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RADIO TALK SHOW: #10 8^th -10-2022

 

MODERATOR:        BALONDEMU SIMON

MODERATOR: Yes like I always tell you that we hold the knowledge in ensuring that our children receive the best education, you, yourself, your brother, a random woman out there, grandparents, etc. everyone in the world has a contribution that he/she makes, I welcome you our dear listeners, to this wonderful program of ELEVATE Partners of Education whom we have worked with for a very long time and they are our financial sponsors, its 8^th September 2022, the time is 12:00 pm, we are very grateful and happy to once again be with you today like we have always been on all the previous talk shows, that we have been hosting on this radio station 90.6 Busoga One FM  Omwooyo Gwa Busoga, today is a very special day for this program because I have no guests with me in the studio so it’s just going to be me interacting directly with you our listeners on how we can boost the education of our children,  let me welcome our dear listeners from within and outside Busoga region, there are 6 districts within Busoga region and these include, Iganga, Bugweri, Luuka, Mayuge, Kaliro and Bugiri where this program of ELEVATE or POSITIVE DEVIANCE  operates, I am Balondemu Simon, the host of today’s talk show that runs from 12:00pm-1:00pm, I work with the Non-Government Organization called Global Integrated Centre located in Iganga district, we do various activities like working with youths that have just left school plus the schools themselves, by teaching them handcraft jobs or jobs that you can do with the available resources and raw materials in society, we encourage parents from within and outside Iganga to bring all their children who may have dropped out of school due to some un avoidable circumstances, like early pregnancies, lack of school fees, etc. so that we teach them these handcraft jobs, we also work in the development of health.

On the previous show, there was a lady seated in the same sit that I am occupying today, Madam Nakirya Brenda was the host of that show where she interacted with you on different issues, but she wasn’t alone but had guests like a lady, madam Taaka Penninah, a parent of Izira Baptist P/S in Bugiri district plus Mr. Kadunga Muhammed, a parent of Idudi Moslem P/S Bugweri, they shared on the theme of strengthening the parents’ role in boosting the education of our children where they told us that we need to handle our children gently, with care, encouragement, boosting their morale in order for them to attend school regularly and effectively, they went on to tell us that the issue of providing scholastic materials and requirements for our children at school is very essential like school uniform, books, pens, pencils, feeding, etc. is very important, they went ahead and told us parents not to feel sorry or hold back but all we have to do is to make sure we carry out or responsibilities plus strengthening the relationship between parents and their children when it comes to matters concerning their education as madam Taaka said, the guests went on further to advice parents to continuously on a daily basis go to schools and consult or ask the teacher on matter concerning how our children are performing in their respective classrooms, how they are behaving in terms as far as discipline is concerned simply because the children may tend to perform differently at home and at school, i.e. they may behave well at home when they are with the parent and behave badly or poorly when at school  their strengths and some of the weaknesses they face that may hinder them form improving or passing with good grades.

They also asked us (ELEVATE) to not only help in boosting the education of children alone but should also help put means in place in educating and informing parents who may not know the reasons why their children go to school about the benefits that their children will get, when they go to school and also tell them about the hardships and misery their children will face in future when they don’t go to school, tell them what they are supposed to do and what they are not supposed to do to prevent cases of child abuse as a means for them to know and also start doing what is required of them, all that information what shared in the previous show that aired on 24^th-October-2022 with madam Nakiirya Brenda Doreen the host who also works in Community Concern Initiative.

Well, on today show as I have pointed out earlier on that I am alone in the studio which means I don’t have any invited guests with me, let me remind you once again our dear listeners that I am Balondemu Simon from Global Integrated Centre, a Non-Government Organization located in Iganga district which works towards promoting various entities like education of children who are at school as Continuously remind you on every show of this nature that I get to host, plus those children that are not at school that people refer to as “out of school or dropouts” as we help teach them technical skills like hairdressing /styling. Tailoring, shoe making, catering, knitting sweaters, mechanical and appliance/electronics repairing, etc. that can be used with the available raw materials or items that are present in their communities or that are around them, so please bring those children that are within or outside Iganga in order for them to attain these skills.

