Prime
School where parents can pay in kind
Mary Loy Wanyanza, the founder of Eshalo Valley Academy is optimistic that in three years, the school will reach Primary Seven. PHOTOS/ELVIS KYEYUNE BASUDDE
What you need to know:
In the impoverished village of Kanyogoga, Buikwe District, Mary Loy Wanyanze has defied the odds by founding a school that operates on a barter trade system. Rather than using hard cash, parents exchange goods or labour to secure their children’s education.
It is not merely the founding of a school that makes 48-year-old Mary Loy Wanyanze shine in her community, but the unique barter trade system she introduced, allowing parents to exchange goods or services instead of paying school fees in cash. In the remote, poverty-stricken village of Kanyogoga, located eight kilometres from Nakibizi Trading Centre in Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District, stands Eshalo Valley Academy. The modest school comprises three wooden classroom structures, a kitchen roofed with iron sheets, and a borrowed room that doubles as the staffroom and administrative office. The school caters to nursery and Primary One to Primary Three pupils. Despite its humble setup, Eshalo Valley Academy serves 79 pupils and employs four teachers.
The school sits on a 200x100ft plot of land and is the brainchild of Wanyanze, a qualified Grade III teacher with a heart for her community. In many rural Ugandan schools, paying school fees is a major challenge for parents, often leading to school dropouts, especially in today’s harsh economic climate. Wanyanze saw this crisis and responded with a transformative solution; she introduced a barter system to boost enrolment, particularly among girls, though the numbers remain modest. She also subsidised the school fees to just Shs40,000 per term to cover breakfast (porridge) and basic teacher remuneration. Still, many parents struggle to pay. “Most parents here do not have a steady income,” Wanyanze explains.
“So I encourage bartering. Those with bricks bring them to offset fees; builders offer labour; and others bring food such as maize, which we value in monetary terms.” Her motivation, she says, is purely selfless. “I do this because I saw so many children, especially girls, out of school in my community.” Akiida Ismairi Nakibinge, a counsellor in Njeru Municipality, praises Wanyanze’s efforts: “She is exceptional. A shining example of a teacher committed to providing quality education to the underprivileged community of Kanyogoga. Our lives have greatly improved in terms of education since she established the school in 2019,” he says.
Wanyanze’s source of income
Anyone would wonder how Wanyanze sustains her teaching staff and meets school needs, such as chalk, when the Shs40,000 school fee is often defaulted. “I am a multiple worker. My major source of income is not from the school but from rearing 300 broiler chickens, which I buy from Ugachick and sell to roadside vendors around Najjembe market. That is how I supplement my income,” she explains. She praises her teachers who serve against all odds, acknowledging that what she gives them is not equal to their service. Instead of a formal salary, they get a bar of soap and a modest teaching allowance from her chicken business. “These teachers serve out of regard for these despondent children.
This is truly unprecedented. They want to see the girl child empowered. Though we have existed for only a few years, thanks to these teachers, our impact on education is already great,” she says. They have mobilised people in the surrounding areas to bring their children to school. The school also has a garden where they grow maize, fruits such as avocado, pawpaw, mango, and sugarcane. Apart from being a food source, the gardens also provide shade to learners, especially during hot days. The environment is quite conducive, with a well-kept compound and grassy areas where pupils sit during breaks.
Inspiration to start the school
It all started as her garden, where she grew various food crops. As a Grade III teacher with more than 35 years in junior education, she was no longer employed in a formal school due to poor health. Feeling ineffective under the pressure of private school work, she left on her own accord. Still, she had a passion for teaching and loved having children in class. While still employed, Wanyanze in 2013 used her savings and a small loan from FINCA Uganda to buy the 200x100ft piece of land at Shs1m, where she later established Eshalo Valley Academy. She would till the land every morning. Each time she went to cultivate, young girls not attending school would gather and beg her to teach or sing for them.
“‘Madam, tuyimbiremu, madam, tusomese, tetusoma,’” meaning “Madam, sing for us, teach us, we do not go to school,” they would say. Kanyogoga is largely Muslim, and many families give away young girls for early marriage. The children’s pleas touched Wanyanze deeply and inspired her to start a school to uplift girl child education. Their cries rekindled her desire to teach. She started with 10 children and moved door to door, sensitising parents on the value of education. Parents said they had children but could not afford school fees. She responded by offering education at Shs40,000 and introduced the bartering system.
Challenges
Despite the low fee, it rarely comes on time, or at all. Non-bartering parents are supposed to pay Shs40,000, but the money is not forthcoming. Scholastic materials are a struggle. A child may use one book for all subjects all term. Rainy seasons pose challenges since classrooms are not cemented, becoming dusty or muddy. The timber used for classrooms does not reach the roof, so rain and wind easily enter. Late-coming is common, as children first fetch water, graze cattle, or do house chores, arriving as late as 9am, missing crucial morning lessons when concentration is highest.
Achievements
Among the school’s milestones is Wanyanze winning the trust of parents through door-to-door sensitisation. The barter trade system has helped many who otherwise would not afford school fees. Instead of going to market to sell maize or sweet potatoes, parents bring them to school directly. Regular meetings with parents have helped reduce lateness, which now stands at just one percent. The fact that classrooms have shifted from mud-and-wattle to timber is also a major improvement. Children no longer go hungry, thanks to the school’s maize garden, which supplies porridge. Pupils can read, write, and speak English.
Advice
She says teachers should have a work plan for the week, month, and term. Those who have not gained from teaching often lack planning or are extravagant, she adds. Everything Wanyanze has achieved, buying land, setting up a school, and building her house, has come from teaching. Her tips? Be prayerful, principled, focused, and faithful. Also be transparent with those you work with and have a dream and work toward fulfilling it.
Wanyanze’s fact file
Born on April 24, 1973, Wanyanze has more than 35 years of experience in junior education. She attended Bumumulo Primary School, Budadili Senior Secondary School (1983–1986), and Buginyanya Primary Teachers College, qualifying as a Grade III teacher in 1989. She taught at St Lawrence Kigowa Primary School (P/S) in Ntinda, Kampala (1989–1994), Green Valley P/S Nakibizi, and Benadete P/S Nakibizi (2010–2015). She started Eshalo Valley Academy in 2017.
Future
Wanyanze is optimistic that in three years, the school will reach Primary Seven. “We are moving step by step, adding one classroom each year. Expect to see storeyed buildings here shortly. The land is big enough to accommodate a full primary school; I only lack capital,” she says.
What they say
“Wanyanze is a star icon of Buikwe District. She is committed to educating the poor. Hardworking and resilient, she has transformed Kanyogoga by mobilising people to send children to school. A true role model for the girl child,” says Edrean Wajambuki, third-year student, Makerere University.
“Wanyanze is very hardworking. I was her pupil in Primary Two at St Benadet P/S in Nakibizi in 1997. She is very competent and passionate about teaching. She has set up a school in a remote area, sensitising illiterate parents on the value of education. I became headmaster two years ago. I have taught for five years in schools such as God’s Mercy P/S in Mbalwa–Namugongo and Elina Manjeri P/S in Buikwe T/C,” says Emmanuel Allan Katumba, Headmaster, Eshalo Valley Academy.
“I am one of the first parents here and have seen the school grow over three years. I am happy the school is nearby and making an impact. We are poor and often do not even pay the small fees; we sometimes manage only Shs2,000 or Shs5,000. I just pray she gets funding to improve our community,” says Swalik Mulyowa, PTA Chairman.
