MEET OUR NEIGHBORS By Kathy Jerge I recently had the pleasure of meeting with and interviewing Hannah Muller for our community newsletter. Throughout her life Hannah has dreamed of being able to work with and help children and young adults to accept and work through their life crises. She herself suffered a debilitating loss at a very young age; her young dad passed away from cancer when she was only five years old. Helping others cope with their own losses has been a life-long goal.
In 2016 a mutual friend introduced Hannah (through Facebook) to Joseph Zalambi of Uganda, Africa. He and his extended family reside in a village by Lake Victoria named Magooli. Joseph is a Deacon at the United Methodist Church. Hannah and Joseph became pen pals and often communicate through Facebook. In acknowledging the hardships so many of the children of Uganda suffer, Hannah decided to fund a school for boys and girls aged 5 through 15. She named the school Magooli Children’s Education Center. Hannah is the President and founder of Child Crisis Center Uganda and Joseph is the Executive Director of the charity. The school currently has 160 students, seven certified teachers, one nurse to care for the children and one cook. The kitchen and cafeteria were added a year ago; before the kitchen and cafeteria were built, the cook had to prepare meals outside over a fire pit. It costs the charity $1500.00 a month to cover the children’s needs, medical supplies, food, salaries and upkeep. Prior to opening the school, these children would have to walk barefoot four to five kilometers to an inadequate school. Most of the students have lost one or both parents to AIDS, HIV, drownings or crocodile attacks. The children often live with elderly grandparents who are not equipped to deal with their emotional and educational needs. The school has vastly impacted the whole community. Rather than having to go down to the crocodile infested river to collect water, the building has attached to it two eight-hundred-gallon receptacles to gather rainwater. The cook provides a meal for the children every day – in most cases, this is the only meal they may have for the day. Hannah and Joseph are hoping to raise enough money to add three new school rooms to accommodate children aged from sixteen to eighteen, as well as a library, offices and other facilities. Hannah has always thanked her mother for encouraging her to major in art. She is currently studying art therapy at Marywood University in Scranton. She expects to get her master’s degree in May of 2022. Once she is able to safely travel to Uganda, she expects to bring her expertise in art therapy to the students there. A planned 2020 trip was cancelled due to covid-19.
Hannah spent most of her youth growing up in Madison NJ where she returns to visit friends on many weekends. After graduating from Salisbury University in Maryland, Hannah became employed as a glassblower and instructor at the Morris County School of Glass where she soon became manager of the group of glassblowers. She continues to work in Morristown part time when she is able. In speaking with the owner of the business about her goal to help the children in Uganda, he was impressed by her intelligence and dreams. She expressed her frustration at not being able to obtain a 501c3 certification as a non-profit organization because she didn’t have the necessary funds to afford that designation. He donated the funds to the Child Crisis Center Uganda and the legal designation as a 501c3 non-profit charity went through in October 2017.
Another project recently completed at Child Crisis Center is an on-site poultry farm with 700 chicks. The school keeps the chicks in a hut with fire pots to keep them warm and protected from the elements. Once the chicks are mature, they will use the eggs for the students and sell the balance in the marketplace. Eggs are a rarity in this part of Uganda. The organization has also raised money for a processor which will allow them to make their own feed for the chicks rather than purchasing it in the market. Should you wish to support Hannah in her goals for the Child Crisis Center Uganda, please make your checks payable to the charity and mail them to 102 Briarwood Drive, Greentown PA 18426. Thank you in advance for whatever you are able to contribute to this worthwhile charity. We plan to meet and interview more of our younger residents going forward. If you are interested, please call or drop by the office and give your name and interests to the front desk. Thank you!
TANGLWOOD LAKES | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
PAGE 17
