What a Library Means for Students in Uganda
Governments worldwide have ordered school shutdowns, but some communities are affected disproportionately by stay at home orders. This is Jane, a student in Uganda.
Unlike students in developed nations, Jane doesn’t have access to internet or a computer, so she’s unable to attend class remotely. School closures resulting from the pandemic have exacerbated previously existing inequalities, and it’s likely to affect girls more acutely. More than their brothers, young women are expected to assume household duties while out of school, they’re more likely to be harassed by male family members, and when it comes to allocating limited internet data between siblings, boys are granted access over their sisters.
Jane has been out of school for six months. It’s unclear when she or her classmates at Ggangu Heritage Primary will be able to return, and this has a significant impact on their future prospects. Will children in remote areas be forced to remain out of school to work, or marry? The risks involved with keeping students out of school worry us deeply.
And yet, while the pandemic has brought about a new set of challenges for LEP, it has also reinvigorated our motivation to help students like Jane. When she returns to school, we are determined to ensure she has access to a library in order to make up for lost time.
A library for Jane means she’ll have books to read at school and at home, likely for the first time in her life. If LEP partners with her school she’ll also have access to a librarian, structured reading time and even opportunity to learn to code. Please help The Literate Earth Project bring this vision to fruition.
In this resource scarce area, the local community has already raised $1,500 for a new library in Wakiso district. That amount is equivalent to 40% of an Ugandan teacher’s annual salary. They know the impact this can have on their children. This means we only need $3,255 to make this a reality. Please donate if you can, and share this post.