Woodlands Academy Students to Help Bring Music to African School

Traditionally the Ash Wednesday liturgy at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart marks the start of a major service project. This Lent students at the all-girls college prep high school in Lake Forest will help start a music program at the relatively new Sacred Heart Secondary School that's educating and empowering some poor and orphaned children in Tanzania, Africa.

"Even though this school is not a part of our international network of Sacred Heart Schools, we share the same values," said Woodlands Academy junior Mary Hurtgen of Winnetka, who came up with the idea for the project. "Throughout the next weeks, we will be helping to start a music program for these Tanzanian students."

This will be done in a variety of ways. Throughout the project Woodlands students will be collecting musical instruments to send to Sacred Heart Secondary School. In addition funds will be raised through such means as a raffle and donations collected at Woodlands Academy's upcoming dance.

Hurtgen is aware of the African school because she has known its founder, the Rev. Avitus Kiiguta, from the time he served as a pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Winnetka. During that time Kiiguta was able to realize his dream of establishing the school in the northwestern Tanzanian village where he was born and raised. Sacred Heart Parish was Kiiguta's first assignment after being ordained a Catholic priest. He now serves at St. John de la Salle Church on Chicago's south side.

"Educating youth is a key to empowering Africa," Kiiguta said during the Woodlands Academy liturgy. His dream of providing this opportunity in Tanzania's Izigo community began coming true in 2007 with the formation of a charitable organization, Outreach and Community Empowerment (COCE). Since then more than $5 million has been raised for construction and operation of Sacred Heart Secondary School, which opened its doors in 2008. Approximately 800 students have been educated there since then.

"These are children who have grown up in poverty and, until recently, have been denied the chance to become educated. They now eagerly embrace the opportunity to learn and grow in ways never before available to them," said Woodlands Academy junior Kristen Clair of Lake Forest.

Kiiguta credits the members of his Winnetka parish who embraced the project for getting it off to such a successful start. There are still needs to be met, he says, such as building student dormitories and purchasing computers for the school.

In addition to its educational mission, COCE also seeks to achieve clean water accessibility for Izigo residents, to empower girls and women, and to appreciate other cultures.

Founded in 1858, Woodlands Academy is an independent Catholic college preparatory day and boarding high school for young women. It's part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries. A nonprofit, Woodlands Academy's identity is rooted in Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat's desire to inspire young hearts and minds to excel, to lead lives of integrity and to serve. For more information about Woodlands Academy, please visit www.woodlandsacademy.org