Turning dreams into reality: New Post-School Program for Graduates

The recent graduation ceremony of School for Life’s very first cohort of students celebrated 16 years of hard work and dedication – not just by the students, but by the entire School for Life community.

It was a momentous occasion that reflected just how far we’ve come together.

But the journey is far from over. 

In Uganda, the gap between sitting your exams and starting tertiary education can be as long as 9 months. This delay causes many students to drop out of the process and instead find employment, get married or fall pregnant. The majority of these graduates are the first in their family to finish secondary school so to support them to continue their educational journey, we’ve launched a Tertiary Pathways Program.

The program is a gamechanger for these young adults as they take their next step towards a brighter future.

A Tailored Post-School Program

To recognise the unique aspirations of each graduate, the Tertiary Pathways Program is designed to provide tailored support that matches a graduate’s preferred post-school pathway. 

Leading the pilot program is Samuel Woko, who we recently welcomed to the School for Life team in Uganda. He is working closely with the graduates to provide: 

  • Career coaching with a focus on areas that will lead to gainful employment.

  • Transition support and mentorship throughout their transition period.

  • Application support for private and government scholarships as well as applications for University, Technical Vocational Education and Training, and employment.

  • Study scholarships for critically vulnerable graduates who face significant barriers.

By equipping the graduates with the right skills and knowledge for their journey, they can confidently take another step towards realising their dreams. 

But we face a big challenge: how do we keep the graduates engaged and committed during the many months they have to wait before starting their chosen path?

A New Partnership

Our exciting new partnership with PACEmaker International aims to solve this problem. 

We’re bringing their successful transition program, the Community Based Teaching Assistant Fellowship, from Kenya to Uganda.

Through the Fellowship, graduates will be trained as teacher assistants and participate in a volunteer program (with a small stipend to cover costs) where they will support teachers in local, underserved schools to improve student learning outcomes.

The graduates will also receive bi-weekly training workshops for six months that will prepare them for life at university and beyond! 

School for Life has been working closely with the government to get this important program approved in government schools. The final decision was unanimous: the Fellowship received full support of all departments of the district and the ministry.

The First Fellows 

In January, a team from PACEmaker International joined us in Uganda to support the launch of the Community Based Teaching Assistant Fellowship. 

The School for Life team spent the first two days developing a deep understanding of the program and their roles. Applications were then opened to the graduates and 31 were thrilled to be accepted as fellows. 

The 4-day intensive course that followed trained the graduates in vital skills that they’ll use during their teaching assistant placements. 

“I’ve learnt child protection, mentoring children (and) class approach, which is going to help me improve the academic status of these learners in the school I’m going to be deployed (to).” Ritah, 2024 graduate and fellow

Another key session covered project management. As part of their fellowship, graduates will need to identify a problem, gap or challenge in their school or community, implement a solution, and then provide an impact report. 

They also developed skills in Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), a child-centred pedagogical approach proven to produce significant gains in literacy and numeracy. The graduates were taught how to assess a learners’ baseline skill and then use engaging activities to help them progress. 

The training was not only highly informative, but joyful too. The fellows were eager to learn how they can use their new skills to make a difference. 

“I am happy to join this service because I love to see other people smile and I love to help those who are in need and to make a positive impact on other peoples’ lives.” Sera, graduate and fellow

Future Changemakers

The Tertiary Pathways Program reflects School for Life’s commitment to changing lives. It’s not just about education; it’s about giving students all the tools they need to become true changemakers in their communities.
We’re excited to see how this program builds on the graduates’ confidence, skills and knowledge, opening up new possibilities for them.

“I feel happy to give back to my community that has supported me.” Umar, graduate and fellow

The new fellows have formed small teams and are starting their placements this month in schools close to where they live.

Samuel will be visiting the schools regularly to ensure things are running smoothly and we can’t wait to share updates.

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.