Changing lives with our Adult Literacy Program

Winnie is one of the graduates from our Level 2 Adult Literacy Program.

Winnie is one of the graduates from our Level 2 Adult Literacy Program.

Our Project Coordinator, Kessia Lum, shares the inspiring stories of the graduates from our Adult Literacy Program in rural Uganda.

Last week, I sat and spoke to Winnie for thirty minutes. She told me all about her life, in English. One year ago, Winnie could not speak a word of English.

Winnie was one of five students to graduate from our Level 2 Adult Literacy Program (ALP) this month. As one of the first people to receive their level two ALP graduate certificates, her face was beaming as she told me how proud she was of herself. Winnie was proud that her and I were having a detailed conversation in her newly acquired language, she was proud that she was studying at the same school as her youngest daughter, and proud that she was receiving a graduation certificate that afternoon, from teachers she respected.

Aged 38, Winnie is a mother to five children – her daughter Clare is in Primary 5 at Katuuso. She moved to the area with her family in 2010, just one kilometre away from Katuuso Primary and Vocational School. After enrolling her daughter in school, she began working with School for Life’s (SFL) agricultural program as a digger in our fields. When Winnie was a child she had no choice but to drop out of school in Primary 7 due to her family’s inability to pay school fees. She knew she wanted a better future for her children. After working in our gardens for a year SFL staff noticed Winnie’s incredible work ethic, warm personality and motivation to be more than just a digger. One year later she was promoted.

Winnie with her fellow Level 2 Adult Literacy Program graduates.

Winnie with her fellow Level 2 Adult Literacy Program graduates.

In Winnie’s new role as an early childhood development assistant she acts as a caretaker for our nursery school students – and the babies love her! When she began her new role Winnie was thrilled to be in a stable job where she could provide for her family, but she was intimidated to be surrounded by people who spoke English when she couldn’t speak a word. When SFL notified the community of the ALP program, she was one of the first to sign up – she knew it was her second chance at an education.

It’s been one year since SFL’s Adult Literacy Program began in Katuuso village. Winnie, alongside 4 others, were thrilled to accept their Level 2 graduation certificates, presented to them by their proud teachers, and cheered on by their husbands and wives. On the same day 20 other students (from beginners and Level 1 classes) were celebrating advancing to the next level of their ALP. The program, introduced last September, was developed with the objective of granting parents and grandparents in Katuuso and surrounding villages the opportunity of an education. Joseph Kaabunga, the head teacher of our ALP, could never have imagined the impact the program would have on his life. With emotion in his voice, he said...

“I finally feel that I have accomplished something great in my life through this program. This, to me, is the most important thing that I have been able to achieve. To see my students who were unable to read or write in Luganda, their local language, now be able communicate read, write and speak not only in Luganda but in English as well is unparalleled to anything I have ever felt.”

The School for Life Adult Literacy Program students and teachers.

The School for Life Adult Literacy Program students and teachers.

Sadly, in Uganda, 26% of people over 15 years of age are illiterate. Only 66% of adult females are literate (“Uganda Population,” 2016). Uganda is ranked the 114th lowest country in the world for literacy (“Literacy Rates,” 2015).

Since the majority of our graduates had never received a certificate of completion for any formal education in their lives, teacher Joseph put on a graduation party at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School. The teachers, graduates and their loved ones celebrated with music, dancing, speeches and a banquet lunch. Each student danced and jumped for joy as their names were individually called to accept their graduate certificates from their teachers.

Many of SFL’s support staff and parents of SFL’s students are attending the adult literacy classes on Monday and Tuesday evenings. After seeing Winnie and their other peers graduate, they have reaffirmed their commitment to the program and are dedicated to one day receiving a certificate of their own.

I know the impact that School for Life is making on the community. Even though I see this positive impact everyday my eyes still teared up with happiness when George Ssemukutu, ALP’s student representative and level one graduate, stood in front of the group to say...

“This is my first time being able to learn in a classroom in my entire life. I never had the opportunity to go to school. I want to thank you for not just educating our children and grandchildren in this village, but for not forgetting about us adults as well. Let us continue to tell the community about this program; let us ensure that all generations continue to learn. This is how we can make lasting change together.”

