Busitema University was honoured to host a team from Teach for Uganda (TfU), under a promising initiative aimed at establishing a strategic partnership between the two institutions. The meeting was held in the Vice Chancellor’s boardroom at the Faculty of Engineering & Technology and was warmly officiated by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul
Waako.
Teach for Uganda (TfU) is a distinguished NGO committed to nurturing leadership and enhancing education access for children, particularly in rural areas. As part of the global network Teach for All, which spans over 60 countries, TfU has operated for nine years and implemented its impactful program across 11 districts in Uganda.
During the engagement, Ms. Charlotte Iraguha, Managing Director of Teach for Uganda, shared the organization’s mission; To develop leaders who ensure every child has access to quality education. She elaborated on the organization’s flagship Teaching Leadership Fellowship, a two-year program that trains graduates in literacy, leadership and humanitarian disciplines before deploying them as teachers in underserved government schools. To date, 183 alumni have successfully completed the fellowship.
Looking ahead, Ms. Iraguha announced TfU’s plan to expand into secondary schools in the coming year, with a focus on empowering female graduates in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas in which Busitema University has demonstrated exceptional strength.
The session also featured testimonials from two TfU alumni; Ms. Dinah Achola, now serving as
Marketing Coordinator, who described the program as life-changing. Deployed in a community with deep-seated biases against education, she overcame barriers through empathy and compassion, becoming a favorite among pupils. Mr. Wamala Ivan Samuel, a law graduate and TfU alumnus, also shared his transformative experience in a school with only 34 pupils and strained relationships with parents where he recounted that through community outreach and personal engagement, he helped the school grow to over 300 pupils, highlighting the lasting impact of the initiative.
In his address, Prof. Waako(Vice Chancellor Busitema University) emphasized the program’s broad mentorship value, especially as it draws on professionals from non-education backgrounds. He advised that due consideration be given to regulatory frameworks to distinguish the program from conventional teacher training. Prof Waako further revealed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be formalized to cement the collaboration. He also proposed the scheduling of a session in the upcoming semester, where TfU will engage with finalist students,  ideal candidates for the fellowship. An internal work plan will also be developed to guide the implementation of this partnership.