May 2014 - our first fund raising event to build an inclusive school in Uganda: Silver Memorial Inclusive Learning & Education Center - SMILE
October 2015 - our first bike ride to raise funds for the LWALA Girls school
Raise the Roof campaign
March 2015 - Award winning short documentary, Powerful Medicine: Simply Magic - Film and Q & A at Carlow University
Raise the Roof bar crawl
April 2015 - our second bar crawl for Silver Memorial Inclusive Learning & Education Center (SMILE)
27 Miles for 27 weeks of special education
October 2016 - our second bike ride to raise funds to hire a special education teacher at Noah's Ark School for children with special needs
Carlow University JAM - Jubilee Acts of Mercy
April 2016 - The Pope declared 2016 as a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Carlow students hosted an event to honor this and to raise awareness and funds for special projects in developing countries.
Beers for the Bush bar crawl
May 2016 - our third bar crawl to complete Silver Memorial Inclusive Learning & Education Center (SMILE)
June 2017 - our first night of music to raise funds to drill a well in Chodong and Kanyanga villages.
27 Miles for 27 weeks of special education
October 2017 - Our 3rd annual bike ride to raise funds to hire a special education teacher at Noah's Ark School for children with special needs
Clean Water for Matata
March 2018 - Water Wall, Food Trucks and Concert with Bad Custer at the St. Agnes Activity Center on Carlow University Campus
Single Barrel at Steamworks Creative
April 2018 - Benefit concert for Matata wells
Beers for the Bush Bar Crawl
May 2018 - our fourth bar crawl to raise funds for a well in Matata. Held in the South Side of Pittsburgh.
Beers for the Bush Bar Crawl
May 2019 - our fifth bar crawl to raise funds for Watatos Got Talent. Held in the South Side of Pittsburgh.
Suds for Sanctuary
Beer tasting and music by Glass Run Road at Andy Wolfinger's home which he converted from an abandoned church in Observatory Hill in Pittsburgh. Proceeds go to improving accessibility for children attending SMILE and finding sponsors for 25 children to go to school for a year.
Previous initiatives - since 2013 VCAYA has been on the ground learning about the needs of communities in developing countries.
Based on what we learned, these are a few of our completed initiatives.
Improving the lives of vulnerable children
Previous events - since 2014 VCAYA has been hosting events to build awareness and to raise funds for our initiatives. Here are some highlights:
Silver Oonyo Memorial Inclusive School in Opucet
Where all children, regardless of ability status are welcome!
Community-based academic garden curriculum
Developed with teachers in the Bukedea region of Uganda and graduate students at Carlow University Education Programs
Community garden & Clean water project
Creating sustainability through improved gardening practices and a well for the village of Kodiata, Uganda
LWALA Girls School Security
Installed solar powered lighting to the dorms and developed a reading room for study
Clean water for schools in Nicaragua
Repaired wells in San Bartolo and Zappato Primary schools
VCAYA - Vulnerable Children and Youth Action ©