ALIVE Campaign-Father’s Mission to Nurture Problem-Solving Skills in His Children

Bua Charles lives in a small village in Angweta Parish, Iceme Sub-county in Oyam District.
 
This smallholder farmer is determined to teach his 12-year-old daughter, Evelyn Akello, the essential skill of problem-solving.
 
Akello is a Primary Five pupil at the neighbouring Alidi Primary School, a government-aided school in Loro Sub-county in Oyam District, but the father had noticed that the curriculum focused more on note memorization than critical thinking.
 
Sadly, Akello is not faced with this dilemma alone. Within the East African context, Uganda seems to be lagging behind her counterparts in as far as problem-solving skills are concerned.
 
In fact, in 2022, Action for Life skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) – an initiative of the Regional Education Learning Initiative Africa (RELI-Africa) – assessed life skills and values among adolescents in 80 districts in East Africa, including 20 districts in Uganda.
 
The findings of the assessment that reached over 45,000 adolescents aged 13-17 years revealed that many of the young people in East Africa had low proficiency in the life skills and values assessed (problem-solving, self- awareness, collaboration, and respect as a value).
 
In problem-solving, for instance, on average, only 5 per cent of the adolescents assessed across the four locations were found to be able to demonstrate full problem-solving proficiency. In Uganda, however, only 3 percent of adolescents assessed demonstrated full problem-solving proficiency compared
to 5 percent in Kenya, 8 percent in Tanzania and 14 percent in Zanzibar.
 
In a bid to bridge the gap, in May this year, FICH in collaboration with ALiVE, and Uwezo Uganda launched a 10-week parental and community engagement campaign in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Designed to create awareness and enhance capacity of parents, guardians and other caregivers to intentionally and actively support the development of problem-solving skills in their children and youths, this drive has been ongoing in all regions in Uganda.
 
In northern Uganda, Oyam District was sampled to benefit from this education initiative. The campaign, which expired on July 25, 2025, was taking place in Akongatar ‘B’ (rural village in Iceme Sub-county) and Nursing Quarters Cell, an urban village in Oyam Town Council.
 
Bua, who learnt problem-solving skills after participating in the ALiVE 10-week parental and community engagement campaign in Akongatar “B”, believes that these skills are crucial for success in life.
 
He now wants all his children to be able to think critically and approach challenges with confidence.
 
“I noticed that my children go to school but they’re not taught problem-solving skills and whenever they’re faced with any challenges, they get confused. Right now I have started modeling problem-solving behaviour in my children,” says Bua.
 
God has blessed Bua and his wife, Grace Achan, with six children.
 
“I have now started teaching my children to be economically independent.  For the last six weeks, they have been engaged in growing tomatoes. If they harvest the tomatoes, the children can raise some small money to support the family in buying scholastic materials,” Bua adds.
 
The truth is that problem-solving is not merely a task; it’s a skill that proves invaluable in every career path. As a 21st Century Skill, problem-solving is at the core of college readiness and workforce development. The ability to analyze situations and implement innovative and creative solutions is a much sought-after skill in the fastest-growing job sectors, from tech and informatics to sustainable development and healthcare.
 

Also, problem-solving is an especially vital skill for the upcoming generation, with global issues like infectious disease outbreaks, climate change, limited resources for a growing population, and ethical tech ever-present in the lives of students. Despite its growing importance, many students don’t have the opportunity in school to learn or develop their problem-solving skills.
 
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