Uganda COVID-19 Impact & Updates:
National lock down: In response to the increased global spread of COVID-19, on March 18, 2020, Uganda shut down all businesses, schools, and public transportation and put in place severe social distancing restrictions. While some of these restrictions have been loosened and some businesses have reopened, schools have remained closed and the Ministry of Education announced its plans to not reopen until next February for the 2021 school year, pending continued, low COVID-19 cases in the country.
Impact of COVID-19: With just over 10,000 cases and around 100 COVID-19-related deaths reported so far, Uganda’s tightly-controlled response to the pandemic, while controversial in many ways, seems to have helped limit the spread of the virus. However, while these measures have succeeded in containing the outbreak thus far, they have significantly stifled the economy with economic growth now projected at 0.4% compared to 5.6% last year.
Ssese Islands (location of TASAAGA’s Musawo Clinic): While most public transportation partially resumed in July, public boats are still restricted from operating to the islands. This means no one from the islands can access the mainland for any reason, including to address critical healthcare needs.
TASAAGA’s Response:
Safety first: Since March, our first and foremost mission has been to safely and effectively care for TASAAGA’s students, faculty, and support staff including TASAAGA’s Executive Director, Bruhan Mubiru.
Closing of TASAAGA schools: In response to the national mandate in March, we closed the TASAAGA Primary School and the TASAAGA Secondary School, sending all students, other than the orphans, and staff home until further notice. Without reliable access to the internet, virtual learning, or teaching resources, lessons were, unfortunately, discontinued. Thankfully, no one associated with TASAAGA has reported a COVID case.
Caring for our most vulnerable students: With 27 orphans among our student body, Friends of TASAAGA immediately pledged to provide safe lodging, food, and adult oversight for these students throughout the pandemic. They have stayed in Sitabaale, the village where our schools are located, along with four essential staff members to support them -- a matron, cook, and two security guards. Additionally, our Executive Director, Bruhan, and Secondary School Headmaster, Denis, have stayed closely connected to the group of remaining students including providing them with review sessions to prepare them to return to school in 2021.
Supporting our teachers when they need us most: To ensure the financial stability of our 17 secondary school faculty and staff members, we decided to continue paying a portion of their salaries -- as much as we could sustainably afford -- throughout the shutdown. As of September, we are one of only two private schools in the country doing this; something we are extremely proud of and which is only possible through the charitable contributions of our supporters like you.
Musawo Clinic on Kimi Island: Given the boating restrictions to the islands, TASAAGA’s Musawo Clinic continues to serve as the only medical facility for nearly 4,000 people across Kimi (where the clinic is located), Miende, Bugiri, Nsazi, and Koome Islands. This infrastructure has been critical for the health and wellness of the locals of these islands.
Looking ahead:
Student Spike Expected: It is projected that 1 in 2 private Ugandan schools will not have sufficient funding to re-open in 2021, leading to a large number of students looking to attend already overcrowded and understaffed public schools. Given this, we anticipate a spike in 2021 student registration and are paying special attention to vulnerable students who are most susceptible to discontinuing their education altogether.
Reopening safely: With plans of returning to in-person classes in February 2021, we are taking all recommended precautions to ensure our students and staff have a clean, safe environment to return to.
Again, we thank you for your consistent support through these turbulent times and will update you on the status of our students and staff as the situation evolves.