Give Early Education & Hope to Ugandan Children

Uganda's schools finally reopened on Monday, January 10th, 2022, following a nearly two-year closure — the world's longest school closure. At Act4Africa, we are all breathing a sigh of relief! After the first cases of covid were registered in Uganda in 2020, the government quickly implemented a school closure affecting over 10.4 million students. It has been reported that many schools around the country have permanently closed due to lack of funding during the period of closure; many teachers have chosen to leave the profession and pursue buiness opportunities instead. Admidst this sad situation, Kathy's Kindergarten remains a safe haven for yougsters in Mayuge, We are now more determined than ever to do our part to rebuild the education sector and ensure the best start in life for our young pupils.

Kathy's Kindergarten, an Act4Africa school in Mayuge District, Eastern Uganda, has 3 classes – infants (age 3+), middle class (age 4+), and top class (age 5+). Children generally progress to primary school aged 6 or 7. After finally reopening following such a long period of school closures, we have been overwhelmed by the number of new students who have expressed an interest in enrolling in the infant class. The school, which previously had 45 students in total, has expanded to meet the need. We have enrolled 40 students in only the baby class, 13 in the middle class, and 15 in the top class, for a total of 68 students! Further expansion is under discussion as so many families are eager to enrol their children at our Kindergarten.

Returning to school and meeting new and old acquaintances has elicited enthusiasm and excitement from pupils. They believe they have matured, as Hannah*, a middle-class girl, stated. She went on to say that she missed Kathy's kindergarten teachers and friends and that she is delighted to see them again now that the learning centre has opened. Molly*, a student in the Top class, was overheard speaking with a classmate, questioning if she could still remember her after such a long time.

The headteacher, Jennifer Akullu, stated that some pupils were displaying challenging behaviour, they are finding it somewhat tricky to settle into the school environment after all the upheaval of the pandemic. "The new ones in infant class have grown up; we used to admit those who were three years old, but due to the lockdown, the majority of them are four years old or older." She went on to say that this is beneficial since their brains have developed to speed up learning processes, and the class is extremely engaging. All pupils at Kathy's Kindergarten are treated with kindness and respect, and with time we anticipate they will settle in well.

Parents, particularly those with children at Kathy's centre, have cheered the reopening of schools. This was evident on the first day of school when many parents flocked to the school in huge numbers in the hopes of finding a spot for their children. Parents have given Kathy's centre favourable comments in the three weeks after it reopened, citing the students' rapid development in their learning. Kelly's* father stated that he is overjoyed after discovering that his youngster can count numbers and has gained numerous friends in just three weeks because he was a lonely kid during the period when schools were forced to close.

Thank you so much for continuing to support Kathy’s Kindergarten!!!

*Children's names have been changes for safeguarding purposes

Links:

• Act4Africa Website