Beth Israel of San Diego Men's Club Dinner Forum - Featured Speaker Gidongo Armstrong

Please join us at our June 18th Dinner Forum to hear from a Jewish Ugandan named Gidongo Armstrong who is part of the Abayudaya, a small Jewish Community  located just outside the city of Mbale in eastern Uganda. 
 
Hear Armstrong tell his story which is one of determination and a will to survive and change the lives of those around him back at home. Armstrong is a 26-year old Ugandan man who, despite incredible odds against him, has dreamed since he was 12 of becoming a commercial airline pilot.  
 
Armstrong embodies the ability, dedication and perseverance of U-TOUCH, an organization bringing technology to rural villages in Africa. Their slogan: "Brilliance is equally distributed, but opportunity is not." Armstrong had been identified by the principals of this organization as one of the smartest person they had ever met and as a person who will continue to do everything he can to achieve his dream. In turn, Larry Kesslin, a local benefactor is working hard to help in multiple ways to assist Armstrong in his quest for his flight education.
 
Over the past decade, Armstrong learned as much as he could about airplanes and flying. He soaked up information from books, people and television. He treasured copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica and the World Book. In 1998, Armstrong saw his first computer and, whenever he could, attended schools with computers.
 
By 2010, he had made his way to Nairobi and spent as much time as possible at Wilson Airport. He did everything he could-washed airplanes, carried bags-to stay close to the aircraft. Armstrong arrived in San Diego on Feb. 6, 2014, and is already enrolled at San Diego Flight Training International.  
 
Please join his to hear about his adventure, ambitions and plans to achieve his goals and how he will use his pilot's license in the future to help his fellow Ugandans.
 
Dinner Forums are open to the entire San Diego community, both men and women. The fee: $14 with an RSVP, $17 without an RSVP, includes a deli dinner. Please RSVP early to assist us in planning the event using the following link https://secure.jotformpro.com/form/41526567624964, or by contacting Judi Schwartz at 858 900-2598.

Congregation Beth Israel, the historic center of Jewish life in San Diego, is an inclusive Reform congregation that offers a warm welcome and a nurturing home to all who seek a meaningful and enduring connection to Judaism. For more information, visit our website at www.cbisd.org, and connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/cbisd.