Orientation and Inspiration

We’ve had many presentations / lectures in the last couple of days. It is hard to know what to write about it all. I’ve filled two small notebooks already.
We’ve had a general overview of the education system in Uganda. Invisible Children (IC) chose to focus on Secondary Education as they realized that there are 100s of NGOs working with primary school and only 2 others supporting secondary schools.
As you are likely aware, I read a great deal about IC before I left, summarizing a number of their programs in an earlier post. I had a good feeling about their philosophy but one can’t help but have a little scepticism with any agency. I’ve been incredibly impressed with the people I’ve met, their thoughtful approach to projects, ability to identify what is and is not working, and implement new initiatives as needed. They are also committed to creating something that will persist.

Of the 90 people employed by Invisible Children in Uganda, only 5 positions are held by non-Ugandans and none of those are the most senior positions. Although I was familiar with almost all of the programs described, I was blown away at the thought that went into everything including how to choose students for scholarships, how to pay fees, roles of mentors, selecting contractors for building projects, choosing economic opportunities etc. Everything is directed by needs identified by people in Uganda. The schools which are part of the schools for schools fundraising provide a list of priorities determined by a committee of students, teachers, and parents. In year one, all schools prioritized clean water and sanitation.

Schools themselves must come up with 5% of the cost of any project as a way of creating ownership and also demonstrating that after IC leaves, the school will be able to afford to maintain itself. Some of the exit goals that must be met for a school to “graduate” from schools 4 schools are:

Student: teacher ratio of 60:1
Student: textbook ratio of 3:1
Student: latrine ratio of 25:1

So IC started with the scholarship/mentorship program, then schools4schools to improve the schools and learning that the students were receiving but they realised that all this was meaningless if students went home to see their parents unemployed and didn’t see hope. This pushed IC to implement economic development initiatives and provide training to those employed in the programs on how to save money, and invest in their communities. Their latest initiative is to grow cotton. This area of Uganda is known for its fertile soil and with peace in the area now people are able to return home to their fields. 4000 farmers will grow organic cotton and Eden apparel (Bono’s wife’s company) has agreed to buy it.

One presenter specifically addressed our roles as participants of the teacher exchange. He said that it is simply the relationships we build with our partner teachers which will create change. Many teachers in Uganda did not really choose the profession and it is not always highly regarded by society. So simply sharing our passion is enough. After the teacher exchange each year the schools experience a “high” and motivation increases.