My name is Pamela Inenu. I work as a programme assistant on Build Africa’s education projects.
What does your job entail?
My job involves ensuring pupils stay in primary education and encouraging them to go on to secondary school. The girls often need encouragement to carry on in education after primary school. This also involves me supporting and improving the livelihood of parents so they can be supportive of their children’s education. I will usually meet with the teachers and parents to help them see how best this can happen. The more pupils I see carry on to secondary school the happier I am! I also help ensure that there is an improvement in literacy and numeracy skills amongst pupils. This is done through school tutorials, school debates, quizzes and essay competitions.
Why Build Africa and what makes it different?
Build Africa really is changing the lives of rural people across Uganda by improving their education and livelihoods. For me, Build Africa stands out because of its personal and respectful approach; it shares its knowledge with the communities in order to aid them in their own development.
What challenges do you face?
Working with communities of course has its challenges. Bad weather sometimes affects my work and my motor bike doesn’t always like the roads. Also, development is a process and changing people’s attitudes and perceptions is not always easy and will take time. In the communities it is the men who are usually the dominant figures and on occasion have not taken me seriously.
What do to the communities think of you?
I hope they see how committed, hardworking and dedicated I am to my role. I spend most of my days in the field and the community members are amazed by the fact that I ride a motor bike everywhere. Some ladies have even asked for me to teach them a trick or two about riding. It also makes me happy when the girls in the school say that they wish to work for Build Africa Uganda and work as a programme assistant like me!
