Young people need survival skills â€" FR. Grimes
Oct 28, 2008
Former Namasagali College headteacher, Rev. Fr. Damien Grimes will always remain a treasure to his former students. Although he left Uganda eight years ago, he returned recently.
By Lilian Nalumansi
Former Namasagali College headteacher, Rev. Fr. Damien Grimes will always remain a treasure to his former students. Although he left Uganda eight years ago, he returned recently.
Asked what brings him back to the country, Grimes said he was tutoring what will now be a regular summer school programme. It is from here that he will pass on lifelong skills to a new generation of youngsters that did not pass through his tutelage at Namasagali College.
The conclusion of the Father Grimes Summer School was a backstage musical production written and directed by Grimes and shown at the National Theatre in July. Titled ‘The Summer School Musical’ it featured 20 first-time actors, also the pioneers of the residential summer school that will now run annually at Nkozi University.
The musical highlighted the challenges of putting up a theatrical production including finding actors and costumes, training the actors and raising funds.
Grimes, who was at the forefront of theatrical productions in Uganda said the musical was the climax of the confidence-building skills that students learnt during the long summer school.
Well known for teaching non-academic but life-long skills to his former students at Namasagali, Grimes said the summer school students would learn eloquence, etiquette, creativity and the art of reading. In addition they will acquire self-confidence, public-speaking, gender relationships, time management, creative dancing, prayer and coping skills.
Under Grimes’ watch, Namasagali was a drama powerhouse. He said he was impressed by the good performance of the new actors considering the short time they were trained. “I was quite pleased with their performance, it being their first time to appear onstage. To put up such a show as they did and at such short notice was a great achievement,†he said.
At 77 years and less energetic than he was at Namasagali, Grimes says he is still committed to training young people who can survive the rigours of today’s challenging world.
“I get tired faster but I’m still willing to contribute to providing a new generation of youngsters with the kind of training that has helped put former students in good careers,†he said.
The brains behind the Father Grimes Foundation include prominent former Namasagali students; businessman Patrick Bitature, Claire Wavamunno and lawyer Steven Mosha.
The foundation was set up to honour Grimes for his 31-year contribution to Uganda’s education sector and to continue his legacy.
Grimes last wrote and directed The Secret Agent, a drama production by his then students at Namasagali College in 2000, the same year he left for his home country, the UK.
Former Namasagali College headteacher, Rev. Fr. Damien Grimes will always remain a treasure to his former students. Although he left Uganda eight years ago, he returned recently.
Asked what brings him back to the country, Grimes said he was tutoring what will now be a regular summer school programme. It is from here that he will pass on lifelong skills to a new generation of youngsters that did not pass through his tutelage at Namasagali College.
The conclusion of the Father Grimes Summer School was a backstage musical production written and directed by Grimes and shown at the National Theatre in July. Titled ‘The Summer School Musical’ it featured 20 first-time actors, also the pioneers of the residential summer school that will now run annually at Nkozi University.
The musical highlighted the challenges of putting up a theatrical production including finding actors and costumes, training the actors and raising funds.
Grimes, who was at the forefront of theatrical productions in Uganda said the musical was the climax of the confidence-building skills that students learnt during the long summer school.
Well known for teaching non-academic but life-long skills to his former students at Namasagali, Grimes said the summer school students would learn eloquence, etiquette, creativity and the art of reading. In addition they will acquire self-confidence, public-speaking, gender relationships, time management, creative dancing, prayer and coping skills.
Under Grimes’ watch, Namasagali was a drama powerhouse. He said he was impressed by the good performance of the new actors considering the short time they were trained. “I was quite pleased with their performance, it being their first time to appear onstage. To put up such a show as they did and at such short notice was a great achievement,†he said.
At 77 years and less energetic than he was at Namasagali, Grimes says he is still committed to training young people who can survive the rigours of today’s challenging world.
“I get tired faster but I’m still willing to contribute to providing a new generation of youngsters with the kind of training that has helped put former students in good careers,†he said.
The brains behind the Father Grimes Foundation include prominent former Namasagali students; businessman Patrick Bitature, Claire Wavamunno and lawyer Steven Mosha.
The foundation was set up to honour Grimes for his 31-year contribution to Uganda’s education sector and to continue his legacy.
Grimes last wrote and directed The Secret Agent, a drama production by his then students at Namasagali College in 2000, the same year he left for his home country, the UK.