Saving Scheme at school enables pupils pay examination fees!!

 I was asked recently by a new recruit how it is that I still have a high level of energy doing what I do, having been placed in the ‘field’ (a Universal Primary Education government school in a rural low-income community) a year ago. I gave the shortest answer possible that didn’t warrant more questions – “the children that have been entrusted to me”.

Truth is, no one will understand how it is so, no matter how small I break the words. It is a deep system of psychological instruction, built upon layers of thought processes and actions. I get drained like the rest too, I fall, and whatnot, but at the end of the day I get to remind myself why I started and why I need to finish. These ‘whys’, form the central part of the system that keeps me afloat.

“I am willing to go the deepest of ends even if only one child can walk into that dawn of equal opportunities brought about by quality and inclusive education for all”

I have a manila card pasted against the unpainted wall of my room, on it, is a big text in a red marker – HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO GO? This is a challenge I issued myself when I jumped in the cold water with both feet, I looked around and saw. I saw people drowning not only because of the weight of their clothes but also the incapacitation of support systems that are supposed to help them thrive. The elderlies have worn this weight too long that it’s become part of their life, for the children on the other hand, it can still dawn. I am willing to go the deepest of ends even if only one child can walk into that dawn of equal opportunities brought about by quality and inclusive education for all. Yes, I have walked 10 kilometers to check on my learners in a day and did the same the day that followed. I deprive my eyes of sleep for hours and deliver an awe-filled easy to master content by day’s break. I am learning their language for me and them, I eat their food, I respect their customs, I push beyond my limits, I am that teacher.

That deeply built system is responsible for my timely arrival at school and execution of duties, plans and generation of ideas which among others have seen the propagation of financial literacy through two distinct savings groups viz Demberyo Community Savings Group in Ivukula, Namutumba with savings beyond 25 ugx currency points and P.2 Savings Group at Bugwe Primary School worth 0.5 ugx currency point; two successive Back To School/Stay In School (BTS/SIS) Campaigns that fostered attitude change towards education in March 2022 the initiation and execution of Meet and Learn (#MaL) in  August’s holiday to help the school going children of Bugwe, Nangonde, Idudi and Budomero recover the time stolen by Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) industrial action, benefitted over 35 children for the course of three weeks. My very own learners who benefitted from this intervention have saw a huge increase in their performance in the end of term promotional exam – every action is intentional because of that system.

The savings group in the community has brought a new pool of finance to the members who can borrow to meet their basic and business needs at a very low interest rate of 10%. Access to 20% of their savings under the emergency clause at 0% interest rate should the need arise, the learners at school were able to use their savings to buy pencils and books when the parents couldn’t provide it in the shortest time possible, two learners saved enough to pay for their final year examination; this is a bedrock of healthy habits that’ll help them shake off the weight society and its system placed on them - financial literacy is a sore yet a core subject. 

 

Fred Sunday, Mugisha.

Teach For Uganda Fellow 

Cohort 4

Bugwe Primary School

Namutumba District.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JishaXThe1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-sunday-mugisha-22a27849/

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