Two years of disrupted education: It is estimated that 30% of children in Uganda are still out of school due to Covid-19.  This is on top of the thousands of children who were out of school even before the pandemic.  The longer children are out of school, the less likely it is that they will re-enroll, with girls at particular at risk of dropping out, often in order to marry.  Not only are children dropping out early, but schools have dramatically increased their fees.  Due to the increasing costs because of inflation school feels have risen to 20% since the pandemic, making it impossible for parents whose income has suffered because of Covid unable to pay their fees.

There are limited resources at school. Sitting accommodations and school buildings themselves are rarely available or there aren’t enough.  Technology and curriculum materials are needed.  Lack of funding to get enough teachers to be able to give attention to children is a widespread problem.  The teacher to child ration is appalling. Faced with the number of children in their classrooms teachers are overwhelmed and often lose control of their classrooms.  The class infrastructure is failing, and classes are congested, which limits the tools for both indoor and outdoor activities.

Difficult journeys to school: Many children in remote communities in Uganda have to make the most unimaginable and dangerous journeys every day to access education. Some may more or less walk one mile to school and one mile return trip.  Many children are walking dirt trails in the dark.

Speaking unfamiliar languages: Most children in Uganda speak tribal language at home and go to school where they are taught English, an unfamiliar language.  This can lead to them getting behind daily and push them out of school completely.

Payment for education and poverty: Poverty has a significant impact on a child’s learning in Uganda.  Children have to pay fees to attend school and if school is “free”, many times there are uniforms and supplies that their families cannot afford. Poverty is a difficult obstacle to overcome. Poverty follows generation after generation and becomes normal, which makes it almost impossible to break. Though education is a significant part of breaking the chain of poverty, most of the children are so far behind academically that they will never get that opportunity without help.

ILLITERACY: The inability to read or write is a self-perpetuating problem.  People can’t get a decent job and when they have children of their own or don’t have the funds to educate them, another generation of illiterates is born.  It is a significant problem in Uganda.

MANY SCHOOLS HAVE NO CONSISTENT SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM: A major challenge this creates is that children cannot concentrate with empty stomachs.  Most children go to school at 07 AM and leave for home at 05 PM.  Those who cannot afford more, survive on porridge flour soup all day.  Those that can afford more still get little and unhealthy food.

INSECURITY: Young children face many insecurities, both from health hazards and poor parenting practices.  There are not local parenting education programs available to help, especially for young parents facing the challenge of parenting at young ages and no confidence. As such, children suffer from neglect, deprivation, and related violence from the very people who are supposed to protect them.  This also includes poor nutrition that is perpetrated by poverty, large family sizes, cultural practices, and limited birth control.

POVERTY:  With its associated affects such as malnutrition, disease, and squalor, poverty is the most urgent challenge facing young children in Uganda.  Most families are poor, the cost of living is extremely high, and the necessities of life are beyond the reach of most families.  The health indicators are still high. There is wide-spread ignorance of the needs and rights of young children.  The cultural orientations are not in favor and in line with the best practices of child rearing.  The culture of children living away from home is a problem for many, depriving them of their basic needs.

BASIC NEEDS:  In the search for basic needs, parents are out all day struggling to make ends meet at the expense of their children’s health, protection, and welfare.  The government does not seem to be able to cater for the needs of its people, despite all the election promises. There is a wave of insecurity in the country, which ultimately affects the family, such as high incidence of road traffic accidents, kidnapping, high unemployment etc.  There is a high need for advocacy to improve these situations.

GENDER DISCRIMINATION: In many parts of Uganda, due to poverty, security, or cultural factors, male children will be educated while their female siblings will not.  Girls are four times more likely to be out of school than boys are from the same background.  The poorest girls are the least likely to complete primary school.

DISABILITIES: Much social and cultural discrimination remains around disability.  Children with disabilities are more likely to miss out on school than other children.   Children need, but most often don’t have, accessibility for their needs at school.  They often need equipment for mobility, hearing loss, and poor vision or vision loss.  If there is no money for these things they need to be created by individuals in the community who are willing to share their skills.  Often, they will need specialized medical attention, which they cannot afford.  Ways can be found around these barriers children with disabilities have, if there is high enough interest.

EARLY MARRIAGE AND PREGNANCY:  This often leads to dropouts and girls being banned from further education.  Children often must rely on their children to supply extra income.  Most of the children aged from five to seventeen are engaged in child labor.  Man of them never even get to go to school or need drop out of school to work.

TOXIC STRESS: Prolonged exposure to high levels of stress from trauma, violence, neglect, or depravation is called toxic stress and have devastating physical and psychological consequence for children.  Trauma affects their ability to learn and their ability to stay in school. 

GLOBAL HUNGER:  Uganda’s northeastern region is very arid, and the land is too dry to produce an adequate amount of food; consequently, food shortages are a regular problem.  In 2022, around 40$ of children suffered from hunger.  There is no magic cure, no vaccine for hunger, but there is a solution if we act now.  We need to reach out to other areas around the world to help support families with food, cash, and supplies, so children don’t go hungry nor or in the future.