Education in Uganda

It is good to see the emphasis that the government is putting on education in Uganda. But oh, there is still a lot to do, and a long way to go.

A system of free education has been instituted, however, the classes are far too large (often 80 to 100 students in a class), the teachers overwhelmed and poorly prepared, and limited in resources to work with. About 40 out of 230 primary schools are still operating under a village tree. In most classes the children have to learn by rote because the teacher is the only one with a book.

If you ask a child directly whether they would like to go to a free primary school nearby or to a private boarding school, their faces light up at the prospect of the boarding school. It is common knowledge that the education there is of better quality. They will learn more and do better in the long run.

Even though the private school education in Uganda costs much less than it would in North America or Europe, that cost is still prohibitative for most of the poverty-stricken children of Uganda. Fortunately, a few organizations have begun a focus on that one segment of the Ugandan society and try to bring in help towards an education in Uganda.

Education Uganda is one such British charity that has introduced the concept of slates to four poor Ugandan schools, so that the students can particpate in their learning and thrive better. The schools are paired with a British school in Hampshire district so that the children can correspond and learn about one another. Education Uganda invites others to sponsor students and help buy slates. They hope to have assisted 100,000 students that way in a four year period.

SALVE International is another charity begun by two English teachers who worked in Jinja, Uganda for a time. They became burdened for the street children who had no chance for education at all. They have also devised a sponsorship plan to bring individual children off the street to live in a special home with "uncle Mike" who supervises their progress and helps them adjust to life off the street and then integrates them into a good school.

All this is encouraging, but there is still a great need concerning education in Uganda!

RTM also has a unique approach. A Ugandan couple, Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako and his wife Christine, (owners of this website), have hearts of great compassion, especially for the young Ugandan girls who yearn for an education with a passion. Some of them will go to great lengths to get into school, but if their parents are poor, or if the girl becomes a believer in Christ Jesus, her muslim family may reject and cast her out on the streets. To survive without an education they almost have to resort to unhealthy relationships, ie, marriages of convenience, or prostitution. The Oyakos have sent some to school at their own expense. But they simply cannot afford to help all the girls they know of or meet.

So they have provided profiles of some of the girls on this website in the sponsor section, and are appealing for sponsors to see about 50 girls get at least their high school education, and a select few with the most potential would be sent on to university as well. You are invited to step in to help out. Your sponsorship will help some girl(s) to be self-supporting with a decent job, and give them dignity in their society, and freedom to worship as they choose.

Please take time to read the profiles of our girls - waiting for their education in Uganda.

Enter a name from the profiles, or add a note to say it is for the girl who needs it most.