Equal Foundations, EmpowerED Futures: FICH Equips Teachers to Overcome Northern Uganda’s Education Barriers

Foundation for Inclusive Community Help (FICH) is taking deliberate, proactive steps to support teachers, parents, and communities as Uganda implements changes to its national curriculum, ensuring every child learns effectively and thrives in school.

During a recent session with facilitators who traversed 32 primary schools for continuous professional development, Emmy Zoomlamai Okello, Executive Director of FICH appealed to the facilitators to set the standard:

“We can set the standards right from you if you aspire to lead the way.”

Hands-On Support for Teachers and Schools

The facilitators rolled out, among others, material development in 32 partner primary schools. These sessions equipped teachers with practical tools to design and create effective, low-cost teaching and learning aids using locally available resources.

Teachers whose capacities have already been strengthened reviewed and refined materials for use during the new school term.

Key focus areas included:

– Preparing SMART, effective lessons

– Scheming and lesson planning

– Practical strategies for managing large classrooms

– Creating low-cost, impactful learning aids from local materials

– Building conducive, engaging learning environments that support every child

Amongi Dorcus Ongom, the head teacher at Alutkot primary school thanked FICH for getting closer to them by bringing the CPD to their school. She urged the teachers to extend the impact of the training to the learners to ensure that our children are learning.

Godfrey Okonya the deputy head teacher at Lelaolok PS, Acaba sub county in Oyam district urged teachers to always endeavor to make learning aids;

“Lets incorporate the play-based teaching in our classrooms, finalize making the teaching aids using our local materials. It makes teaching more effective.”

Victoria Harriet Anyango, Program Manager for Education at FICH, reflected on the organisation’s progress over the past year:

“We have reflected deeply on many aspects to improve foundational learning and ensure every child is truly learning, hence having school-based CPD for teachers.”

This reflection is especially timely given the most recent Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results, which revealed ongoing challenges in government schools across northern Uganda—including districts like Oyam, where performance remains among the lowest nationally. These results highlight the urgent need for concerted, multi-stakeholder action to improve foundational skills and overall learning outcomes.

Through the Equal Foundations, EmpowerED Futures initiative, FICH directly supports learners in Grades 3 to 5 across 32 primary schools in Oyam, Alebtong, Kole, and Arua districts.

The programs strengthen foundations in:

• Literacy and numeracy
• Life skills
• Gender-sensitive education

These efforts aim to create lasting, positive change in post-conflict communities in northern Uganda, where quality education remains elusive for the rural communities, yet can break cycles of disadvantage and open new opportunities.

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