The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the education of more than 14 million learners in Uganda, leaving parents with no choice, especially those in rural areas.
But while learning has been a challenge, Namutumba leaders have set up learning centers in villages, as a way of ensuring that learning continues in communities.
The prolonged school closure as a measure to curb the spread of covid-19 has continued to have negative effects on the sexual, reproductive health, and rights of young girls.
Data reveals that during the lockdown, Uganda has been hit by high levels of teenage pregnancy and child marriages.
Eastern Uganda (Busoga) is one of most affected.
Mohamed Isiko, the Namutumba district education officer, attributed the alarming situation to parents who neglect their responsibilities.
"Most of the parents in our areas have neglected their responsibilities leaving them to teachers, but Covid-19 has taught us a big lesson, parents and teachers need to work hand in hand such that we raise our children," Isiko said.
It’s against this background that African SOUP, a civil society organisation, along with the Namutumba district leaders have opened up homeschooling centres, with the aim of ensuring that learning continues.
According to George Weteta the chief operating officer of the organisation said the program seeks to fight high rates of teenage pregnancy and early marriages in the area.
“We have been doing home learning in Magada sub county teaching over 500 children in 12 villages. We do this using home learning centres that we established in those villages. So we want to tell the country that learning can still happen even during the lockdown," he said.
Rosemary Adekin a teacher at Africa SOUP Primary School, said the program had helped her save some money in this period of the pandemic.
"Most of the teachers outside there is have even given up on teaching due to closure of schools, but at least for me I can earn a lot from the organisation and this has kept me fully ready for school reopening," said Adekin.
Local leaders in the area are now optimistic that the program will improve learning ahead of the long-awaited school reopening.
