The Kitakule Foundation an indigenous development organization working in Busoga region is working to improve access to health and education services in a region that scores among the lowest in national statistics. In pursuit of its mission the Kitakule Foundation established Busesa Community Library, Hope Children’s clinic among other community development initiatives in Busesa trading Centre in the newly created Bugweri District.
Realizing that many children in the community of Busesa and surrounding rural villages, towns were scoring very low on reading and writing abilities both at primary and secondary level, the directors of the foundation sought to open up Busesa Community Library in 2015 to provide learners with resources to enhance their literacy skills at no cost.
The library started in a small building which was formerly a shop and was transformed to create am ambient space for learning and reading. Soon the library was able to expand into a bigger building opening opportunities to offer more services such as a conference/training hall, bigger book section/ library space, a computer laboratory and computer-based learning resources.
The Library is providing free access to a variety of reading books, primary and secondary school curriculum text books and other, training programs and many other learning resources to the community of Busesa and surrounding town and villages that target school going children as well as community members.
This library is a game changer in the region whose school enrollment especially for girls is among the lowest in the country, and poverty levels continue to deprive many children the chance to receive an education.
Busesa community library opens opportunities for academic growth, learning as well as social and economic exposure through its program that supplement the learning given at school.
The Busoga Children’s Orchestra is one of such programs that develops leadership skills and musical talent. Under this program children are in trained musical skills such as singing and playing traditional music instruments blended with modern electronical instruments. The program also develops leadership skills, social skills, public speaking, etiquette while supporting participants with scholastic materials and music performance exposure tours.
Increasing education opportunities in Busoga region and the nation at large requires concerted efforts of various stakeholders both in the public sector and other development players.
In 2021, the adult literacy rate for Uganda was 79%. The Adult literacy rate of Uganda has increased from 56.1% in 1991 to 79% in 2021 revealing an annual average growth rate of 6.15%. This is against the adult literacy rate of 96% in the developed nations.
Much as Busesa community library with support from its foundational body-the Kitakule foundation have invested heavily in promoting health and education service provision in Busoga region, a lot is still needed at the busesa library to enhance its program’s effectiveness in terms of scope and area of coverage. The library grapples with the challenge of high costs of reliable internet, extending mobile library services to remote villages and consistent restocking of new and updated learning resources.
That notwithstanding Busesa community library pioneered by the Kitakule Foundation in Bugweri District is a major contributor to the education sector in Busoga region.
Main Contributor: Stephen Sooka. Program Coordinator Kitakule Foundation
REFFERENCES: worldpopulationreview.com Literacy rate by country 2023 -World Population Review.
