The cycle of poverty is an interconnected mix of factors that imprisons entire communities for generations.
Around the world, about 110 million children have started primary school in the last 15 years. But that isn’t the whole story. Simply being able to attend a school does not guarantee that you will acquire an education. Millions of youngsters are deprived of the education they are entitled to. It is insufficient to simply be in a classroom. Many Sub-Saharan African countries face considerable challenges in providing a quality and accessible basic education to children and adolescents. According to the Un sustainable development goal, Goal four, quality education, is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The lack of pre-schools and other early childhood development (ECD) programmes, as well as skilled teachers, jeopardises early learning and development, as does a lack of understanding and appreciation of the value of ECD. Pre-primary education is enrolled in one out of every ten children aged 3 to 5.
Primary school attendance has increased as a result of a 1997 universal primary education policy in places such as Uganda, but the quality of teaching and learning still must be improved significantly. In a country such as Uganda, teacher absenteeism is common, with more than 60% of teachers absent from the classroom in more than half of the country’s public schools.
Many children do not complete their education or possess the skills necessary to succeed in life. Only one out of every four youngsters who begin elementary school completes secondary school. At the end of primary school, less than half of students (40%) are literate. Due to a lack of special needs teachers and resources, children with disabilities are generally excluded from formal schooling.
Most teenagers still lack access to secondary education. In a country such as Uganda only around a quarter of adolescents (24%) are enrolled at this level. In the same country, many teenagers, particularly girls, drop out of secondary schools due to early marriage, teen pregnancy, school mistreatment, and high school costs.
The school environment also contributes to children’s absence from school. There are insufficient restrooms and washing facilities in schools, as well as 24% of young girls in Uganda have experienced some form of sexual abuse.
How do we change the narrative?
This will require the kindness of individuals and stakeholders who truly seek to be global agents of change.
We can change the narrative by focusing on quality education. Quality education is dynamic, adaptive, locally relevant, and culturally appropriate. Quality education breaks down obstacles so that a child can attend school.
Quality education creates environments that allow students to flourish, reducing physical and physiological barriers. It adapts to the child’s learning style and needs. It recognises the experience students bring to their learning. It develops both character and intellect and instils positive values.
Quality education sees people treated with justice and dignity as they grow into their full God-given potential.
At TOUCEO, we start by providing the basic needs such as school uniforms, shoes, transport (cycles), computer facilities, books and other scholastic material that are necessary. Teacher training programs and seminars. Through these small acts, we end up providing an education that sees every child not only attending school but learning and thriving there.
Think of the students, teachers, parents, and communities. An impact that will last generations since a youngster who has a good education is more likely to set an example for their children and grandchildren. Let’s work together so that this human right can become a human reality.
How you can help
Here are some of the practical ways in which we seek to help these young people achieve their dreams. You can become part of this for we believe that Access to education is a powerful tool that breaks the cycle of poverty. Here are some of the ways in which you can help:
Invest in Education
When you give a one-time or monthly donation, you assist children, and their families break the cycle of poverty. You can also choose to simply donate towards education and leave it to our team to allocate it towards the fund which is most needed at a given time.
Every community has different demands and faces different challenges around the world. In Uganda, the job market is overcrowded, making it difficult for illiterate adults to obtain permanent work. While poverty is so widespread in Uganda, unemployment is a generational issue with long-term deficits.
Our staff examines the situation in each country we serve in order to develop specialised programmes to assist children in overcoming communal difficulties and permanently ending poverty.
Let’s talk about giving
Please contact our UK team by clicking here or write to us admin@touceo.org if you would like to discuss our focussed programmes.
We focus on programs that are specifically customised to meet the requirements.
Setting the standards
What: Providing children with needs such as clothes, shoes, and books so that they can confidently attend school.
Why? Even at government schools, parents are responsible for their children’s clothes, books, transportation, and, in certain cases, tuition fees. [read more] As you can expect, a financially pressured family cannot afford the added cost of school, and as a result, children fall behind or are forced to leave due a lack of resources.
SCHOLARSHIPS
What: Scholarships for vocational school, college, and other higher education institutions are awarded on a yearly, renewable basis. See for more information: Jane’s scholarship fund
Why: Scholarships help children and teens overcome hurdles to education. They not only assist with the costs of education (tuition, books, transportation, and other expenses), but they also provide additional assistance in the form of additional educational opportunities, guidance, and accountability.
TUTORING
What: Tutoring for youngsters who are at risk of falling behind. Our tutoring sessions are held in groups with goals that are aligned with each country’s national curriculum.
Why: Because of their living conditions, many children in underprivileged communities fall behind in school. Tutoring may keep kids motivated, which can lead to more job chances and, in the long run, healthier, more powerful lives.
LEARNING SPACES
What: Creating learning environments that keep kids on track and ready for secondary school – see Community Hubs for more information.
Why: When kids reach upper secondary school, one of the reasons people leave out is that they have been slipping behind year after year. It gets more difficult to stay up in class and/or pass entrance examinations. Learning spaces assist kids in performing better in class, allowing them to remain in school and on track to graduate.
COMPUTER COURSES
What: Promoting digital literacy in children and teens as a means of preparing them for the workforce and secondary school – See our Community Hubs for details
Why? Because we live in a technologically advanced society, providing children with the tools they need to participate in a digital marketplace is important to their ability to escape poverty.
Together with local identified schools, we establish computer learning centres fully equipped with IT equipment that helps with learning. [/read]
Contact us for further information on how to donate specifically towards IT equipment’s for our learning hubs. admin@touceo.org
What if I told you that?
One of the reasons children from low-income families drop out or fail to graduate is that they fall behind year after year, making it harder to catch up. Our community hubs aim to assist children in performing better in class, allowing them to remain in school and on track to graduate.
Why focus on education?
When we minimise barriers to education, we give children a better chance to succeed in life. Education decreases the risk of a youngster joining gangs or using drugs, as well as the incidence of teen pregnancies. Education leads to healthier childhoods and as a result, better adult economic prospects.
Our educational activities contribute to the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
No. 4: Ensure that all children receive a high-quality education that is inclusive and egalitarian, and that all people have access to lifelong learning opportunities. Here’s where you can learn more about SDG #4.
How we measure outcomes?
We look at the following results when it comes to education:
Increased secondary school completion: We track progress by looking at the percentage of sponsored Children, graduates who complete their secondary education by the age of 24.
Increased school enrolment: We track the percentage of sponsored children that attend school at any level.
Increased accomplishment of defined learning outcomes: We track the percentage of sponsored children who meet the age or grade level’s minimal competence levels.
Fast Fact: To design creative programmes that prepare children for the tech world, we integrate traditional teaching with experimental learning in our computer classes.
How will you make a difference?
There are many ways to get involved and make a difference, whether it’s a one-time donation, a monthly sponsorship, or supporting educational hubs, health and vocation programmes and the teams that serve them.
TOUCEO is there to impact young people’s lives, but we cannot do it without your support!