An interview with Specioza Kiwanuka, our new Country Director in Uganda:

Where do you live?

I live in Upper Konge, a suburb of Kampala City, Uganda.

Why did you choose to work for Build Africa Uganda?

I wanted to be involved with Build Africa Uganda's work so that I could help young people escape poverty through better education and income opportunities.

As a woman with a very successful career in international development how do you view the role of women in Africa today? What do you think African women can achieve in the future?

As mothers, wives and educators, African women pass on the values that keep and promote life. I believe that the roles that these women play in their households (in providing food for their families for example), and in the economy in general, is being increasingly acknowledged around the world.

This is due, in no small part, to their determination to make their voices heard. There has been a blossoming of women's associations since the 1990s. Women have been taking advantage of new political openings to advance their rights and press for better economic and social opportunities.

By improving their own positions, they are also strengthening African society as a whole, improving the continent's broader development prospects.

I am looking forward to working with an organisation that promotes gender equality in all of its programmes. Campaigns such as Africa Blossoms are fantastic vehicles for highlighting the issues facing the women of rural Africa.

How is Build Africa's Education Strategy helping Uganda's girls succeed in life?

Build Africa's Education Programme aims to give all children a quality education. As part of this Build Africa addresses issues which lead to girls dropping out or becoming seriously absent from school. These include educating parents not to put pressure on girls to leave school, providing adequate sanitary facilities and access to sanitary pads to all girls and educating all pupils on reproductive health.

We achieve this through working with teachers, parents, the District Departments of Education and representative groups such as School Management Committees.

How does Build an Income compliment Build a School?

The Build an Income programme targets the communities around schools, seeking to improve incomes and increase opportunities for small business.  In this way parents, particularly mothers, are better able to afford school-related costs and this improves both enrolment and the retention of children in school.

What inspires you to get up in the morning?

The desire to do well at my work, support my family and make a difference to the lives of vulnerable and poor people in my country, specifically women and children.

What do you see as the main challenges facing Uganda?

The main challenges facing Uganda include poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, inadequate funding and financial services, gender issues and poor social services, especially health and quality education.

Are these challenges very different in rural areas when compared with the cities?

Poverty in Uganda is mainly a rural phenomenon, with the proportion of the population living in poverty much higher in the rural areas compared to the urban areas. The majority of the Ugandan population lives in rural areas and is engaged in subsistence agriculture.  Agriculture occupies about 74% of the population and about 50% of them live in poverty. Access to quality education is also a challenge in rural areas compared to urban areas due to the difficulty of attracting skilled teachers, inadequate school infrastructure and lack of learning materials.

How would you sum up the Ugandan people?

Ugandan people are very friendly and warm people. They have a positive attitude to life and you will always find laughter and joy among the people of Uganda in spite of the way things are. Ugandans of all walks of life love to uphold their traditional cultures and work hard for economic independence.

Can Build Africa really make a difference and how?

There is a lot that Build Africa can do to make a difference. Its commitment to quality education is an important contribution towards universal primary education in Uganda, as is its gender equality work. There is significant evidence that the provision of a quality primary school education, particularly for girls, drastically and consistently improves maternal and infant health. Educated girls have higher self-esteem, are more likely to avoid HIV infection, violence and exploitation, and to spread good health and sanitation practices to their families and throughout their communities, and an educated mother is more likely to send her children to school.

Both increased household income and gender equality encourage families to support their children in education. And this goes a long way in improving the knowledge, employment potential and income opportunities of young people in Uganda.