USING COMMUNITY RADIO AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PUPILS’ PERFORMANCE

Project Location

Country: 
Uganda
City: 
NAKASEKE, CENTRAL REGION

Organization

Organization Name: 
NAKASEKE MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRE
Organization Type: 
Other

Website

http://NAKASEKECMC.BLOGSPOT.COM

Privacy Law

Consenso al trattamento dei dati personali
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I do authorize the FMD to the use of my personal data.

Project Type

Education up to 15 years

Project Description

Description Frase (max. 500 characters): 

THE PROJECT AIMS AT STIMULATING AND CREATING THE CAPACITY FOR THE RURAL CHILDREN TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE GRADES USING COMMUNITY RADIO AND MOBILE PHONE TECHNOLOGY.

Project Summary (max. 2000 characters): 

NAKASEKE MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRE IS A COMMUNITY ICT CENTRE THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1997 AS PART OF A SERIES OF PILOTED INITIATIVES ESTABLISHED BY THE AFRICAN INFORMATION SOCIETY INITIATIVES TO TEST AND ASSESS THE IMPACT AND VIABILITY OF MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRES IN RURAL AFRICA AND TO DEMONSTRATE THE VIABILITY OF THE CURRENT CONVICTION THAT PROVIDING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TO RURAL COMMUNITIES CATALYSES THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND RESULTS IN IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE CENTRE IS LOCATED IN RURAL NAKASEKE, A FORMER GROUND OF THE GUERRILLA BUSH WAR THAT BROUGHT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT INTO POWER, 75KM NORTH OF KAMPALA, THE CAPITAL CITY OF UGANDA.
AS RESULTS OF THE WAR, INFRASTRUCTURE WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED INCLUDING SCHOOLS, MEANING THAT NO CHILDREN WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO CONTINUE WITH SCHOOLING, LEAVING THE AREA WITH A VERY BIG CHALLENGE OF HIGH ILLETERACY LEVELS.
BUT EVEN AFTER SOME YEARS OUT OF THE WAR, AND ALL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE SITUATION, RURAL SCHOOLS ARE STILL LYING BEHIND IN TERMS OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THAT WOULD HELP CHILDREN DO BETTER LIKE LIBRARIES, ENOUGH CLASSROOMS, SCHOLARSTIC MATERIALS, BETTER TEACHERS, AND PARENTS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VALUING EDUCATION.
IT IS FROM THIS BACKGROUND THAT A SPECIAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN (THE RADIO QUIZ COMPETITION) WAS SPEARHEADED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY RADIO IN AN EFFORT TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGE TO SUPPLEMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS OF REBUILDING THE SECTOR.
NAKASEKE MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRE IS IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT TOGETHER WITH THE TEACHERS FROM THE NAKASEKE DISTRICT.

How long has your project been running?

2006-01-30 23:00:00

Objectives and Innovative Aspects

THE PROJECT AIMS AT ADDRESSING SEVERAL ISSUES WHICH INCLUDE AMONG OTHERS;
a) POOR PERFORMANCE OF PUPILS
b) LIMITED ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
c) INNADEQUATE AND UNSKILLED TEACHERS
d) POOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Specific Objectives:
 IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE GRADES IN THE DISTRICT.
 PROMOTING CONFIDENCE AMONG THE LEARNERS.
 PROVIDING AN ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR PUPILS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.
 PROMOTING COMPETITION AMONGST THE PUPILS.
 ENABLING TEACHERS TO SHARE IDEAS ON IMPROVING PUPILS’ PERFORMANCE.
 ENABLING TEACHERS TO EVALUATE THEIR TEACHING.
 FACILITATING SHARING OF IDEAS AMONGST THE TEACHERS, ALLOWING THEM TO REVISE THEIR TEACHING METHODS.

Results

Describe the results achieved by your project How do you measure (parameters) these. (max. 2000 characters): 
A NUMBER OF ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE BEEN REALISED SINCE THE START OF THIS PROJECT AND AMONG THEM ARE THE FOLLOWING; i. THE DISTRICT PERFORMANCE GRADES HAVE RISEN UP IN THE LAST 5 YEARS SINCE THIS PROGRAM STARTED. ii. THE COMPETITION HAS INSTILLED CONFIDENCE IN PUPILS. iii. TEACHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY EVALUATE THEIR TEACHING METHODS. iv. THERE HAS BEEN POSITIVE SHARING OF IDEAS AMONGST THE TEACHERS. v. THE TEACHER-PUPIL-PARENT RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED. vi. THE PROGRAMME HAS AROUSED AWARENESS OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE VALUE OF EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN. vii. OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHER LEARNING FOR PARTICIPATING PUPILS HAVE COME UP AND MANY HAVE BENEFITED. THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN EVIDENCED IN THE DIFFERENT NATIONAL AND DISTRICT PERFORMANCE REPORTS, SHOWING GREAT IMPROVEMENTS AND RISE IN GRADES AS OPPOSED TO THE PREVIOUS YEARS BEFORE THIS PROGRAMME STARTED.
How many users interact with your project monthly and what are the preferred forms of interaction? (max. 500 characters): 

