Innovative Finance
August 1, 2024
Context and issue
In northeastern Uganda's Karamoja region, significant educational challenges persist despite constitutional guarantees of free primary and secondary education. Low literacy, attendance, and completion rates, coupled with imbalanced teacher-student ratios and numerous barriers to access, underscore the urgent need for intervention.
Solution
The Addressing Barriers to Enrolment and Retention in Karamoja (ABER-K) project, spearheaded by EAC and World Vision, targets 40,000 out-of-school children (OOSC) across three districts. Through community engagement and leveraging existing initiatives, the project aims to promote the importance of education and strengthen local structures to facilitate enrollment and retention campaigns.
Impact
The ABER-K project has surpassed enrollment targets, enrolling 46,770 OOSC and achieving a retention rate of 77%. Improvements in school infrastructure and teacher training have enhanced the learning environment. Community engagement and advocacy efforts have led to tangible outcomes, including increased enrollment, reduced dropout rates, and improved school safety and quality perceptions. These successes highlight the efficacy of community-focused approaches in addressing educational disparities and fostering sustainable development in marginalized regions like Karamoja.