And we will continue to make lasting change, George.

The ALP program is not currently sponsored. To sponsor the teacher’s salaries for this program or contribute to the cost of scholastic materials for our adult students click here 

Sources:

http://ugfacts.com/uganda-population/
http://world.bymap.org/LiteracyRates.html

Written by Kessia Lum - Project Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 

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Success Stories
Goretti

Sweet and shy Goretti lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins in a small house in the local village. When Goretti was younger, she moved in with her aunt and uncle because her parents could no longer look after her. She was one of our first students at Katuuso Primary, starting in 2011 when she was just 4 years old. Now, Goretti is in Senior One at Mbazzi High School, and is relishing the honour of being a high school student in her community - something that is taken for granted in Australia, but in Uganda, represents freedom and opportunity. Goretti also loves attending School for Life because she hopes to one day become a pilot in Uganda - a dream which she knows can only be reached with the help of a good education.

Violah

Violah has been at School for Life since since she was six years old. Sadly, Violah has experienced hardship no child should ever deal with. Her Dad passed away three years ago, leaving her Mum without the financial means to support her family - so she left Violah and her siblings with their elderly grandmother. Every day, Violah has to wake up at 5am to fetch water, cook meals and make sure that her younger sisters are properly looked after. Then she walks half an hour to get to school. Despite this adversity, Violah has flourished at school and has made many friends. She loves that School for Life is "helping me to build a future". After finishing school, Violah hopes to become a teacher to help other children.

Umar

Umar is one of our best performing students at Mbazzi Riverside High School - but life has not always been easy for Umar. His father abandoned the family in 2015, leaving his mother to struggle to support her five children on her own. School for Life has provided Umar with opportunities that may never else have eventuated for him. Umar begun his journey with School for Life at Katuuso Primary School, where his academic ability was quickly revealed. Now, he is a thriving member of our Senior 1 class and a formidable wing on the football team. With a love for mathematics, Umar is set on studying electronic engineering after finishing his senior studies - a goal which he is the first to admit is now within reach thanks to the skills and resources provided to him by School for Life.

Rose Nambooze

Rose is a 32‐year‐old single mother of one. She started working with SFL in 2013, after taking part in our tailoring training program. Prior to working with us, she was unemployed and living in her father's home helping to care for her father, who had cataracts, and his farm.
Thanks to her full time employment, Rose was able to save enough money to pay for an eye operation and restore her father's sight, allowing him to return to work as a mechanic. Now, Rose has moved into her own home and no longer relies on her father financially. 

Joseph

Joseph is one of our Special Needs teachers at Katuuso. After surviving a severe case of malaria at age four, he was left permanently deaf. He was raised by his single mother and attended a nursery school for the handicapped and later transferred to a school for the Deaf in Kampala. He eventually mastered sign language and pursued a university degree in education. Joseph decided to become a teacher so that he could give the gift of education to others who are hearing impaired.

Teddy Namatovu

Teddy is a participant in the Kumi Tailoring Program and four of her five children attend Katuuso Primary School. She and her husband farm two acres of land, which supplies fluctuating revenue. Participation in the Kumi Tailoring Project has secured income to reliably pay for school fees, nutritious meals and renovations to the family home. Teddy has gained a great deal of self-esteem from her ability to support her family and she takes pride in independently financing the education of all five children. Teddy has also been working on her numeracy and administration skills. She was appointed Treasurer of the tailoring group and will be responsible for keeping records of their savings.

Flaviah Nassaazi

Flaviah Nassaazi started working at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School in 2011. Prior to cooking at the school, she and her husband were subsistence farmers. They worked tirelessly for small yields and minimal income to support their family. Flaviah's cooking job not only enables her to pay school fees for her children, but she has also invested in a local barbershop business. She is now passing her cooking skills onto her eldest son Frank, who has also joined the school's cooking staff. Flaviah and her husband attend the adult literacy classes offered weekly at the school. Her English and reading have improved immensely, as well as her confidence.

Rachel

In 2010, Rachel began as a cleaner at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School. She was working to save money to study to be a teacher at University. Thanks to Barrie and Simone Goldsmith, her dream of studying came true and she is now fully qualified.