In Uganda’s Kyangwali Refugee Settlement - home to more than 154,000 refugees mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, whose children’s education is often disrupted, delayed, or denied; and poverty, displacement, teenage pregnancy, psychological distress, and limited school infrastructure compound among the pains faced.
Through the Education Cannot Wait Multi-Year Resilience Programme, AVSI Foundation is working to ensure that refugee and host-community children not only return to school, but thrive in safe, empowering learning environments.
From teachers rediscovering their vocation, to adolescent girls reclaiming their education, to parents and learners deepening trust with schools, the Education Cannot Wait program is restoring hope, strengthening systems, and helping children regain their right to learning.
Strengthening teaching: from chalkboards to creativity
At St. Karoli Lwanga Rwemisanga Primary School, Matia Murumba teaches social studies and English language in the top levels. Matia and the other teachers were engaged by AVSI Foundation trainers through the Education Cannot Waitprogram on how to create a better learning environment in their school.
“We have learnt about decision-making in class, and keeping our children in school until they complete primary schooling. “AVSI taught us how to make instructional materials using materials available in our environment to avoid the expense of purchasing them from the shop.”
Through Teacher Learning Circles, educators come together every two weeks to solve classroom challenges, share innovations, and learn hands-on strategies. Matia and his colleagues now improvise learning materials such as wooden spoons for lessons in hotel management, bottle cut-outs for pencil holders, and hammers for carpentry topics, ensuring lessons are practical and memorable.
“These materials help us understand better,” says Patrick Ahesibwe, 13 who says that when he was shown these instruments during the science class, he could even make his own trumpet.
The shift from theoretical to experiential learning has increased attendance, participation, and performance across class levels.
School leadership that protects and retains learners
The Education Cannot Wait program strengthens school governance through training for School Management Committees and school leaders.
Daisy Muchwa, the Head Teacher of Kibuguma Primary School credits the initiative for improving retention and reducing teenage pregnancies:
“The training supported us to organize meetings, to prevent and manage teenage pregnancies, and to promote the teaching and learning process. For the first time in Kibuguma alone, 16 girls completed their primary seven examinations in 2025.”
Leadership training has also empowered pupils. Children now confidently speak during assemblies, participate in clubs, and take on leadership roles. At Kasonga Primary School, the go-back-to-school campaign led to an increase in enrollment from 143 Primary Leaving Examination candidates in 2024 to 280 in 2025. The number of learners in the Accelerated Education Program candidates rose from 11 to 54, reflecting renewed hope and improved pathways to completion.
“With visual aids and child-friendly approaches, learning has become engaging again,” says Head Teacher Kato Yahaya. “These interventions have transformed our school.”
Accelerated education: A second chance for over-age and out-of-school learners
The Accelerated Education Program centers at Kinakyeitaka, Maratatu, and Kasonga Primary Schools now serve 966 learners, including 24 young mothers and 15 learners with disabilities.
At Maratatu Primary School, 15-year-old Moses Alex, a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo, says: “I enjoy English because it teaches us how to speak, write, and create messages. I want to become an officer in the future.”
Judithe Nema, also from the Democratic Republic of Congo was apprehensive about Uganda’s education curriculum. “I thought school here was too hard. But since I began classes, I understand the lessons. Last term, I got grade of four. This time, I am aiming for grade two. I want to become a teacher.”
Accelerated Education Program teacher Jane Kiden shares how gender-responsive pedagogy from Education Cannot Wait has reshaped classroom culture.
“We no longer discriminate during class tasks. You will find boys participating in cleaning the classrooms. Our Peace Club has taught us to make the school environment safe; we fill the potholes, check desks for any protruding nails, and promote kindness.”
The Accelerated Education Program center at Maratatu has enrolled more than 370 learners and registered 22 learners for the Primary Leaving Examinations for 2025.
Supporting child mothers to stay in school
One of the most impactful elements of Education Cannot Wait is support for adolescent mothers, many of whom had dropped out due to early pregnancy. AVSI Foundation profiled 80 child mothers, and 57 have returned to school.
“I got pregnant and thought school was over. But AVSI Foundation and my mother encouraged me to return to studies. They gave me books, pens, sanitary pads, soap, and cosmetics. When my daughter was six months old, I went back to school. Now I am preparing for the Primary Leaving Examinations. I want to become a doctor.” A young mother from Maratatu whose perseverance has inspired eight of her friends who had dropped out to return to primary five and six in the same school. Parents of young mothers have also been trained in ‘Uzazi’ parenting skills, enabling them to support their daughters academically and emotionally.
Clubs that build confidence, respect, and social cohesion
The Education Cannot Wait program strengthens school clubs, including Peace Clubs, Girls’ Clubs, Good School Clubs, and GEM clubs. These clubs promote leadership, conflict resolution, gender equality, and confidence-building.
Texas Isingo, a Peace Club facilitator, has helped lead community dialogues: “We sensitize parents to take their children back to school. We have reached villages like Nyabitete, Waibuga, and Malumba with this same message.”
Enock Mupenzi, 15, from Kasonga Primary School, testifies how the Peace Club taught him discipline. “I used to give teachers names, but learned that it was disrespectful; and when I amended my behaviour, my class grades also improved.”
Girls’ clubs are particularly empowering, and Shivan Tuhaise, a teacher at Kasonga and member of the Girl Education Movement club, notes: “Our girls have learned public speaking, hygiene, and how to manage their menstrual cycle. Teachers know how to make reusable pads, and we train learners too.”
For Gloria, a 13-year-old member of the club who before joining the Girl Education Movement was shy and didn’t know how to take care of herself, has grown confident and knows how to handle her menstrual cycles and keep herself clean.
Community engagement: strengthening trust and shared responsibility
Community dialogues are essential in addressing absenteeism, early marriage, child labor, and stigma. More than 1,400 community members participated in 2025.
Jibu Didier, a Community Incentive Worker in Maratatu, explains that “Many parents send children to do chores or garden work. The dialogues help them understand the value of education. When teachers and parents meet, relationships improve.”
These efforts have contributed to the rising school attendance, especially among girls, whose enrollment numbers increased from 7,627 in 2023 to 10,392 in 2025 across six primary schools and one secondary school supported by the Education Cannot Wait programme.
Rebuilding systems and ensuring sustainability
AVSI Foundation continues to collaborate with local schools to ensure long-term sustainability by strengthening School Management Committee and Parent Teacher Association governance, integrating Education Cannot Wait approaches into school targets, transitioning Accelerated Education Program and Language Bridging learners into mainstream education, supporting teacher recruitment during the national industrial action, conducting gender, safeguarding, and pedagogy refresher trainings, improving WASH facilities, and implementing child safety measures.
Kedrace Turyagyenda, the Permanent Secretary in Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports, commended the program during a monitoring visit, affirming its role in advancing Uganda’s Education Response Plan.
The Education Cannot Wait program in Kyangwali shows that when children are equipped with supportive teachers, safe schools, relevant learning pathways, and engaged communities, they thrive.
Learners regain confidence, teachers rediscover their vocation, child mothers reclaim their dreams, parents become advocates, and communities unite behind education.
And importantly, with the AVSI Foundation-implemented Education Cannot Wait program has yielded achievements that children who were once left behind can now walk with confidence toward their future.
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