For two girls in Uganda, unpaid school fees nearly meant the end of their education. A scholarship from Girl Up Initiative Uganda brought them back to the classroom.
She was in Primary Five when she told her mother she should stop going to school and look for work instead. Her older sister had passed away, leaving two children in the family’s care. Her mother, often unwell, washed other people’s clothes to pay the school fees. Still, the girl was frequently sent home because of unpaid fees, and each time her confidence and her studies suffered.
A scholarship from Girl Up changed that. “The support lifted a huge burden from my mother and gave me hope again,” she says. Her grades have improved, and she now enjoys studying “without the constant worry of school fees”.
Another girl lives with her aunt and six cousins. Even though she attended a government-aided school, there were times she missed exams or had to repeat classes because the family could not afford the fees. When she was close to giving up, one of her teachers encouraged her to join a school club instead of staying at home. She chose the Girl Up Club.
“When I first attended the Girl Up sessions, I felt welcomed and began participating actively,” she says.
The sessions helped her build confidence and learn how to communicate respectfully with others.
Towards the end of Term One in 2024, a Girl Up coach learned that she had stopped coming to school because of unpaid fees. After they talked, Girl Up stepped in to pay them. “I cried as I remembered all the hardships I had gone through,” she says.
She went on to excel in her Primary Leaving Examinations – “something I once thought would never be possible”. Girl Up will continue supporting her through secondary school, and she knows where she is heading: “Today, I study with hope and will continue working hard so that I achieve my dream of becoming a doctor.”
Who: Girl Up Initiative Uganda
What: From Access to Agency: Advancing Girls’ Educational Pathways Through Targeted Scholarships
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