So our dear listeners of today’s talk show, parents out there like mothers and fathers, my friends who are tuned in, like I pointed out in the beginning, this is a special kind of show, we have our friends that we work with in the districts that I have also mentioned which we call Partner CDOs or Partner Organizations, we take this opportunity to thank you all for the wonderful work you doing in different schools in boosting the education of our children in all those districts that we also work in, these partner organizations have made a wonderful job of reaching out to various schools, talking to head teachers, teachers, parents and providing an extra hand when it comes to help and on various occasions on this show, we have been bringing various people as guests to you, our dear listeners straight from fellow parents to the some of the top officials at district level and share with them as they also share with us how we can improve or boost the education of our children, provide remedies to pressing problems that hinder the effective education of our children, how to get development in our areas of residence, all this can be attained by ensuring our children go to school and become good service providers because development comes as a result of society having educated people who are good thinkers, who engage and create employment opportunities in our villages or communities, you saw how we suffered during the lockdown that was caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic that led to closure of schools, how everything got disorganized, so matters concerning education of our children are very important and crucial to me, to you and everybody else in society.

That’s why in most cases children start school at a very young age but we must continuously encourage and put measures or incentives in place to make them love the process since at that early stage, they don’t know and most of them think they “study for mummy or daddy”.

So today, we are going to interact with you our listeners on this special Saturday’s special show, I want to find out how “you as a parent, are you doing to help your children in their education?, you as a head teacher listening in, what are you doing to ensure your school performs better than the rest of the schools?, you as a teacher, what are you doing that different than other teachers in class when attending to your pupils?, today we are looking at the special differences that different special stakeholders put in place to ensure the boost in the education of our children in the village, the schools plus the offices that head teachers, inspectors of schools, DEOs, Commissioners and others sit in during working hours here in Busoga region, this radio station 90.6 Busoga FM Omwoyo gwa Busoga is listened to within and outside Busoga region.

So what are you doing differently as a father in a home to change or boost the education of your children, whether they are biologically your children, adopted or a guardian?, that’s what we are looking at today, how you as a teacher, you as a guardian or parent and how you, as a head a particular school or education office are adding value respectively in your village, sub-county, district and county at large in your capacity, whether you are a farmer, pastoralist, whether you have a blue collar or white collar job?, its 11 minutes past 12:00pm on this Saturday afternoon, as I said, I am alone in the studio for today’s talk show, so you’ll call in and interact with me on   0776 989 906 for MTN  and 0757 906 906 for Airtel, please call in and tell us how you are doing things differently or adding value in the education of your children in whatever capacity or office that you sit in!, but a went you go through, tell me your name, where you are from, as in your village, sub-county or district and then give us an answer on todays’ theme or question of today’s talk show.

I want to appreciate the schools that I work from in Bugweri and Iganga districts, you are doing very wonderful and big job, I send greetings to Madam Mwik Rose head teacher of Busesa Mixed school and all the teachers of that school, greetings to Mr. Katooke Samuel, head teacher of Bulyansime Primary school Bugweri district plus all your teachers, the head teacher of Nakavule Primary school Iganga, greetings also go to other districts in Busoga region as I will be mentioning you slowly as the show transpires, you have heard the lines or numbers that you can dial to reach or talk to me in the studio, we (ELEVATE), are all about boosting the education of children in Busoga region, in case you want to re-listen to these talk shows that we have been hosting, visit our websites and social media platforms  Elevate Partners for education on www.elevateeducate.org, Elevate Partners for Education on Facebook and Twitter @ elevate ed.UG under resources, you will find all our previous talk shows that we have held from the first one to the one of today, it’s now 2 years since we started work in Busoga region, so you will find everything on those platforms, whether you have a question concerning the organization, your question will be answered when you visit our website.

