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UPRISE FOUNDATION
PROJECT CODE: UPA/MLTV/18
Background The Government of Uganda introduced free Universal primary Education in 1997.
The programme has realized increase in enrollment but has equally faced
challenges with quality of education provided in these schools. Much as the
government provides teachers’ pay, administration costs and constructs
classrooms in some schools, the schools and parents have a burden of providing
refresher courses for teachers, renovating dilapidated classrooms, provision of
meals and scholastic materials and improving the learning environment in
general.
According to Uwezo, an education research organization working in East Africa,
reports in their annual education report 2014 that 2 out of 3 pupils that complete
primary level cannot read and write. The project realized this and initiated
strategies to improve the learning outcomes in public schools in Wakiso district by
training teachers in improving the learning environment and making of learning
aids using local inexpensive materials. The project also trains School management
Committees of such schools on their roles and responsibilities, planning and
budgeting, resource mobilization and effective management of their schools. All
this is done to improve the quality of education in these schools.
In addition, the guardians who by law are obliged to provide scholastic
requirements like stationary, uniforms and lunch for their children struggle with
these provisions as the households benefitting from this programme are
extremely vulnerable. The project on that basis started by providing soft loans to
the guardians to start or improve small scale businesses to be able to pay for such
provisions. Other guardians also benefit from Village Savings and Loans
Associations where guardians make small but regular savings and later borrow to
make or improve small scale businesses.
Additionally, given a high dropout rate of students from public schools, the project
decided to provide vocational skills for youth above 14 who are at the verge of
dropping out or have dropped out of school. These youth are provided with skills
to be able to create their own employment and for the others as well. Such skills
include welding, carpentry, construction, masonry, plumbing,
sewing/tailoring/textiles, catering/food service, cleaning and
beautician/hair/nails. The project, where funding allows, provides startup kits for
such youth to ensure they create jobs of their own.

Volunteering with us will therefore be a memorable experience because it is fun-
packed, intriguing, full of learning, and satisfying.

Aims/ Objectives To improve the lives of vulnerable children and their households by providing
quality education, protection, access to good health and sustainable livelihood
programmes.

Activities Uprise Foundation has for the last one year been involved in the following

Uganda Pioneers’ Association

TOGETHER WE SHAPE THE FUTURE

activities
 Teacher trainings in public primary schools in improving the learning
environment using local materials
 Training of key School stakeholders in alternative disciplinary measures
 Vocational training for vulnerable youths
 Sanitary pads training for vulnerable girls in public primary schools
 Economic empowerment for vulnerable households
 Training School Management Committees of public schools on their roles
and responsibilities
 Carrying out reading tents in the public and private schools

Volunteer
tasks/roles

The volunteer will be expected to assist the full-time staff by participating in the
following:
 Assist in organizing teacher trainings by developing timetables and
working on logistics
 Assist in organizing training of key school stakeholders in alternative
disciplinary measures by developing training aids and preparing logistics.
 Assist supported vocational students with basic computer training
 Assist in organizing sanitary pads training for vulnerable girls in public
primary schools
 Monitoring Village Savings and Loan Association groups to track
performance and provide technical assistance.
 Assist in carrying out reading tents in the public and private schools

Volunteer
qualities

The volunteer must:
Exhibit passion/enthusiasm for working with vulnerable communities
 Be patient and flexible.
 Be friendly and open minded
 Be creative
 Be honest, caring and reliable
 Exhibit effective communication skills with clients and staff
 Have respect for differences in personality, cultures etc.
 Have willingness to learn and share knowledge and experiences

Working hours From 8am-5pm, Monday to Friday. But on some occasions, the economic

empowerment activities can be conducted on weekends

Transport The Uprise Foundation offices are located about 1.5kms from the UPA office.
Public transport to and from the school is easily accessible and it costs 4.000 UGX
for a return journey

Accommodation The Volunteer can stay at UPA Guest House, or in a host family around Nansana

community

Comments from
UPA

The project office is located in a Peri-urban area where a big percentage of people
can speak English. Many of its activities are however located in semi-rural areas.
All school based activities are carried out in or around schools where the main
mode of communication is English. However, economic empowerment trainings
and meetings are held with caretakers in the local language.

Communication The staff and project Managers do speak in English and it is the medium of

Uganda Pioneers’ Association

TOGETHER WE SHAPE THE FUTURE
communication to learners. In some instances where local languages are used,
translation is done by the team members.

Past Volunteers Finland and South Korea

Participants are required to pay a participation fee of Euro 500 (five hundred Euros) on arrival
for a period of 1- 3months and 80 Euros (eighty Euros) in advance for each additional month/s.