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Tororo Girls’ School Alumni challenged to advance mentorship and the rights of girls
Kampala, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG | As a young girl at Shimon Demonstration School in Kampala in the late 60s, now First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga dreamt of joining Tororo Girls School in eastern Uganda for her secondary education.
She however did not make it to Tororo Girls School, and instead ended up at St Catherine Secondary School in Lira for her post-primary education. The dream however remained alive in her decades later.
“Each time we traveled to Nairobi via Tororo, I would really admire Tororo Girls school, especially its unique infrastructure,” she said.
She finally made a stop over at the school in 2020 on one of her many travels across the country.
The then Speaker of Uganda’s parliament was however disappointed as she found a dilapidated school. Nearly all the magnificent facilities and structures that were put up when Tororo Girls School (TGS) was founded by the United States Government in 1965 as a contribution to the Government of Uganda to promote education of the girl child, were in a sorry state.
Amidst this infrastructural challenge, the school continues to excel in academics, discipline and co-curricular activities.
She therefore could not hide her excitement, as she attended the launch of the Tororo Girls’ School Alumni Association (TGSAA) that aims to keep the dream of many other girls alive, by reviving the fortunes of the school.
The official launch of the Tororo Girls’ School Alumni Association was held on September 23, 2022 at Golf Course Hotel, in Kampala with First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of East African Community Affairs and Woman Member of Parliament for Kamuli District Kadaga, as chief guest.
Gathered for the launch were three former head-teachers and the incumbent, 183 Old Girls, 10 associates from St. Peters College Tororo Old Boys’ Association (SPECTOBA) and one from Bukedi College Kachonga Old Boys’ Association. The OGs list included Minister for
Karamoja Affairs, Dr Mary Goretti Kitutu, judicial officers , representatives of government Ministries, Departments, Agencies and professionals from both private and public sectors.
Kadaga calls for mentorship
Kadaga stressed that she was delighted to officiate the launch of an association for a school she had a passion to join.
She added she was happy to be in the presence of an “army of educated women,” and called for a revival of the the vibrant women’s movement in the 1980s that had different professionals visiting schools to motivate learners and to provide career guidance.
“When we were studying we did not really have role models, so we made an effort to support others when we grew up. Now that you have an association, I would be happy to see you motivate and give career guidance to the young ones. Career guidance is an area where we have been deficient as a country.”
Kadaga pledged her support to ensuring “The Tororo Girls School stars shine again.”
She guaranteed her commitment to girl child education, including supporting the establishment of a girls university in Tororo on top of enhancing income generation and securing livelihoods for women.
She stressed that increased participation in ownership of media, and media coverage of women among others, will secure space for articulating women’s issues.
(Helen K. Wataba, Deputy Headteacher 2003-2010 and Headteacher 2013-2022.
Minister Kitutu presented Kadaga a special award in recognition of her dedication in promoting women emancipation and empowering the girl child on behalf of the Association.
Kitutu said the association should also focus on ensuring women know how to make money, and strike on the Uganda rich list. “We need women to go into the money economy, you should have money. Next time we will give you tips on how to become women of worth.” (SEE VIDEO BOTTOM)
Alumni set for school revival task
According to the Chairperson Tororo Girls’ School Alumni Association Violet Nandudu TGSAA embraces a diverse network of former students and operates as a social enterprise combining economic and social goals.
“Our vision is a dedicated and vibrant Association that empowers and mentors girls and women of Uganda,” Nandudu said. She added that the alumni association’s Mission is the “promotion of collaboration within the TGS Alumni and mentoring of learners”.
The main objective of the launch was to officially initiate the operations of TGS Alumni (website www.tgsalumni.org) that in the past operated informally alongside the school administration on several education and development projects. The launch comprised of OGs from the mid1960s to 2000s cohorts.
The Vice-Chairpersons of the Alumni Association, Josephine Etima (Class 1986-1988) provided an overview of development and social programmes supported both at the school and amongst the alumni members such as; annual career guidance for learners and enhanced access to clean and safe water. The Vice-Chair presented the Association’s short, medium and long term plans and called for support in actualizing the same.
