Passionate about promoting pupils’ talent

“No matter who you are to that child, love them and give them the best. I had a horrible childhood because of someone who tried hard to make my going to school difficult but it did not deter me from achieving my dream,” says Samuel Mukiibi Mutyaba, a teacher at Kibuuka Mixed Nursery and Primary School, Nansana.

While growing up, Mutyaba reveals how he was battered by his stepmother who in addition made him dig and fetch water every morning before going school. Because of this, he often missed out on morning lessons. And according to him, his stepmother took advantage of his physical impairment to torment him.

“Because I was disabled, she thought I was useless thus making life hard for me that at one time I thought of running away from home,” he recalls sadly, adding, “the ill-treatment caused me trauma that would only bring suicidal thoughts in my mind. That stopped when I accepted Jesus in my life.”

Mutyaba is now a different person who has gained popularity over the years and strongly believes that disability is not inability.

As a young man growing up in the 1970s, Mutyaba admired the renowned music legend (Jim Reeves). His songs, as well as voice, satisfied his love for music until he got saved and joined a church choir in the 1980s where he learnt voicing and song composition.

As a minister in this church (Redeemed Church Nansana, present-day Redeemed Heritage Church), Mutyaba gained a skill in singing from which he earned a position to lead and train other choirs in the 1990s; a role he played very well.

Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to complete his secondary school education as his father could not afford school fees. As such, he stayed home for a year after he completed O-Level.

However, this did not totally shut his door of opportunities. His talent earned him a vacancy to teach Primary Three at St Joseph Catholic Primary School in Nansana. This marked the beginning of his teaching career at just 19 years of age.

While at St Joseph, Mutyaba’s doors widely opened when he earned the school trophies from different primary school music competitions which made him popular and earned him a chance to be enrolled at Shimoni Teacher’s College in 1993. But nine months into training, he dropped out as his sponsor, the head teacher of St Joseph Catholic Primary School could no longer pay his tuition because he left the school where he was employed.

Mutyaba also left the school but a few months later, schools started looking for him more for training their pupils in music. Mutyaba recalls producing his first album with St Joseph Catholic Secondary School students in 2003.

Mutyaba, is more known by his nickname ‘Dad Sam’ a nickname he received when he joined Kibuuka Mixed Nursery & Primary School in 2009.

“When I joined the school seeking to teach Primary Two, the head teacher, then Eva Bumba, introduced me to the pupils as their dad since they never had a male teacher handling the lower section. I started as their assistant class teacher. That is how the nickname was birthed. To date very few teachers and children in the school know my full name,” he reveals.

Although, he did not become a medical doctor like he had always dreamed, Mutyaba has since learnt to love and enjoy teaching as well as associating with the children.

Before joining Kibuuka P/S, he had taught and trained music in schools such as St Kizito Primary School in Ganda from 1994-1995, Preparatory School from 1995-1997 and Nansana Vocational Primary School for one and a half years.

At Nansana, he was training music and German language at Ganda Secondary School before he became part of Kisa Primary School where he taught for a year. Mutyaba also taught at Jet Valley Primary School from 1999 to 2008. All the schools including St Joseph Catholic School where he first unveiled his potential to be a good teacher were within Nansana.

But given the fact that he could not dance because of his physical impairment, Mutyaba decided to concentrate on training drama and voice and composition.

Resuming school
However, Mutyaba was blessed to resume school in 1999 at St Agnes Christian Education Centre in Makerere where he attained a certificate, diploma and degree in Early Childhood Development and Primary Education.

“I was teaching at Jet Valley Primary school at the time. I graduated with a certificate in early childhood development and primary education in 2000. I then upgraded at the same institute and graduated with a diploma in 2001. I later enrolled for a degree which I completed after six years in 2008,” he reveals, adding, “The degree course was an in-service where we only learnt during holidays.”

Unlike other teachers who toil to acquire vacancies in different schools even with good academic credentials, Mutyaba did not go through such trouble. He was lucky to have been known earlier through his good reputation in training music.

Today, Mutyaba is head of infant section, lead music teacher and senior man in addition to being a science teacher and class teacher of Primary Two at Kibuuka. When he started his teaching career, he was teaching Primary Three to Primary Seven but after the thorough training, he gained love for young children in lower classes that he now devotes all his time to.

Despite earning from his talent previously, the 52-year-old currently identifies talent in his pupils and boosts it at no cost.

“Going without pay for my extra work is okay. My heart is settled when children and their parents appreciate my work. A word of thanks from the administration and seeing children’s talents develop earns me satisfaction, he adds. For the 28 years Mutyaba has been in the music field, he has composed and trained schools on songs about nature, culture and God.

Apart from the related school tasks, Mutyaba also composes songs for other schools as well as training them at a cost which supplements his salary. He is also a lead pastor at God’s glory International Church, Nansana and a co-director at Environment Conservation Alert, an organisation that teaches pupils about the dangers of polythene papers.

Challenges
The little time allocated to music and drama (one hour in a week 4-5pm) puzzles Mutyaba a lot as this kills most of the good talent yet he believes that a child’s talent is supposed to be developed at a young age.

Mutyaba also talked about the failure for school administrations to fund the music projects which frustrates him as well as the pupils given the time and efforts they put in producing the songs.

“I once funded a music project (paid for the studio production fees). The school liked the song but I never received any token of appreciation,” he reveals, adding, “they promised to give me money to produce videos for the composed songs but that too has never come through.”

In future, Mutyaba plans to open up a music studio so as to help people most especially pupils to produce their own songs. He also eyes opening up a music school which can offer free music lessons.

Education
Mutyaba started school in 1969 at a nursery school in Muduuma along Mityana Road. He was later transferred to Nansana Church of Uganda Primary School where he completed Primary Seven in 1980. He later joined Mengo Senior Secondary School for O-Level from 1981-1984.

He joined A-Level at Mengo but failed to complete a month after he enrolled for Senior Five. Twenty years after failing to complete his studies at Shimoni Teachers’ College, Mutyaba resumed studies at St Agnes Christian Education Centre where he attained a certificate, diploma and degree in early childhood development and primary education in 2008.

Voices
Robinah Naluwagga, teacher, “I know Samuel for his love for children and God. He is a kind and caring person who digs deep into matters concerning people’s lives and helps solve them even without a pay. He is also a hard worker who ensures that he completes his tasks well.”
Doreen Kwagala, teacher, “I was once his student at Joy International College in Nansana. He is that person anyone can easily trust. He is a father, a hardworking, faithful and trustworthy person who is always willing to help those who approach him with a problem.”

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