Access to education for children in conflict zones

We were on a project trip to Uganda and gained exciting impressions and learnings that we would like to share with you in this update. For a total of 12 days, part of the Visions team was on the road to get to know potential new partners and their work and to visit schools that we already support together with local partners.

In conversations with NGOs, students, parents, teachers and political actors, we also wanted to find out: What are the biggest challenges currently preventing children from attending school?

In this update, we share with you the answers we found and other exciting insights from the project trip.

On a project trip in Uganda

Our journey began in Kampala, the capital of Uganda and Wakiso, the country's most populous district, which surrounds the capital. From there, we headed north-west to Kiboga in central Uganda, Lira in the north and the surrounding districts of Otuke, Oyam and Alebtong. Svenja (Head of Projects), Carolin (Coordinator of Uganda Projects), Franzi (Head of PR) and Jonas (photographer and videographer) met with five local organizations on their twelve-day project trip and visited a total of 17 projects.

The aim of our project trip was to strengthen existing partnerships and establish new ones. We visited current projects and met with our long-standing partner organization Link to Progress (LTP) to deepen our collaboration, discuss challenges together and celebrate successes. The workshops with LTP provided valuable insights. Together, we explored potential new projects and visited project schools, including Okune Primary School and the schools of the WASH project in Alebtong. We also met potential new partners and visited their projects in Wakiso, Kiboga and Lira to get to know their working methods better and explore new schools where educational projects can be implemented in the future. These local NGOs specialize in issues such as children's rights, protection against violence against children, the advancement of women and economic empowerment.

Further meetings, for example at the German embassy or with other committed NGOs, enriched our understanding of the current situation in the country and expanded our local network. The many insightful discussions revealed new ways in which access to education in Uganda can be promoted in the long term. For a world in which every child can read and write.

Our learnings

• The importance of a common vision and strategy: In the exchange with local organizations, it became clear how crucial the development of a common vision and strategy is for the project work. This allows us to create an open and understanding environment that increases the effectiveness and holistic success of the projects, especially when the students, teachers, parents and community members themselves identify with the project.
• Holistic approach: The effectiveness of educational projects is enhanced by a holistic approach that takes equal account of different challenges and needs. At the schools of the WASH project in Otuke and Alebtong, the construction of new sanitary facilities and the implementation of workshops led to an increase in the number of registered pupils, but this also created the challenge that some classrooms were no longer sufficient and the quality of teaching could therefore decline again. At Okune Primary School, we are already addressing this challenge by building a new classroom block.
• Long-term impact on the community: Visiting projects that have already been completed has shown how sustainable the implemented measures are for the schools and their surroundings. At Barmwony Primary School, active groups and committees introduced by LTP are still in place two years after the end of the project. In addition, the training sessions conducted to destigmatize menstruation have had long-term positive effects, as teachers continue to promote the issue. Furthermore, the community takes responsibility for the school and continues to develop it independently, for example by planting school gardens or self-organizing funding for the construction of additional structures.

Fancy even more insights?
Then take a look at our TikTok channel! There we take you with us on our journey day by day. You can find an update on the current status of the ongoing education projects in Uganda on our Instagram channel.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment so far! Without people like you, we would never be able to implement our projects.

We would therefore be delighted if you would like to continue supporting our work and to tell your friends and family about our association.

All the best to you!

Vanessa from Visions for Children e.V.

Links:

• Visit our website