On Saturday, September 3, 2022, over 500 children, comprised of out-of-school children and those at risk of dropping out of school due to lack of basic school supplies, attended our annual Back to School Drive!
The Event was held at Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda’s Community Center, in a remote village of Nakaziba, in Kayunga District of Uganda. BaNgaAfayo staff and volunteers not only provided school supplies to underserved children, but also provided free reusable sanitary pads to help girls stay in school during their menstrual periods. Our staff also held a girls’ health talk about menstrual hygiene, a community event with food, fun sports and games for kids to engage with each other and learn through play.
Where we work, over 80% of the population are dependent on low level subsistence farming which is mainly for food with no viable source of income and survive on one meal a day. This has accelerated the vicious cycle of poverty and high illiteracy rates because it is nearly impossible for these families to educate their children because they can barely afford basic supplies like books, pens, pencils or uniforms, leaving children to fall behind without the support to catch up.
“The Back to School Program is one of many ways that Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda is working to support poor families, supplying them with the assistance needed to free up financial resources to pay for health care and grow some food to feed their children.” said Joseph Ddiba, when asked how the event contributes to the organization’s mission.
In our effort to keep all kids learning after the devastating effects of the Covid 19 Pandemic, our Back to School Program ensures that children from low-income families in Nakaziba village receive the tools they need to catch up and succeed in school. This includes backpacks stuffed with grade level supplies for children plus sanitary pads for adolescent girls who come from poverty-stricken families. Thanks to the support from Global Fund For children, over 500 children benefited from this year’s event.
The program also aims to assist and empower adolescent girls by providing them with the resources and knowledge they need to complete their education and safeguard their health. Where we work, poverty makes the cost of sanitary pads prohibitive for countless girls and young women, leading many to resort to unsafe substitutions, or to skip school for the duration of their periods.
In the coming years we are looking forward to serving even more children, schools, and communities that need the support to help young learners succeed in the classroom. We continually seek partnerships with new donors and organizations dedicated to making a difference in the educational sphere while keeping our current bonds as strong as ever. While we, as an organization, have learned every step of the way, we still have much learning to do. We will continue to champion education for students in need and make it a priority to establish equality in the classroom, persisting to challenge the income disparities children face to improve educational opportunities and academic outcomes.
