TEP is a teacher training social enterprise based in Uganda, working mainly with schools in Luweero region. It was established in 2013 by a team of teachers, teacher trainers and teacher trainees who saw the need for better quality teaching and collaboration in Ugandan schools.
Our vision is a society with innovative, motivated, multi-skilled and passionate teachers collaborating to provide quality education and Our mission is to empower Ugandan teachers to teach with passion and to build their capacity to provide quality education by exposing them to innovative approaches and creating linkages and network food For Thought Campaign is meant to raise funds to buy food packages for 50 private primary schools teachers in Luwero District who have not received any paycheck since the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

Problem Statement
In our latest Edutalk, held September 2020, it emerged that many teachers were starving as a result of not being paid since before school shutdown, particularly teachers who had previously worked in small private schools or who had been paid by a PTA. As a result, many were turning away from the profession as a means of survival and some committed suicide Teacher Commits Suicide over COVID-19 Related Debts. Some teachers had opted to start small trade ventures as an alternative e.g. bricklaying, selling vegetables. Others did not have the capital or skills to start small ventures. The majority of teachers spoken to had lost trust in the profession as a stable source of income and decided not to return to it when schools reopen. The problem then is that, as a result of Covid-19, there is likely to be a teacher shortage upon schools reopening, due to:

• The poor health or even death of teachers who have struggled to feed themselves in this time;
• Teachers opting to leave the profession in favour of more financially sustainable routes.
• No government interventions to support teachers serving in private schools.

The reopening of schools on October 15th may alleviate the problem slightly, at least for teachers of the selected year groups. However other teachers will continue to suffer.

Solution
TEP realised that to prevent this teacher shortage, we need to a) give teachers a means of survival until schools reopen and b) rebuild teachers’ confidence in the profession to encourage them to return to it. Our response then is this:

1. Identify struggling teachers in our target region, Luweero and supply them with basic foodstuffs to get them and their families through to schools reopening fully
2. Actively promote the importance of returning to teaching once schools reopen e.g. through Edutalks (social dialogues on Education) and social media campaigns
3. Work with our partner schools in Luweero region (Lusenke, Butuntamula, St Marks) to provide training, including workshops and Teach Meets, which equips teachers with the skills needed to return confidently to teaching in the post-Covid world. Our Food For Thought Campaign, then, aligns with point 3 of our response to the potential teacher shortage. We have identified a group of 50 teachers in our local region of Luweero who are struggling to survive at this time. To give these teachers the means to survive and keep them in the profession, we are suggesting distributing foods such as maize flour, beans, sugar, salt, cooking oil to this small group. In our risk calculation, we have taken into account His Excellency President Museveni’s restrictions on food distribution. To overcome these, we are seeking the support of local government and policing officials, following the model of a successful food distribution programme by AFFCAD in the Bwaise area.
4. Expected Outcomes
5. Improved health for 50 teachers in Luweero region, sustained until the full reopening of schools
6. Reduced number of teachers leaving the profession in search of other sources of income to feed themselves
7. Increased enthusiasm, confidence and trust of the target group to return to teaching once schools reopen
8. Reduced risk of teacher shortage in Luweero region.

COVID19has greatly affected teachers. Here is how you can support them.



To know more about what we do, check out our website here: