How I Started a School When I Was Jobless.

As we come to the end of 2024, I will share with you lessons learnt in my 9 years experience running a rural community school in my village.  I hope it inspires your 2025 dream.

How I Started a School When I Was Jobless.

Between 2012 to 2015, I had written more than 100 job applications and had been invited for less than 10 unsuccessful interviews.

I returned to Uganda in 2012 after completing my Masters in Peace and Justice Studies at University of San Diego, (USA).

Prior to my return, I had been executively recruited and guaranteed 3 jobs which all fell through under unclear circumstances. This will make my story for another day.

I finally got a call from a former colleague for a consultancy opportunity in Amudat district.

Many of you will not know that Amudat is a district in Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, its named after its ‘chief town’ Amudat where the district headquarters is situated. It was curved out of Nakapiripirit district in 2010.

The main ethnic group in Amudat is the Pokot, a group that shares common cultures and customs with the Pokot and Kalenjin of Kenya hence located within the Karamoja sub region.

My colleague like many others knew I had an excellent education and was comptent but struggling to find a job.

Her organization had sent out calls for a consultancy but there was a clear lack of interest and those who expressed interst charged exorbitantly because of the distance and potential risk in carying out this assignment.

I was then identified and offered the assignment. I accepted the risk and also accepted to operate within their budget.

I then invited another unemployed colleague who acted as our driver and co- consultant and we were soon on a road to a destination non of us had been to nor had an idea of what to expect.

To cut this rather long story short; I used the proceeds from this consultancy to build one incomplete classroom block and founded St. Sylvester Nursery School, now with a primary section in Nwoya district.

St Sylvester Nursery School was inspired by the life of my father. My father (Ocitti Sylvester MHSRIP) was known for reading a novel by his hut as his colleagues went hunting and gardening.

He would later become the first pharmacist of Gulu Referal Hospital.

Among his contemporaries, its only in our house that I saw a library even when it had old torn books; where I first read an encyclopedia.

It’s nine (9) years since I founded a school in my village in memory of my father.

As a school, our biggest achievement has been our continued existence despite all forms of adversities like joblessness and the Covid19 pandemic.

Last Week, as we celebrated the graduation of 18 grade 3 learners to primary school; we also hosted for the first time our Member of Parliament, the Nwoya East, Hon. Geoffrey Okello.

I was reminded of the advise my former Headteacher, the late Prof. Mukiibi Lawrence of the St. Lawrence Schools told me.

I had asked him what it takes to build all the four schools then. He read my mind and said: Not Money.

At the time, I was already a teacher in the same school. I thought I understood his wisdom. I was wrong.

Today, in hindsight I now understand what he meant. It takes a deep passion for education and unrelenting determination to spend your career building other peoples career to own a school.

More often, those who start schools with a strictly business focus more often than not fail  to find success and satisfaction.

As a long term investment, schools run as a business can deliver profits if they survive what we call ‘high infant mortality rate of young organizations’.

Next year, with God’s grace,we will celebrate 10 years. I invite you to join me in celebrating this milestone in my life.

Aliker David Martin

Email address: [email protected]