Resilience and love for the girl child makes me tick - Ndagire

Ms Grace Ndagire Tweheyo, 52, has on several occasions been commended as being among the key figures for transforming education in Ankole subregion. She takes us through her journey and what keeps her moving.

On a visit to Kinoni Girls Secondary School in Rwampara district, where she is the headmistress, we found Ms Ndagire who had just finished reading a letter from one of the students.

Emotional times

She frowned, then smiled and frowned again before telling us that this is what she has to go through every day to ensure that she molds a wholesome and independent girl child.
Ndagire explains that while some of the letters thank and praise her, others are disturbing. This time, a student was seeking her intervention and support after her parents failed to provide her with school necessities.

She reads to us part of the letter: “...Thank you for loving, supporting and caring for us but I have a challenge with my parents, they rarely provide me with scholastic materials and other things to use, even pads. When I call my father he tells me to call my mother and when I call her she tells me to call my father. I am very confused and it is hard for me to concentrate on my studies, kindly help me’’.

Her close attachment to students is evident when she pulls out a stack of handwritten letters from her chest drawer. In there, students express gratitude for her motherly love and seek help, guidance, and counselling.

“I have done my best to be close to my girls, they are very open to me. In the office, compound and even when I am driving out of school, a girl will stop me to talk about her life challenges. I want a girl who goes through here to be able to transform her home, family, community and country. I want that girl who is independent and not a burden to anybody, who would be useful,”says Ndagire.

She adds, “I have always told my teachers to help and support the young people to transform. Life is about uplifting others. Today’s generation is lazy and needs more support to become useful citizens.”

Her teaching journey

Ndagire started her career at Nalinya Lwantale Girl’s Secondary School in Luweero from 1994 to 1999.
“I rose through the ranks from being a teacher to director of studies. Then, I was posted to Ntare School in Mbarara City, a boys’school where I did not meet any challenges because of the previous training and work experience,” says Ndagire.

The educationist reveals that even at Ntare School, besides being a class teacher, she was a house teacher, member of the contracts and disciplinary committee, the positions she explains empowered and shaped her much in her teaching and administrative journey.

At this same school, Ndagire got more exposure including taking students to Sweden for exchange visits where she made friends who have since supported her to make ends meet.
Later, Ndagire was promoted to deputy head teacher and transferred to Mbarara Secondary School, a mixedday and boarding facility. Here, it was bumpy, especially the students’ discipline.

“I was the deputy head teacher in charge of discipline. It was my first experience in a coeducational set-up with a day and boarding section. Here, I met all kinds of students; the married, and some were drug abusers. It was such an environment where a student could nearly slap you. I had to stand my ground and even pray harder. I thank God it all ended well,” she recounts.
Then, she was promoted and transferred to Kinoni Girls as a headmistress.

Bumpy start

“I thank God for the far we have come. I inherited a debt-laden school, we had a debt of more than Shs 550mil lion, teachers had not got their Parents Teachers Allowances (PTA) for two years, and suppliers were demanding arrears,” Ndagire recounts.
“students were crying because teachers were dodging lessons. Some of the school accounts had balances as little as Shs 15,000, and the highest was Shs 180,000. But, God has been faithful.”

Ndagire who was posted to Kinoni just a week before the second Covid-19 lockdown, is grateful because this period helped her to forge ahead.
“I thank God for this lockdown because it helped me to restrategise on how to manage this school. When debtors learnt that a new head teacher had been posted, they started coming with letters of intention to sue,” she adds.
Friends, the school old girls and Ankole Diocese have stood with her.

“I had previously travelled to Sweden and made a friend in a Swedish teacher who has been instrumental in some of the developments. With her family, they visited Ndagire and were shocked by the living conditions.

“They were touched by sights of children going to school barefoot and chose to start a charity which included building and renovating some schools around our home in Mbarara,” she says adding that this same friend was appalled by the school Ndagire was posted to, especially the physical infrastructure.

“Grace, she said, you cannot stay in such a house, get somebody to renovate the house and I will send you money. However, I diverted the conversation to the school kitchen which was in a sorry state. She sent money to renovate the kitchen first and she has since been supporting us,” she explains.

Ms Ndagire also explains that the role of Old Girls has been key in the transformation of this school.

“As I was figuring out how to go about the situation. I contacted a few old girls and we started a WhatsApp group, the OGs one by one, started sending through some assistance,” she explains.
The Old girls, she says, have managed to put up major infrastructural developments.

The school also had a loan of Shs80 million from Ankole Diocese but, she approached the Old Girls who agreed to give a hand for the school to stabilise.

She also attributes her breakthrough to the leadership of Rwampara District.

“The leadership here was concerned about how the school was getting crippled. They have since stood with the administration and mobilised resources to improve the infrastructure,”she says.

What keeps her going?

Ms Ndagire says a song titled:

Munsi Muno Okozemu ki? (Loosely translated; what mark have you left on earth?) “The song talks about legacy. If a snail
can leave a mark where it passes, what about a human being? I always want to leave a mark on whatever I do,” says Ms Ndagire before adding that she is result-oriented and her background also inspires her.

“I am not from a well-to-do background but when I see where I am today I thank God and pledge to do my best to see the young people that I am entrusted with get the best of quality education and nurturing. I know education is the only way to bring equality between social classes especially the poor and the rich,” she adds.

Challenges

Ms Ndagire says though the school has made strides but all is not rosy.
“A student falls sick, you call her parent, and they say they have no time yet they are going for a crusade. This hurts,” she explains.
Parents do not even read report cards, yet they are always defensive of their children which keeps children off the right path. She also notes enrollment challenges due to economic hardships.

Advice
Ms Ndagire advises school administrators to cooperate with other schools especially those whose status is above theirs.

“Part of my success is that I do not cage y girls, I have opened doors for them to interact and share experiences with other schools especially those whose standards seem to be higher than ours. These ncude Ntare School, Mary Hill High school, Immaculate Heart Girl’s School, and Mbarara High School. I have invited head teachers of these schools such as the Rev Sr Gladyce Kachope of Immaculate Heart Girls School to talk to my girls which has helped us to improve and excel academically,”she attests.