Help Children with Learning Difficulties in Uganda

Hi Family!

As we were preparing this update to you and we peeped at our previous one in March, once again we realized how much has changed since then. From no cases of Covid-19 in Uganda, schools being open, and washing hands just to be sure, to hundreds of cases (but fortunately, no deaths so far), schools being closed for the past 3.5 months, and wearing masks full time outside our homes. Although the lockdown in Uganda is being lifted step by step, we are not out of the woods just yet.

We spent almost 2 months working from our homes, missing our new office space at The Innovation Village. Fortunately, regulations were put in place and the building opened up again, so our work days no longer include power cuts, internet data limits and chicken sounds in the background - although the occasional ripe mango dropping on the office roof keeps us on our toes. Our team is well, we are careful & at a distance from each other, but we are glad to be in the same space again.

However, our work days are quite different from what we are used to. With schools still closed and children (and parents) slowly getting used to learning at home, we have made extra efforts to think of ways we can adjust to this situation as well. No matter where children learn, their learning needs will move with them, so we gladly offer our guidance where we can. 

What that looks like on a daily basis? It includes staying in touch with our partner schools, institutions and organizations, holding radio talk shows on learning difficulties (with 7000+ listeners in Northern Uganda - find the recordings here: http://www.backupuganda.org/learning/), working together with other education partners in Gulu and at national level to strengthen each other’s emergency efforts, and designing new, innovative ways to connect with teachers and parents. Within the coming weeks, we will be launching something exciting that will even be helpful across borders, so keep a close eye on our social media pages.

So, are we bored yet? Quite the opposite! In fact, as of mid-June, our team has grown to 5 people, when Frostig trainees Joan and Gertrude finally managed to make their way to Gulu as soon as transport between districts was allowed again. While they are getting familiar with ‘everything Backup’, they are working hard to add their input to all the new steps we are taking. 

With nearly every organization facing challenges in doing their ‘usual’ work and raising funds under these unpredictable circumstances, we are grateful that we have been able to maintain our busy team up to now. Partners like Frostig, private donors like you, and even the very platform you donate to us through have been making this possible. Last week, we were informed that we have been selected to receive a hardship grant from GlobalGiving that will help us continue paying our staff. With more people losing employment and income every day, we couldn’t be happier that we will not need to add to that anytime soon. A heartfelt thank you doesn’t begin to cover it!

If there is one lesson we are learning in the midst of all of this, it is that being flexible is our biggest strength. We hope you can continue to find the flexibility in yourself to handle whatever may be coming at you. None of us know what might happen next. That’s scary, uncomfortable, but also: full of opportunities. 

Much love from Gulu,

The Backup Uganda Team

Hello ‘Backup to our Backup’,

We have entered a new (school) year, and as we all know, it has not been an easy one so far. We hope you are all well and taking the necessary precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe!

As we are writing this, there has not been any confirmed case of Covid-19 in Uganda yet, and (school) life is moving on as usual - with a number of extra hygiene measures in place, of course. We are keeping a close eye on updates coming from the Uganda government - the Ministry of Health in particular - to ensure we are following all directives given. If schools end up being closed and our movements are limited, we will continue with all other work we can do - from our brand new office at The Innovation Village in Gulu, or from our homes.

Since the beginning of the school year, we have been able to make a strong start at our new partner primary schools and primary teachers college. As of school term 1 of 2020, we have started a partnership with Christ the King Demonstration Primary School, Mary Immaculate Primary School, St. Joseph’s Primary School, and Christ the King Primary Teachers College. So far, we have had the opportunity to meet the teachers at the primary schools at least twice. Once, to introduce our project to the entire school team, and the second time to begin our first workshop on learning difficulties. At Christ the King PTC, we were able to kick off training sessions with the second-year student teachers just before they started their school practise at the surrounding primary schools - their first time teaching an entire class!

As we are building these new collaborations, we are not forgetting our previous partner schools. In fact, we have started developing something new together with the school teams: by the end of 2020, each school will have its own Inclusive Education Committee (IEC). Each IEC is responsible for running all activities related to inclusive education within the school. This includes developing individualized support plans together with teachers, referring children and parents to experts for further diagnostics and support, and much more. This means that within a short time, schools will no longer need backup from Backup! That’s exactly what we are aiming for: an independent, inclusive education system.

Starting from April, we are thrilled to be expanding our team with two trainees under the fresh and new Frostig Traineeship Program. Thanks to Frostig School in Pasadena, California (USA), we have the opportunity to hire two recent Ugandan graduates in a special needs related course for a full year of working and learning at Backup Uganda. Our trainees will be engaged fulltime in the workshops and meetings we offer in the schools and communities we work with.

Did we just say communities? That’s right, we are taking our work beyond the schools this year! We are planning to hold community meetings and radio talk shows about learning difficulties, to help us reach everyone within the communities around our partner schools. This will help build an even stronger support system for children who experience these difficulties, wherever they go. Due to the Corona virus, we may have to be patient until we can hold the community meetings, but radio talk shows are an excellent way to spread information without having to bring many people together in the same location. 

Starting next week (23-27 March), we will be raising funds during GlobalGiving’s Little by Little campaign to hold the first talk shows as soon as possible. We aim to raise $800, and GlobalGiving is making this easier for all of us by matching each donation up to $50 with 50% of the donated amount! We would love for you to be part of this, so keep an eye on our social media pages to be reminded of this campaign.

That’s all for now, dear friend! We appreciate your continuous support, and we hope these updates help you see the impact you are making. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have! We would love to hear from you.

Stay safe and healthy,

The Backup Uganda Team