How Art Of A Child Is Addressing Low Literacy Levels In Uganda
Art of The Child mobile library/school which goes around in 5 slums to provide basic literacy, arts and numeracy skills to children who are out of school.
Susan Tusabe lives in Uganda, a country with friendly people, favorable weather and fertile soils.
She founded Art of the Child to unlock the potential, of children and youth through arts education, modern literacy skills and heritage education.
A study done by Art of A Child shows that art programs motivate children to learn and assists in improving performance in core academic subjects. For some children, art provide the force to stay in school until graduation and, for others, the inspiration to pursue college education.
Art of A Child aims to empower the youth along with community women through literacy skills, mentorship sessions and hands on skills like making of books, crafts making , baking, tailoring, recycling bottle tops and making reusable sanitary pads
A literacy and empowering session for young mothers in the slums of Kampala.
“We are addressing the challenges of low literacy levels among children and youth, a lack of a reading culture and researching skills among youth, lack of digital literacy skills, lack of hands on skills, over dependency on the family/ hereditary wealth and low levels of civic engagement by the youth.”
A recent report indicates that seven out of 10 pupils in Uganda (between Primary Three and Primary Seven) could not read an English story and do division. These disquieting figures in the literacy and numeracy levels of school-going children has been a concern in Uganda for some years now
The Art of a Child programs have been accessed by over 2,000 children and some of the children have become leaders trying to solve social problems in their communities.
It has further constructed and established an arts literacy Centre in rural Matugga, Wakiso District and which serves about 1,200 children and youth, including mothers.
Art of a Child Youth Summit in session.
Susan and her team have also launched a mobile literacy and arts facility that enables out of school children to access basic literacy, numeracy and hands on soft skills.
Want to know what motivates her with this kind of work?
We love giving hope to children and the youth. Our major motivation is to see children and the youth becoming leaders in their communities We love seeing young children and youth yearning to read, become more informed and also create their own stories. We also like and are motivated by mothers that have become more confident, independent, entrepreneurial and adopted positive parenting skills.
Young women entrepreneurs under Art of a Child program.
In the future, Susan would like to establish a vocational school and be able to graduate highly skilled youth entrepreneurs. In addition to starting a school of arts and a children’s Television to discover and promote children’s talents. To incorporate agro entrepreneurship skills and agro food systems as a way to increase food security.
Art of a Child is a team of dedicated professionals working to ensure the young people of our generation are well equipped to become change agents in their own communities. They welcome partners, well-wishers to join us in this mission. Get in touch with Susan to learn more and get involved.