Community Impact Story - Mary Tweteise

I once sat and listened to a wise man tell me the best and most important moment in life was discovering why one was born. If anyone had told me that it would take 26 years to understand what that meant, I would have sought for a shortcut. Unfortunately, this isn't the case in self-discovery. As a professional secondary school teacher, I never could imagine developing the passion and charisma for classroom teaching - explaining the same content I was taught during my school days to my students. I always had a strong feeling that I wanted to do something different, solving real life challenges but I had not the slightest clue what that was.

The rare opportunity I got to work with Teach for Uganda as a teacher leader in January 2022 after my graduation in 2021 opened me to a new arena. The standard of living, the prevailing mindsets, and approach to life, among several others that I witnessed in my placement community altered me inside out. The fellowship experience thus far has been challenging yet a productive one

It was hard to come to terms that I was a primary school teacher, a title underrated in most communities. That got solved after I had a meeting with my inner myself, I needed reminding why I took the challenge in the first place, the conclusion reached was that I had to outdo myself as a primary one teacher. The lack of support by most parents towards the education of their children, the high rate of teenage pregnancy and repeated teenage pregnancy almost convinced me that in this community, school was only seen as a maturation ground - attend till 14 and wait for what comes next which in most cases for the girl child is marriage. Of the 165 learners under my care in the first week of exercising my vocation, only half had books and pencils of shs. 500/= and 200/= respectively. The reality that parents could not afford (or cared little) to provide scholastic materials for their learners who attend a government aided school hit me differently. I'd ask a learner to tell the parents to procure the said materials, they'd report the insults poured on them by their parents/guardians.

" I have a drive to address problems at the root, that way I am able to avoid recurrence and resurgence"

This gave me a signal to start visiting my learners in their places of residence, have a talk with their parents and persuade them otherwise. I have a drive to address problems at the root, that way I am able to avoid recurrence and resurgence. It was during these visits that I discovered almost 70% of the families my learners came from experienced polygamic challenges - men abandoning their first wives after marrying a second one, leaving family responsibilities to a woman who has an absolute zero source of income.

"madam, I am just as you see me. No money in this house, I have five children and the best I can do for them is dig, cook for them my produce, let them grow and find their wayﾅ" - a mother exclaimed in a depressed voice that resonated with my understanding of destitution.

Such scenarios tickled my brain to think harder and do things differently for the desired change in the community. I began to offer guidance, counselling and mentorship sessions to the learners to discuss real life challenges like the pressure to get married by 16 years, menstrual health and what they would love to focus on in life. I got informed during these conversations that young people succumb to familial, communal and other pressures because they lack an open space to express their fears, a shoulder to lean on, and an adult to confide in. These, birthed the Informed Choice Generation  Initiative (ICGI) to provide the missing amenities. The great need for the services I offered from the onset (earlier last year in 2022) impelled me to take it further and make it formal by having it registered with Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB), this way I could leverage the support and expertise of third parties. 

Twemali Purposeful Generation is the new ICGI and got a certificate of incorporation from URSB. With Sunny Smiles Initiative, a nonprofit organization that is determined to create a healthy menstrual experience, we trained over 500 school-going girls, women and boys at Isenda Primary how to make reusable pads in 2022. 

Beneficiaries of re-usable sanitary pads training 
displaying their masterpiece

I believed this would help reduce the absenteeism of the school-going girls who face menstrual shame because they cannot afford sanitary towels and break the "sex for pads vice" in the community as well; be a source of income for non-school-going girls and women who actually plan to use the acquired skill to make sanitary towels for income.

An awakening discovery that made me launch the  "Skills for Sustainability Campaign" at Isenda Primary School was the dependency syndrome in this community which is a contributing factor to the cross generational illiteracy and absolute poverty. Through this campaign, learners were able to acquire lifelong skills to prepare them for a sustainable life, afford basic needs (since most of them are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds), stay in school and avoid the common pitfalls/mistakes engulfing their peers. In addition to the reusable pads making, learners have been trained in liquid soap making which has helped them to earn a living by training other community members. Twemali Purposeful Generation club has challenged parents' mindsets on the values of education. Together with other five (5) club leaders, we have visited several homes in Isenda village to discuss the value of quality education and helped prevent seven (7) girls from being forcefully married early.

I also developed the "Character Development" mini-syllabus in lower primary where values and principles of respect, humility, loyalty, teamwork, patience, and self-awareness are instilled in learners. This is meant to prepare them for a responsible and productive adult life and also become ambassadors of good conduct in their communities. Likewise, in my quest to promote girls' thrive programs, I have been able to secure two sponsorships for academically talented but economically disadvantaged learners (Awori Blessing P2 and Nasike Justine P1) by sharing their stories on social media. Their sponsors have signed a MOU with the girls' guardians and LC chairpersons to cater for their needs to the highest level of education they can attain.

Teach for Uganda gave me the platform that helped me discover my purpose. All the efforts I put myself through to be efficient and help these girls, I qualify myself a Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) guru, an advocate of SDG 4 and 5 and an empathetic transformative leader. In spite of my accomplishments, much work is still required and more hands will make the task lighter. Do not hesitate to reach out if there's something you can do to make a difference towards the education and autonomy of a girl child. Whatever I learned late, I want to teach it early. And so can you!

As I graduate from the Teach for Uganda Fellowship in December 2023, I look forward to more exciting opportunities to practice my expertise in educational management, psychosocial support and community thrive sustainability programs.

Tweteise Mary

Teach for Uganda Fellow

Isenda Primary School

Mayuge District.