Coronavirus - Uganda: “I wish I could have some magic, I would just say let schools open right away" - Twelve-year-old Alex Abigail, Congolese refugee in Uganda

Abigail noted that she misses her school uniform and the sweater which she hasn’t worn for a long time. During the morning of the interview, she wore the sweater as it was a bit chilly. Abigail is grateful for the learning materials she received but adds that she would prefer to be in class. “It is good to have these learning materials, but they are not better than school. I kind of miss school a lot. If I could have some magic, I would just say, let school start right away,” says Abigail who is living in Arua District in West Nile sub-region. Asked how she is using the printed materials, Abigail says the materials have questions which they write down in their notebooks and fill in answers. Their neighbour, a teacher, helps to review the answers and guides them on which answer is correct or wrong.

The Ministry of Education and Sports, with support from partners like UNICEF, printed learning materials and distributed them to learners across the country. UNICEF supported the printing of the second batch of learning and study materials targeting 2.5 million children in 48 districts (including 37 districts with poor learning performance and refugee-hosting districts, among others). Arua and 10 other refugee-hosting districts in West Nile sub-region benefited from the second batch, which was distributed to refugees and host communities. Abigail says that it has been a long time since she last went to school. When they told them not to return to school, Abigail was shocked and helpless. Although she is aware that schools had to close to prevent them from contracting COVID-19, Abigail dreams about going to school for just one day.

“I miss my friends, my teachers and head teacher. The head teacher is so nice and prayerful. I miss the school activities. In the first term, we were supposed to have ball games and in the second term, music, dance and drama,” she says with a sad face.

Abigail, a Primary 7 (P.7) candidate has used the lock down to revise notes of P.7, P.6 and P.5 from Monday to Friday. On weekends, she rests and also plays. “I read a lot these days. Much more than when I was going to school,” she adds.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Uganda.