Plans include supporting agricultural projects such as poultry or dairy farming to supplement students’ diet as well as enhance their agricultural skills, and establishment of a school bakery also to improve students’ diet and culinary skills. Each project is costed at an estimated Sh50million, according to an event report produced by the TGS alumni. (CLICK TO READ FUll TGSAA FINAL_Report of the Offical Launch of the Tororo Girls’ School Alumni Association held on 23.09.22 )
Later, the alumni hope to Improve school transport facilities, the teaching staff accommodation facilities and support the mega dorm project currently estimated to cost sh5billion.
Keynote address by Canon Nima
Canon Nima fondly addressed her former students as “stars destined to rise and shine”.
She said the school trained them to shine as women leaders of the country and role models by design. Her presentation focused on mentorship of girls and boys.
“When we support empowerment and growth of young girls through mentorship, we improve the lives of everyone around us,” she said.
“When you mentor young people, there is no one who is a failure as they remain leaders at whatever level and wherever they are,” she said.
She acknowledged the existence of elaborate structures in traditional communities for mentoring girls and boys in their gender roles and life skills for managing their families. The first mentors for girls were mothers, aunties, “sengas” and grandmothers and for boys they had their fathers, uncles and grandfathers.
Western education created additional mentors, teachers, peers and now the internet.
Mentorship is embedded in counselling and guidance at Tororo Girls’ School with a fully pledged career guidance system. She noted that the boy child needs to be equally prepared to interact with the girls.
She acknowledged the ladies for the continued support they have provided her and for also reaching out to some of the former teachers. She encouraged the ladies to mentor one another recognizing leaders at all levels.
New challenges
Canon Nima challenged the OGs noting that majority of the ladies come from regions like northern and eastern Uganda with a very high drop-out rate at primary level, high rates of early marriage and teenage pregnancies.
“The majority of us come from regions where the drop out rate of girls from P1 to S6 is about 99%. That is 99% of the girls who start P1, do not reach S6 to go to University. Where are those girls? Is there anything we can do to rise and shine and we do something to mentor girls who have been disadvantaged in our communities,” she said.
She implored the OGs to consider initiatives to mentor girls who have been disadvantaged.
While congratulating the ladies for having supported the school projects and sustaining mentoring of the students she appealed to the ladies to support the “Stars” who may not have made it the way many others have. She highlighted the need to mentor and recognize them for the leadership roles they have taken on at community and family level.
She concluded her address by re-echoing the statement, “the way to be happy is to make someone happy and to have a little heaven down here.” A chorus in the Schools’ Anthem.
Head Teacher Beatrice Akware Lumonya
Lumonya, also a TGS OG, thanked God for the day and acknowledged the organizers of the event being the first of its kind. She thanked the former school administrators for the mentorship having served in TGS as a Teacher of English and Literature.
She later moved to Namilyango College where she excelled in her own words, “I shone like a star” and in 2014 she was nationally recognized the best English Teacher. TGS stands on the umbrella of; academic excellence, co-curricular activities, mentorship and nurturing all round students.
She noted that the school infrastructure requires refurbishment and was happy that the Alumni Association highlighted this concern. Though she recently assumed office (four months ago) she promised to work hard like never before to make Tororo Girls shine. “The sky is no longer the limit’, she said.
FULL VIDEO
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HISTORY of Tororo Girls’ School Head Teachers
- Ms Marian R. Baibon [1965 to 1967]
- Ms Phyllis J. Roop [1967 to 1969]
- Mr. Doubleday Elwyn J. [1969 to 1971]
- Honorable Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire [1972-1973]
- Mr. Bwire Abisai [1974-1977]
- Canon Mrs. Joyce Bernice Nima, Headteacher [1977-1991]
- Mrs. Pande Sarah, Headteacher [1992 to 2002]
- Mrs. Tarinyeba K. Ida, Headteacher [2003 to 2012]
- Mrs. Helen K. Wataba, Headteacher [2013-2022]:
- Mrs. Beatrice Akware Lumonya, current Headteacher [May 2022 to date]
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Interim Committee Tororo Girls’ School Alumni Association
- Chairperson – Violet Nandudu
Chair Violet and Vice Josephine. CLICK HERE TO SEE PROFILES OF ORGANISING COMMITTE
Congratulations
Challenge: will the trying moments endured by uncle Abisai appear in the history of the school?
So how does the 1977 S.6 claa describe itself? “Cryptic” or “watershed”?
Well having served the country in various capacities, we have retired
Very grateful for the SSP based type of curriculum that translated into the permanent search for knowledge