Tell: (+256)772 888599 | Email: info@fichuganda.org | Location: Karacel Community Development Center, Akongatar-Iceme, Oyam, Northern Uganda.
On a cool Wednesday evening, the home of a community facilitator is alive with learning.
At this home located in Orupo “B” Village, Orupo Parish, Iceme Sub-county in Oyam District, a standing chalkboard, positioned outside a permanent house, serves as a makeshift classroom for the mother’s Primary Two daughter. The child’s name is Prisca Aceng, an 8-year-old pupil at Akwangi Primary School. The public school is just a stone throw away from this small household.
Santa Tino, who is a creative and dedicated educator, uses everyday moments to teach her child the alphabetical letters.
The child sits on a wooden chair under the shade of the house as the mother writes the alphabetical letters on the chalkboard. She then encourages her child to identify and repeat them. Excitingly, the air is filled with the sound of learning, as the child giggles and points to the letters.
Meanwhile, on the veranda of their kitchen, the mother’s daughter, Linda Akello –a Primary Four pupil – is busy baking a cake. The aroma of sweet batter wafts through the air, enticing the child outside to join in on the fun.
The 12-year-old daughter says she gets Shs20,000 from her sweat each Sunday.
“We use the money for buying sugar, soap and salt and save part of it for buying clothes,” says Linda.
Both the mother and her husband Lawrence Olobo, were very tough on their children and they were almost failing in their mandate of effective parenting.
However, slowly but surely, transformation is underway at this home, thanks to the 10-week long dialogues, focusing on problem-solving skills and effective parenting. This programme called learning journey with schools – whole school approach is implemented by Foundation for Inclusive Community Help (FICH) in collaboration with Luigi Giussani Foundation (LGF).
“After attending the dialogues at Akwangi Primary School, I came back and started teaching my daughter how to bake a cake. Every Sunday, she bakes the cake and sells it at the church,” says the mother.
The mother smiles, balancing her attention between the two learning spaces.
As the lesson continues, the mother seamlessly integrates real-life examples into the learning process.
“See, the word ‘cake’ starts with the letter ‘C’. Can you find it on the chalkboard?”
The child excitedly points to the letter, beaming with pride. The mother smiles, knowing that learning is happening in the most organic and joyful way.
In this home, education is not confined to a traditional classroom. It’s woven into the fabric of everyday life, where creativity, love, and learning blend together seamlessly.
As the sun begins to set, the family gathers to enjoy their freshly baked cake, savoring the sweetness of shared moments and newfound knowledge.
