Otii never forgot her hometown and the need for a school. Davis said that her friend shared the atrocities that led to leaving Uganda.

“ ey would kidnap boarding schools within Uganda,” Davis explained. “And they would kidnap 300 children at a time. And they would tell these children, ‘We’re gonna kill you unless you go back to your village and kill your parents.’ It was so bizarre.”

Davis said that Otii shared the startling fact with her.

Marcellina wanted to give back to her hometown and she wanted to give education, according to Davis.

“Gulu was ravaged,” Davis said.

“As a result, it was also such an impoverished area, with very little education. ere was very little opportunity for education. Marcellina has always been with Montessori, and she said these children desperately need preschool.”

So, in 2018, Davis introduced Otii to Lacy and the South Je co Rotary.

Otii joined and became a very active member of the club.

“So, with Marcellina (and the South Je co Rotary), the partnership has grown over the last ve years,” Lacy said “She’s also been a big participant in some of our projects. Anytime we have a volunteer project, Marcellina is there, usually with family and her husband.”

At the time, the South Je co Rotary couldn’t take on the project alone. ey needed partners. Otii took went to each chapter to tell them about the plight of her hometown, before asking the clubs to sponsor a project or to donate time or money.

“In order to get the Rotary clubs to help you, you had to go and make a presentation,” Davis said. “You show them maybe a video and you tell them about the project and why you feel it’s so critically important.”

Davis said that Otii’s presentations were so unique because of her personal connection to the area. And she showed the history of the ravaged town. It convinced sev- eral Denver Metro area Rotaries to donate. e Mother Earth Montessori school names the following area Rotaries for their contributions: the Centennial Rotary Club, the Denver Southeast Club, the Lakewood Foundation Rotary, the Evergreen Rotary, the Denver Cherry Creek Club, the Lexington Park Club and the South Je co Rotary. ese clubs all donated to the school and the vision that Otii had, which she was always ful lling before her passing.

“Marcelino was so forwardthinking,” Davis said. “Not only does she want it to be a preschool, but so many people are illiterate. So, at night when the children are gone, (Otii) wants (the school) to be an adult literacy classroom. So, we bought solar lamps for the people to use.”

Davis went on to describe other community aspects of the school. Otii meant it to be a community builder, not just a school.

“And when you say Montessori, you think of the schools here which

Taxdeductiblemonetaryand gentlyusedclothes/household items,NEWsocks/underweardonationsareappreciated. FoodPantryinneedoftomatoproducts,coffee,canned meat/tuna,jelly,spam,shampoo,bodywash,andtoothpaste.

OurGoals:

Toprovidesupportandempathyinaninclusiveenvironment.

Toprovidehelpforthoseinneedinourcommunity.

TooperateafoodpantryintheGoldenareaforthebenefitof localfamiliesandindividuals.

Toprovideshort-termfinancialassistancetothose experiencingcrisisorsuddenhardship.

Toprovideconsultationandadviceregardingadditional supportservicesinthevicinity.

Youneverknowwhattreasureyouwillfindinourthriftshop! AcceptingVisa/Mastercard-$10minimum