Students show projects on housing of how to improve slums. PHOTOS/DAPHINE NAKABIRI
When Oprah Andrua, a Senior Four student at Uganda Martyrs Secondary School Namugongo, noticed the growing pile of wine bottles lying idle at home and scattered around her community, she came up with an idea to enhance the aesthetic of homes and properties. With guidance from her mother, who is an interior designer, Andrua embarked on a mission to transform waste glass bottles into beautiful and functional lighting pieces.
Together with a group of 12 classmates, Andrua spearheaded the wine bottle lamp project, aiming to generate income, promote environmental sustainability and providing cheaper interior design lighting solutions to people.
She explains, “We picked wine bottles that were being dumped and repurposed them into interior décor lamps. Some are designed to be portable, rechargeable and others use electricity or USB ports. They are perfect for bedrooms, study spaces or even outdoors.”
Under the new competence-based curriculum introduced by Uganda National Examinations Board, Andrua and her group mates turned classroom knowledge into practical solutions. They used the available basic tools such as bulbs, threads and reused bottles to come up with cheaper interior design lighting options.
Andrua is one of the thousands of students in secondary schools who have embraced the UNEB-driven project work initiative, where learners engage in practical projects addressing real-life challenges using available local resources. The initiative, which is now a requirement under the new lower secondary curriculum, is fostering a generation of young problem-solvers and innovators.
Students showcase an irrigation system that is powered by solar energy.
Hands-on learning
According to Samuel Kiwanuka, the school project coordinator, he explains that students start working on their innovations from right from senior one, when UNEB provides a central theme. Learners then brainstorm ideas, develop concepts, and build solutions aligned with the theme until senior three when they are given a chance to exhibit their work to the public.
Kiwanuka explains, “This is similar to what we used to do at university; however, now our learners are exposed to this at an early stage, which is an exciting shift in education. We are seeing more creativity and hands-on skills than before.”
He also adds that the new system is uncovering talents that would otherwise go unnoticed. These range from students designing crafts like shoes, building model homes, to developing websites, something that shows that the students are pushing boundaries.
Some of the standout projects at the exhibition included biogas systems, doormat crafts, hydroponics, intrusion detection house models, homemade incubators, plastic pavers, wine bottle décor lamps, automatic irrigation systems, solar-powered boats and house designs for slum areas.
Students exhibit a biogas production project and doormats they made.
Skills and talent development
Speaking at the exhibition, Rev Fr Henry Kasasa, the head teacher of Uganda Martyrs SS, emphasized that the goal of the project work goes beyond passing exams.
A shift from mere knowledge has been realised as the students are now transforming classroom data to applicable skills. He also adds that the learners are now applying the theory they study to solve problems in their communities, and this is what education should be.
Fr Kasasa noted that innovation is not only a requirement by UNEB and the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), but also a moral and social responsibility.
He said, “If a student comes up with a solution to a community problem, that should be supported and celebrated. That is why we held this exhibition to inspire others and show that students can be change-makers.”
Challenges
Despite the achievement, project design also comes with challenges. It involves several roles to play during the process, such as paperwork, data collection, filling out endless forms, which turns out to be tedious to both teachers and students.
Another significant challenge is the cost of materials. Some projects, especially those involving technology or energy solutions, requires technical materials which are expensive.
For instance, Kiwanuka says, “You find that one project will cost up to Shs500,000, which one student cannot afford. However, to ease the financial burden, we group students into teams of five and each contributes about Shs100,000 to ably complete the project.”
Elijah Ogaba, a Senior Four student, who came up with the idea of designing an intrusion detective system house model to improve home security said that the challenge with such a project is lack of technical knowledge especially during the wiring process which also needed electricity connections.
This required the team to seek guidance from electricians to help them in ensuring the system operates efficiently. However, despite the hurdles, students were are not just completing assignments, but rather solving problems, gaining skills and discovering purpose.
The innovation projects helped in boosting classroom engagement, increasing students’ confidence and critical thinking.
Fr Kasasa said while this is something done in more developed countries by even younger children, if schools continue on this path, there is a possibility of curbing unemployment in future.
“We want the public to know that our learners have something to offer. These solutions should not end in school exhibitions. They should reach communities and maybe even become businesses,” Fr Kasasa said.