OUR PROJECT INTERACTS WITH OVER 200 PUPILS (FACE-TO-FACE), OVER 200 ON-AIR CALL-INS AND SMS, (AND OVER 65,000 LISTENERS).

THE PREFFERED INTERACTION FORMAT IS BY FACE-TO-FACE, LIVE CALL-INS AND SMS.

Sustainability

What is the full duration of your project (from beginning to end)?: 
More than 6 years
What is the approximate total budget for your project (in Euro)?: 
From 10.001 to 30.000 Euro
What is the source of funding for your project?: 
Advertising
Specify: 
NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANISATION
Is your project economically self sufficient now?: 
No
Since when?: 
2014-04-29 22:00:00
When is it expected to become self-sufficient?: 
2015-12-30 23:00:00

Transferability

Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere?: 
Yes
Where? By whom?: 
IN OUR OWN COUNTRY (UGANDA) By whom? BY OTHER COMMUNITY RADIO PROJECTS IN UGANDA, (NABWERU COMMUNITY RADIO).
What lessons can others learn from your project? (max. 1500 characters): 

OTHERS CAN LEARN;
i. TO USE THE AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES TO EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY
ii. TO BE INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE.
iii. TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, WORK WITH IT IN PROBLEM SOLVING.
iv. TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF OUR EXISTANCE

Are you available to help others to start or work on similar projects?: 
Yes

Background Information

Barriers and Solutions (max. 1000 characters): 
CHALLENGES; a) LIMITED FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES (AIRTIME, STAFF, TRANSPORT, E.T.C) b) RIGIDITY OF SOME TEACHERS (NOT WILLING TO CHANGE THEIR METHODS OF TEACHING) c) INADEQUATE PROFESSIONAL STAFF (TEACHERS) TO HANDLE THE PROGRAM EFFECTIVELY. d) CONSISTENT BREAKDOWN OF STUDIO EQUIPMENT (COMPUTERS, MICROPHONES, RECORDERS, CONSOLE) e) POWER LOADSHED f) NETWORK BREAKAGE SOLUTIONS: a) WE ARE IN SEARCH FOR FUNDS THAT CAN HELP US RUN THE PROGRAM SMOOTHLY THROUGH AIRTIME SPONSORSHIP, ADVERTIZING, COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION, GRANTS. b) WE HAVE STARTED IN-HOUSE TRAININGS FOR THE PROGRAM STAFF; (TEACHERS) SO THAT THEY CAN EFFECTIVELY HANDLE THE RADIO EQUIPMENT IN A MORE PROFESSIONAL WAY. c) CONTINUOS SENSITIZATION OF TEACHERS TO ACCEPT CHANGE AND APPRECIATE OTHER TEACHERS’ EFFORTS. d) INSTILLING A SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM AMONGST OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO LIMIT EXPENDITURE.
Future plans and wish list (max. 750 characters): 
FUTURE PLANS:  WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGAGING MORE SCHOOLS FROM THE NEIGHBOURING DISTRICTS FOR A WIDER COVERAGE.  WE HOPE TO UPGRADE TO BETTER BROADCAST EQUIPMENT TO ALLOW A WIDER AND QUALITY COVERAGE.  WE ARE ALSO HOPEFUL TO PUT UP A SPECIAL PROGRAM FUND TO SUPPORT FURTHER EDUCATION FOR THE BEST PERFORMERS AND POOR-BUT-ACTIVE PUPILS.  GETTING SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO FACILITATE ON-AIR PROGRAM BROADCASTS FOR A LONGER DURATION.  FACILITATING PROGRAM STAFF (COMMISSIONS AND ALLOWANCES)  REWARDING BEST PERFORMERS (INDIVIDUALS AND SCHOOLS)  WE HOPE TO CONDUCT MORE PROFESSIONAL TRAININGS FOR OUR STAFF IN EQUIPMENT HANDLING AND OPERATION.  SECURING AN ALTERNATIVE AND MORE RELIABLE POWER OPTION.
technology Radio PUPIL PERFORMANCE MOBILE Community