Global Education: Next, Uganda

IN THE IGANGA DISTRICT OF UGANDA:

* The median age is 16.

* The rate of childhood pregnancy is the highest in the country, with 57% of childhood mothers giving birth before the age of 16 and 22% giving birth before the age of 14. 

* The literacy rate for females is 53.3%, which is below the Ugandan national average of 61%.  

* Nationwide in Uganda, 70% of ever-married women ages 15-49 experience some form of domestic violence, and the Busoga region, where Iganga is located, leads in the number of domestic violence cases. 

* Overall literacy rates in Uganda have remained stagnant, measured at 60% in 2000 and 62% in 2015. 

* The prevalence rate of HIV/AIDs cases in 15.6%, which is more than double the Ugandan national average. 

* Overall in Uganda, 29.6% of the students enrolled in school are not learning. Iganga district leads the nation in teacher and student absenteeism, with an overall rate of 34%. More than that, with widespread use of corporal punishment, school can be harmful and has even proven deadly for some students. 

* The official average pupil-teacher ratio is 80 students to 1 teacher in primary school and 110 students to 1 teacher in secondary, but we know many teachers who have classes of up to 200 students. 

* According to victims of child abuse in the Iganga district, courts are underresourced to investigate claims made by children against their parents, and local councils will often side with parents, meaning that children end up succumbing to the abuse that they suffer. 

This project will empower the young people in Iganga district to not only protect their own rights,  but also defend the rights of their peers and safeguard the well-being of the community for future generations. We will equip teachers and students in 72 secondary schools in 88 parishes in Iganga with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to effectively address the problems they face in their communities. We will train and support 1,300 teachers and 30,000 students to become changemakers who will lead the charge in shifting the conditions in Iganga.

ConnecTeach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded and run by teachers who know the transformative power of education that occurs when learning goes beyond the acquisition of basic knowledge and skills. We see the monumental challenges of Iganga as being equally matched by the potential of its young residents to make powerful, lasting change when given the necessary tools and resources.

Our project is a comprehensive training program that gives teachers and students the tools to effectively impact issues of gender inequality, develop conflict resolution and leadership skills, build capacity to resolve community issues, and promote ethical economic and social practices. We will develop and provide on-site workshops, online courses, manuals to develop English language literacy skills, and curriculum in the areas of digital literacy and financial empowerment.

Our proposal is a partnership between ConnecTeach, and the Menya Zirabanuzale Schools (MZS) in the Iganga district of eastern Uganda. We have worked together before at the WalugogoTeacher Training College, one of the organizations under the MZS umbrella.

By helping us, you help us all.

Thank you.