The quality of a society is measured by how it includes the weakest

This is a phrase that encapsulates a simple but fundamental principle, a measure of the human value of any community. Because if a society is capable of welcoming and supporting the most vulnerable, it demonstrates not only its strength, but also its humanity. Including the weakest means recognising them as a vital part of the social fabric, breaking down barriers and prejudices to create a space where each person can express their potential and live with dignity.

This concept is deeply intertwined with two realities that deal with theeducation of the youngest and the care of the most fragile and that we had the pleasure of getting to know during our recent trip to Uganda.

Two projects created to respond to distinct but extremely deep and urgent needs: that of quality education for primary school children and loving care for the most fragile among them, children and young people with disabilities.

Two different initiatives, but united by the same mission: to create opportunities where they seem to be lacking, to cultivate hope where it is hardest to find it.

 

TRAINING TO TRANSFORM: Training teachers for quality education in Uganda

Schools and education are the key to a future of development. However, providing access to education is often not enough. Primary education in Uganda has made progress in recent decades; however, significant challenges remain concerning universal access and, above all, the quality of education.

Despite increasing enrolment numbers, the quality of primary education in Uganda remains problematic: only half of third grade students have sufficient skills in reading and mathematics, often due to a lack of teaching materials and methods that emphasise memorisation over active learning. In addition, access to education is uneven: in rural areas such as Acholi, only 7% of children enter secondary school, while in Kampala, enrolment rates are much higher. This gap reflects economic and geographical differences: only 8.2% of the poorest children succeed in continuing their studies, compared to 43.1% of the better-off. School infrastructures are overcrowded and teachers poorly trained, compounding the difficulties. Finally, social challenges such as early marriage and teenage pregnancy lead many girls to drop out of school, hampering their education.

It is unfortunately common to come across pupils who reach the end of the primary school cycle still unable to read or write. Although representing a fundamental first step, mere attendance at school is therefore not a sufficient condition for disadvantaged children to guarantee equal opportunities for growth and development. In particular, many state schools - in which young pupils already suffer from limited resources and space, crammed into overcrowded classrooms - register a very poor preparation of teachers in didactic, pedagogic, and motivational terms.

It is in this context that the project Formare per Trasformare, (implemented by ‘Insieme si può...’ with the support of Maratona dles Dolomites - Enel 2024), whose fruits we were able to see in two of the most vulnerable primary schools in the capital, Kampala, fits in.

This project was created to respond to this crucial educational need, bringing about a positive transformation in the educational-scholastic approach in which children in the most fragile areas grow up. The programme aims to improve the capacity and effectiveness of teaching (in several other schools, where ISP has also activated many Distance Adoption programmes) through 4 lines of action.

It starts with the training of teachers through a specialised Higher Education Institute, to offer paths for learning effective and participative pedagogical and teaching techniques (as opposed to those commonly used, which are almost exclusively mnemonic). In addition, school and teaching materials will be provided to support the implementation of the newly acquired teaching tools. Awareness-raising and training courses are planned for students and teachers on key social issues, such as gender discrimination and stigma, sexual education and health, respect for the environment, and education on coexistence. Finally, apermanent training unit is set up to monitor the project's progress and enable the intervention to be extended to other schools and students in the future.

 

SPECIAL TALENT ANGEL SCHOOL: Music and care for children with disabilities in the outskirts of Kampala

Being born with an illness or a disability, in Uganda, is often tantamount to a sentence of isolation, marginalisation, inhuman living conditions and constant humiliation. In order to guarantee a dignified life to dozens of children born with physical and mental disabilities, the Special Talents Angels School (STAC) day and residential centre was therefore set up: this school in Kireka (on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital Kampala) welcomes, cares for and educates over 40 children and adolescents who would otherwise be excluded from social, community and even family life. In addition to offering love, care, medical assistance and a primary education to the children there, STAC offers the opportunity to learn a trade or develop skills in different areas. A great added value of the efforts of STAC's volunteers and workers is also in the work of sensitising and training the children's families and communities, in order to ensure their successful reintegration into their communities at the end of the school term.

‘Insieme si può... ‘ commits to support lessons and training courses for 34 of them (children who are able to cope with the courses are involved), and to cover the costs of therapy and specialised care for all young guests. In addition, ISP is committed to building and starting up a professional recording studio at the centre, which will be rented to local bands and musicians to help STAC have a more economically sustainable income. The instruments and the presence of a specialised therapist will also make it possible to offer music therapy sessions to the young guests. The project, structured in this way, will enable the centre to achieve greater economic independence and its own sustainability in the medium to long term, also with the help and participation of the young ‘angels with special talents’ housed there.

 

These two projects - Train to Transform and Special Talents Angel School - are more than just educational or social interventions. They are the tangible sign of a community that, despite the difficulties, chooses to invest in its youngest and most vulnerable members. Every teacher trained, every child who finds his or her space and develops his or her talents, represents a step forward for the entire society, which becomes more inclusive and capable of guaranteeing dignity to all.

The path to a better future goes from here: from the collective commitment to guarantee quality education and a dignified life even for the most fragile. With projects like these, change is possible. We are all called to be an active part of this journey, to support the inclusion and growth of those who, with our proximity and our help, can shine and contribute to the progress of the entire community.