#TuesdayTales: Back to School
By Achileo Kasozi
Welcome back to #TuesdayTales, a series of stories from the field, told firsthand by our Building Tomorrow Cohort 6 Fellows. Today, you’ll meet 21-year-old Kato Jackson, a young man whose education was cut short in 2017 after inheriting the role of the family’s primary provider. Five years later, with a Building Tomorrow Fellow and headteacher on his side, Kato had a second chance to go back to school. We’re so proud of you, Kato!
At age 16, all family and financial responsibilities fell on Kato Jackson’s shoulders. Kato’s father died at a young age and his mother came down with a terrible illness due to work exhaustion. His mother could no longer afford school fees for Kato or his two younger brothers, forcing Kato to leave school and begin providing for his family. Despite five years out of the classroom, however, 21-year-old Kato’s dream of returning to school never disappeared.
Since 2017, Kato’s routine has been characterized by garden work on his family and neighbors’ farms in Kinyiga Village, Mubende District, Central Uganda. He has been earning money for his brothers’ school fees, but always questioned how he could earn enough for his own and which schools would accept him based on his age.
Prioritizing education for his brothers above his own, Kato attended the Kalonga Primary School Parents and Teachers Association meeting as the family guardian, which is where we first met. After the meeting, Kato approached me with a long face and said, “Thank you for your remarks. I also had dreams of becoming a teacher and later a Parliamentarian, but these dreams were cut short due to family challenges. If I had the opportunity, I think I would return to school regardless of any insults that may be thrown my way due to my age.”
Hearing this, I immediately knew that Kato had every right to continue his education, and I needed to help make it happen. I scheduled a meeting with the headteacher of Kalonga Primary School, Mr. Nyesiga William, on behalf of Kato. I was initially greeted with pessimism concerning Kato’s age and lack of school fees, but Mr. Nyesiga promised to discuss this further with the School Management Committee and his fellow staff members. After some time and in exchange for a bursary (scholarship), they agreed to admit Kato to school on three conditions: 1) he must achieve strong class scores, 2) he must accept that he has to return to Primary 6, and 3) he must find his own school uniform. Kato eagerly accepted the conditions, and thanks to a Building Tomorrow Fellow, the uniform issue was sorted in just three weeks after mobilizing the community for funds.
Kato is finally back in school and his performance is promising. He uses textbooks and partner reading–one of our Universal Design for Learning inclusive education techniques–to improve his English where he has some weaknesses. His classmates are proud to associate with him due to his strong desire to learn and overcome obstacles. He now uses the weekend to work on farms to raise money for school fees for his brothers and to provide financial support at home. Kato is grateful to Building Tomorrow and Kalonga Primary School for keeping his dream of returning to school alive and for believing in his ability rather than looking down on him for his age.