Lines are now open; you can call in and share with us, and let’s receive our first caller.

1^st CALLER

NO CALLER ID.: Thank you for the wonderful show, I just want to advise my fellow parents to at least ensure that they take their children to school up to P.7 or S.4 so that they can branch and take them to any tertiary institution in order for them to receive those handcraft skills because, in the Uganda of today, the people who branch off to technical or tertiary institutions are doing far better than those who continue up to university then end up being job seekers yet the people who ranched off become job creators.

MODERATOR: I just want to add that everyone has a destiny and whether the child branches off or continues, they both stand chances of being prominent and leaving good lives in the future, so we should not discredit higher institutions of learning, but thanks for calling in, even though you tell us your name and where you called in from, let’s receive our next caller.

2^nd CALLER

LUBEGA EDWARD FROM NAKAWA, BUYENDE DISTRICT: The performance has changed for the better at our school Nakawa P/S; we have tirelessly worked tooth and nail to ensure the improvement plus the pupils’ behaviors also changed for the better.

MODERATOR: What did you do differently to achieve those improvements?

LUBEGA EDWARD FROM NAKAWA, BUYENDE DISTRICT: The head teacher and his staff became, stable and firm which led to improvement.

MODERATOR: What made the head teacher and his staff become stable and firm? From your perspective, are you a teacher or a parent?

LUBEGA EDWARD FROM NAKAWA, BUYENDE DISTRICT: I am an old pupil of that particular school.

MODERATOR: So what do you think has made them start performing well?

LUBEGA EDWARD FROM NAKAWA, BUYENDE DISTRICT: The staff.

MODERATOR: Okay thank you very much Mr. Lubega for calling in, he has said that the school is performing better because of the eventual overall turn of stability of the head teacher and his staff for the better, let’s receive our next caller.

3^rd CALLER

BALEKA DAN, INLAW OF “BAISE IGAGA” IN KAMULI DISTRICT: I am just thanking for that theme, may God bless you.

MODERATOR: Amen, Mr. Baleka Dan has not talked about the theme but has just appreciated the good theme, thank you for calling in. let me just remind you that theme or question for today’s talk show is “what are you doing differently in your capacity of either a parent, a teacher or a head of a particular school in adding value or boosting the education of your child”?, remember we (ELEVATE) have a saying that “we hold the knowledge and ideas of ensuring our  children receive the best or ideal education”. We have been having a particular theme for every show that we have hosted since our inception, we have talked about behavior, we have talked about how teachers execute their duties, the school management committees like the PTA, the head teachers, we have brought for you teachers, local council leaders from our different villages that we come from, and are still bringing more people in the studio in the next shows, we looked at how children were studying during the Covid-19 lockdown period, how we can help the lower level learners simply because if we dot help those in the lower primary, then that entire generation would be a lost one, and so many other themes that we had in the studio.

This brings us to today’s theme, Based on all the themes I have just broken down, today’s theme is to tell us how and what you are doing differently to boost the education of your children in your capacity?, our goal is to make sure we elevate the status of the education sector in Busoga region and take it to another level from the one it is on currently, but I cannot change it alone, by myself, it has to be me and you, you and that immediate neighbor, it’s you and that teacher, you and the school cook, plus that woman and man at home, so, let me get our fourth caller.

4^th CALLER

SALEH FROM BUNYOLA: We parents have done or carried out our responsibilities, I personally have performed my duties and I don’t need to blow my own trumpet but you can bear witness, because we have done a very big job of helping children in terms of linking them to sponsors who are willing and ready to help them with both attaining vocational education or going until university level but the reason why most people don’t take responsibility is poverty in the village, most people in the villages claim they have nothing to sell in order to send their children to school, sometimes the parent may be able to facilitate the child at school but when the child is not interested and telling that child to go to school is a “tag of war”.

