Initial situation

The seven state elementary school are located in an economically very weak, rural region in northern Uganda. The around 133,500 inhabitants of the Otuke district live in 356 villages, some of which are very isolated. Most families are farmers who earn their own living, 93% of the population is unemployed. Uganda’s conflict-ridden past has destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, which has seriously damaged the access to education. Due to financial poverty, lack of resources and information, there is a shortage of civil and private engagement. Support from the education authority only covers basic expenses such as teachers’ salaries.

The lack of supplies leads to school dropouts

About 6,000 students at the elementary school learn without electricity, three out of seven schools are even without water supply. At the remaining four project schools, the local project partner Link to Progress (LTP) already built new fountains in January 2022. Overall, the hygienic situation is critical at all seven schools. Most of the latrines are in a dilapidated condition, partly unusable and offer no possibility for a hygienic toilet. For the large number of students, the hand-washing facilities are inadequate. Valuable teaching time is lost due to long queues in front of the sanitary facilities. For instance, 430 children share one sink and 78 children share one toilet. In comparison, according to Ugandan government guidelines, schools should have one toilet and one sink for 40 students each. The access to drinking water and sanitary facilities in the school is essential for the health and concentration of the students. In addition, the sanitary facilities make inclusive school attendance difficult because they are not barrier-free.

The lack of access to clean water and the insufficient latrines also lead to girls in particular staying away from school during their periods. For instance, almost a quarter of Ugandan girls between the ages of 12 and 18 drop out of school when their periods begin. The reasons are various, but can be traced back to a lack of adequate sanitary facilities and inadequate hygiene products.

The nutritional status of students is an important factor for the quality of education. Currently, there are no school meals at the project schools because the existing stoves are not sufficient for the number of children. For this reason, some students have to leave school early due to hunger, or do not show up at all.

Access to education for girls and boys worsened with Covid

In Uganda, the Covid-pandemic kept schools closed longer than in any other country in the world – for almost two years, students did not experience a regular school day. While the long school closures led to a further decline in the already precarious education situation in the country, the individual situation for the students is dramatic. Unlike in much of the world, students in many regions of Uganda had neither access to digital learning opportunities nor the means to catch up on important learning at home. As a result, many of the students are far behind in their school careers – in some cases having to start from scratch.

At the same time, the long school closure has worsened access to education for girls and boys. Many girls across Uganda are unable to find their way back to school due to pregnancy and marriage – teenage pregnancies and child marriages have risen dramatically with the pandemic. At the same time, boys are denied school attendance due to other supporting activities that provide income for the family.