In the effort to learn how COVID-19 impacted education in communities around Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda, this project collaborated, evaluated, and constructed outcomes that are for and by the people.
Diana Guardado
Supervisors: Raymond Bokua and Bright Kiboneire
Summary →
One of the recurring issues students, parents, and headmasters revealed is how the pandemic exacerbated poverty in households which disables families from covering children's school fees. The insidious cycle of poverty impacts students' academic careers since the lack of stable streams of income in households forces families to shift priorities away from education and towards survival. Therefore, this project proposes establishing self-reliant individual earning businesses that will provide financial assistance for families to cover school fees.
Background and Scope
Accompaniment
In the summer of 2022, Diana Guardado conducted research in partnership with the Global Livingston Institute (GLI) to assess the impact COVID-19 has had on students attending government-aided public schools in southwestern Uganda specifically In communities around Lake Bunyonyi. The Global Livingston Institute (GLI), a research institute advancing best practices in community development, provided training and guidance on how to be an "accompaniment," one who works with organizations and communities as "equal partners... to take on some of the most complex problems" (Igoye et al. 54). In eight weeks, the project engaged in meaningful community-based research using GLI's Listen. Think. Act framework of story-sharing, empathy-building, and fostering collaboration.
‘Do Something’
Traditionally, international development exerts a "Do Something" mentality which engages foreign problems with the agreement of an infinite answer, the assumption of residents' needs, and the enforcement of values and theories. However, this research project understands the importance of developing robust relationships with community members to listen directly to those impacted by historically systemic problems. Consequently, this approach requires "a near-constant humility, a willingness a to admit that there is always more to learn, and always another perspective to consider" (Igoye et al. 51). In the case of education, all stakeholders' stories, including students, teachers, parents, and headmasters, were needed to comprehend the unique viewpoints of each group. This research project worked in partnership with these individuals to develop comprehensive strategies for approaching gaps in education.