I am appreciating this radio station 90.6 Busoga One FM, Omwoyo Gwa Busoga for taking the initiative and educating the parents out there continuously, about why they need to facilitate and take their children to school, you are doing a wonderful job, if my fellow parents take the lessons seriously, we are assured of having educated children in the future, education is very crucial, now for example my children go to private schools, but they are doing a wonderful job of educating my children up to secondary level because I have personally not taken any of my children to any government aided schools. So I want to inform you that people out there that discredit private schools by saying they are not doing a good job should stop because I can bear witness that they are indeed doing very well.

MODERATOR: Mr. Saleh!

SALEH FROM BUNYOLA: Yes moderator!

MODERATOR: We have not said that one side is bad and the other is good, we are just looking at the differences that particular stakeholders in their capacity are doing to boost the education of their children, so what are you individually doing differently that the other parents are not doing to boost the education of your children?

SALEH FROM  BUNYOLA: The difference that I have done is that I have managed to get some money from this difficult economic climate and sent my children to secondary schools where I am paying school fees of above 800,000/=, it’s not a simple and easy thing to do basing on my age and my physic, yet I am paying for 2 children, in fact if you saw in person, you wouldn’t believe it, so when you get such a chance, you should proclaim yourself but be grateful to God. Teachers are also playing a very big role because there is famine at the moment but at least our children are feeding at school, thank you and please proceed with the show.

MODERATOR: Thank you Mr. Saleh from Bunyola, he is talking about the hostile economic climate which is mainly made up of famine, inflation, etc. what he is doing differently is that he is sacrificing a lot of money tom take his children to good private schools to ensure they get good education. The reason why we asking you what you are doing differently is that we want other parents to learn from you so that they can adopt one or two ways in order to also boost the education of their children as well, that is why we haven’t brought guests and panelists today in the studio, today’s talk show is a special one because it’s all about you our dear listeners out there who have always tuned it right from our first shows during the lockdown period.

5^th CALLER

KYAMBADE FROM NAWANDALA, IGANGA: I just want to thank and appreciate the Lord for enabling you, host these wonderful talk shows, May God Bless You abundantly.

MODERATOR: Okay thank you Kyambade from Nawandala.

6^th CALLER

ENGINEER FROM BULIIDA KITYERERA MAYUGE: From my point of view, what has caused the deterioration in the education of our children is the weakness of the government of Uganda which is causing the high sky rocketing dropouts.

MODERATOR: Engineer from Kityerera, Please tell us what you have done differently to ensure your children receive the best education before we blame the government of Uganda.

ENGINEER FROM BULIIDA KITYERERA MAYUGE: I am just asking the government of Uganda to increase the salaries of teachers, construct good buildings like we see in private schools and also parents to provide scholastic materials and requirements for their children to boost their education, thank you very much.

MODERATOR: Okay thank you for calling engineer, our dear listeners, allow me go for a sort commercial break of a few minutes and when we get back, we shall continue from where we have stopped.

SHORT COMMERCIAL BREAK

MODERATOR: Its true we hold the knowledge and means of ensuring our children receive the ideal or best education, welcome back form that short commercial break our dear listeners, we shall be going in for a few of those until the end of the show, now let us continue from where we had stopped, we are ELEVATE Partners for Education, so allow me to tell you that we are looking at the different things you are doing that other people aren’t doing to ensure your children receive the best or ideal education, we have noticed how the education systems have changed in our country, the current situation of our private and government schools, we have “good schools and bad schools, we have good parents and bad parents, we have children who perform well and those that perform poorly,” here in Busoga region, we are educating our children, yes, but are we doing what we are meant to do, at the required standard or effort as compared to the children in other regions?

What are you doing differently in order for your child to be called or qualified as a child who is on the required standard?, our last caller was the gentleman from Buliida who is encouraging and asking the government to increase the teachers’ salaries as an incentive to motivate them, parents are the ones who are saying these things, so what are you, in your capacity doing differently in boosting the education of your children?

