The Nile Explorer Bus Teaches Skills for Business Opportunities to Empower Students in Rural Parts of Northern Uganda

AMOLATAR – The Nile Explorer Bus, an initiative by the U.S Embassy in Uganda implemented by Open Space Center to bring educational opportunities on Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) and accurate health messages to young people in underserved communities, has recently completed its route to Northern Uganda – taking skilling opportunities to students there. During these bus stops, the Nile Explorer visited Gulu Crested Crane High School and Gulu College School in Gulu, before later proceeding to Agwingiri Girls’ Senior Secondary School and Alemere Comprehensive Secondary School.in Amolatar.

According to the Preliminary Results of the 2020 Uganda Population HIV Impact Assessment Showing Progress in Controlling the Epidemic, the HIV prevalence by region revealed that the magnitude of HIV prevalence – although varying considerably across the 11 geographic regions in the survey – registered a staggering 7.6 percent in the Mid-North region compared to the rest that stood at 6.3 percent in South Western region; 6.2 percent in Central 2 (Greater Mubende, Luwero and Mukono) region; 6.0 percent in Kampala; 5.5 percent in Mid-Western region; 4.5 percent East Central (or Busoga region); 4.2 percent in North East (Teso) region and Mid-Eastern region; 2.8 percent in West-Nile region: and finally 2.1 percent in North East (Karamoja) region.

The trainers of the Nile Explorer Bus, therefore, set out to engaged the students in activities like making reusable sanitary pads, making liquid soap, also in Smart Agriculture. These activities were meant to ensure the students obtain skills that can help sustain them enough to prevent them from making choices that will expose them to HIV/AIDS.

PHOTO: Students Alemere Comprehensive Secondary School making re-usable sanitary pads (left), and making liquid soap (right).

Richard Ocen, a teacher of Art & Design – also the Deputy in Charge Academics, and consequently, the Patron of the STEM & Health Club – at Agwingiri Girls’ Secondary School, in addition to appreciating the trainings of the Nile Explorer Bus, illuminated the significance, importance, and benefits that the students could get from the exposure.

“When you look at this place, it is a very poor society, and our children here can not afford sanitary pads. You then find them looking for men who can sponsor them or even dropping out of school because they don’t have,” he explained. “So these trainings help them a lot and as patron, I am committing to supporting the club here at school.”

“I also admired the liquid soap making session, which is going to be beneficial to the school especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic and the enforcement of SOPs. Both the school and the community need the soap,” Ocen added.

PHOTO: Richard Ocen, Patron of the STEM & Health Club at Agwingiri Girls’ S.S.S, clearing the area for the garden set up for the Smart Agriculture Session of the Nile Explorer Bus.

The bus session on Smart Agriculture taught the students how to grow plants including vegetables and herbs in both plastic bottles and bags. 

“Plastic is the one thing that is very harmful if thrown away just like that. It doesn’t have the decomposing quality which is why it stays mixed with the soil, affecting the ecological system,” explained the trainer.

“Plastic has to be reused, in whatever forms or shape. So here we are reusing plastic bottles as plant holders. If you make some holes at the bottom, for the water to drain out properly, and for the soil to get some breeze, then there should be no problem at all,” he added.

PHOTO: A display of the plastic bottles that the students used to plant vegetables and herbs.

Patience Alara, a senior three student at Agwingiri Girls’ S.S. said she gained a lot from the training, learning skills she never had before, but now can use to start a small business in Amolatar.

“I learned how to make pads, liquid soap, and smart agriculture. I am planning to start a liquid soap project, and to start making pads for my fellow girls out there,” Alara promised.

“These students have learned a lot from this training. I will make the club active at school and will implement whatever they have learned. We shall organize a Health Day here at school where these ambassadors will teach others because knowledge is power,” he said. “Even as they have learned about HIV/AIDS, I will ensure that all of the students go and carry out tests, after which I will counsel them.”

From each school, a total of about 30 students were selected as the sample number to take part in the Nile Explorer Bus’ activities and sessions. These students then move on to create clubs in their schools open to all students, which then become a platform for them to be ambassadors of the trainings.

“Out of these 30 students that we have selected to participate, we considered classes senior one to four, and these students are also representative of all the sub-counties within Amolatar district. This is so that after the training, they can be ambassadors in the community that they have left behind,” Ocen explained.

PHOTO: Students of Agwingiri Girls rejoicing after receiving their Certificates of Participation on the Nile Explorer Bus.