Train 50 women teachers in Uganda to educate 1000s

Graduate Women International (GWI) is deeply grateful to all our donors to our Teachers for Rural Futures Global Giving Campaign.

GWI is supporting five girls at Makerere University who are currently sitting their end of semester exams. Two of the girls (Winfred and Benadet) are now in their second year and three (Hasifa, Jane and Victoria) are in their first year of university. Hasifa, Jane and Victoria have managed the transition from secondary school to university very well, and their academic performance has been great. All five girls have been assigned mentors to help them through their studies.

Even with tuition fees paid, girls particularly in rural areas still face obstacles in completing their education. Patriarchal cultures often prevent girls from accessing or completing secondary school. At the end of February 2017, GWI national federation and project partner the Ugandan Association of University Women (UAUW) will organise and deliver community engagement workshops in Kamuli district to foster good community relationships and build support for girls’ education in remote communities. These workshops will bring together traditional leaders, district education officers, teenage girls and boys, teachers and parents. It is a long difficult task to change attitudes and behaviour, but with ambassadors for education like Winfred, Benadet, Jane, Hasifa and Victoria, the advantages of empowering girls and women can be made clear.

With our sincere thanks for making it possible for today’s generation of girls to continue their education and succeed. Our work wouldn’t be possible without the help and support of so many of you. By giving our student teachers the knowledge and skills, we give them the chance to believe in themselves, to inspire others around them and to become the leaders for theirs and future generations. This is what one of our student teachers Victoria had to say “Without your generous support, I would not be in school. My education will help me to improve the academic standards in my district Buyende”.

GWI would like to thank you for your continued support and assistance! To read more about our project, please visit our website at http://www.graduatewomen.org/what-we-do/projects/secondary-school-teachers-for-rural-futures/.

With gratitude,

Lorraine Mangwiro

Programme Officer