7^th CALLER

MUSOKE JOHN FROM BUDUBA, LUUKA: I am appreciating and thanking you for the wonderful show, I am the chairperson of my village and I am also a master of ceremonies of functions, some female parents still think that the responsibility of educating children is for men only but I am assuring them that when it comes to responsibility, it cuts across, secondly, you need three big stones in order to cook or prepare a meal locally, these represent the parent, the child plus the teacher, so I am requesting each stone to perform its duty in order to get good results.

Parents should also first weigh themselves financially before making some decisions, because there some schools like Tororo girls where fees and school dues are too high, a parent may take his/her child to a particular school yet he isn’t financially suited for it, his/her child will be sent off because the school wants the parent to clear to zero balance when it comes to fees and school dues.

MODERATOR: Now Mr. Musoke, what have you done differently that other people are not doing in Buduba Luuka district to boost the education of your children?

MUSOKE JOHN FROM BUDUBA, LUUKA: In Buduba, as chairperson LC1, I continuously encourage, advise and motivate parents to fight tooth and nail to at least ensure that they take their children to school until they finish or graduate because most of them have the mentality and logic of taking their children to school in the lower levels and when they reach the middle of the journey, they claim they no longer have money and end up telling their children that they are lucky because “they have at least reached a certain level”. So they should fight tooth and nail to ensure their children graduate or finish and if possible, help them even acquire jobs.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much sir, for that wonderful message, send greetings to the people of Buduba for me because my roots or heritage are also from that side.

MUSOKE JOHN FROM BUDUBA, LUUKA: Your welcome sir, thank you also for taking our region to greater heights and making us proud, let me give chance to other callers as well, May God bless you

MODERATOR: Amen, May God bless you too, Mr. Musoke is saying you need three big stones to set up a local fireplace where you can prepare a meal, these rocks symbolize the child, the teacher and the parent, so we all have to play our part, lets receive the next caller.

8^th CALLER

KASOLO GEOFREY FROM WAIBUGA, LUUKA: I personally, basing on the theme of the show, what I have done differently to boost the education of my children or the children of the nation at large is, basing in the current system of education, I sacrificed and went to school myself and I am continuously going back to upgrade because when you go to school, you add value or a “brick to the nation”

MODERATOR: Mr. Kasolo, you’re upgrading and went to school but what is your job description, oh sorry, he has gone off without hearing and answering the question but thanks for calling, Mr. Kasolo has said his contribution and what he is doing differently is that he is upgrading, that is very crucial because the government gave a directive that government workers like teachers should upgrade for salary increment and better service delivery but today we are looking at what “you are doing differently in your capacity, whether you are a reverend, a sheikh, etc. to add value or boost the education of your children”

9^th CALLER

NGOBI YASON CHAIRMAN BODA BODA STAGE IN KAMULI:  We all know that learning starts from home; the problem is that most of parents think the children are not theirs but are for the government because the child learns to talk and he/she’s first words to be uttered are at home, so we should try to advise parents out there to go to school and on to what we teach them at home for a better Uganda, an educated child is like “a baked brick”, no matter how many years it spends outside, it endures sunshine, rain, even when the grass covers it, when it is finally picked up can be used for its intended purpose, thank you very much.

MODERATOR: Thank you Mr. Yason from Kamuli who is also a chairman of a particular boda boda stage, for that wonderful message, we are still going on with our theme of “how and what you are doing differently that your neighbor is not doing to boot the education of your children in your village and community”. We say that we hold the knowledge and ideas in ensuring our children receive the best or ideal education, every time I sit in this studio’s chair that you listeners can’t see, I always tell you that the knowledge is within all of us, let me get the next caller.

10^th CALLER

MBEKU FROM NAWANSASO: I am just appreciating you for the wonderful show; please regularly send greetings to us from this area because we are always tuned in.

MODERATOR: Okay thank you for calling.

11^th CALLER

KAKAIRE RONALD FROM KIGANDALO MAYUGE: Now basing on today’s program, I am appreciating you for the wonderful show but in my community, our school had declined because of our head teacher.

MODERATOR: What had he done?

KAKAIRE RONALD FROM KIGANDALO MAYUGE: But I just want to thank my fellow parents because we worked together as a team and ensured that we got a good replacement, our school was very strong and good but when that head teacher was brought, everything turned upside down.

MODERATOR: We are not reporting people and talking about their shortcomings but what are we doing differently to ensure our children receive the best education?

KATO RONALD FROM KIGANDALO MAYUGE: Yes, that’s what we did as parents on today’s theme of the talk show, what we did differently is we rose up and got rid of a head teacher who was not ensuring our children get good grades and got one who is trying to revive the status of the school, Mr. Moderator, anything that concerns the education of our children from my perspective has to be given serious attention, because we have seen how people are suffering in this world simply because they didn’t go to school.

My last message is that this program that you hot is one of my favorites because it tackles and talks about matters concerning the education of our children, you have my full support and attention so please go ahead and encourage fellow parents to do the needful. Another thing is, my dear parents of Bweza, we should not abandon and neglect our dear new head teacher that was given to us as a replacement for the other one, but let’s give her support, let’s provide the requirements, etc. because we fought hard to get a replacement and our prayers and efforts were rewarded.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much Mr. Kato Ronald from Kigandalo, Mayuge district, okay let’s get our next caller.

12^th CALLER

ABUDALA MUNYANSI FROM MUTUMBA NAMAYINGO: You have been asking people what they are doing differently to boost the education of their children, in Namayingo district; the standard of education has been poor over the years, even last year, but we worked together as a community and set up a secondary school, the government gave us a helping hand and made it a seed school during the launch that transpired in the last year.

MODERATOR: All these were efforts of the parents.

ABUDALA MUNYANSI FROM NAMAYINGO: Yes, we worked together for a good cause and came up with a secondary school; the standard of education was very poor but now when you reach Mutumba, education is at least going better, because back then you would look for a senior four student in Mutumba, and you wouldn’t find any, but now, they are present, so that’s the difference we made to boost the education of our children.

MODERATOR: That’s a very big and important difference that you made, send greetings to all the parents that were part of that initiative, thank you very much for calling in and for that inspiring contribution to today’s talk show.

13^th CALLER

KALALI PAUL “LEADER OF THE ALBINOS” FROM KAMULI DISTRICT: From the question you have asked or today’s theme, I use my office or the authority that was given to me to me by visiting all families that have gotten an albino child (namagoye or abeelu) since we are considered among the disabled group and try to encourage, ask and motivate them to take their children to school and attend to them as they do to the other children who are not albinos with the message that “disability is not inability”, because in Kamuli district, we are very few albinos who at least studied up to S.4 level, so I make sure I get statistics of other districts and regions who have albinos in prominent offices like a certain albino fisherman in Mayuge district who is living well because he went to school as a means to motivate the parents to take their children to school in order for them to benefit and enjoy “the fruits of education” plus also change people’s negative attitudes towards albinos because if one person needs a service in a particular office  occupied by an albino, that particular person’s attitude will change.

So we work together with some Non-Government Organizations who help in spreading the gospel and changing people’s attitudes about seeing albinos like they are abominations but normal children, who only lack the black pigment of the skin called “melanin”, and in the end take their children and facilitate them at school.

MODERATOR:  I thank you so much sir for calling and the wonderful contribution you are adding to ensure that albino children in your region receive the same opportunities with the children who are not albinos when it comes to education, I have indeed appreciated and commend you for the good work you are doing to try and change people and parents’ beliefs who have albino children and also those who have children with disabilities and putting them on the right path.

It’s just that we cannot mention every prominent person with disabilities who is in a prominent office simply because he/she went to school but all albinos; our previous caller is a leader of that particular group of people, so I am also adding my voice on top of Mr. Kaloli’s and requesting all parents who have given birth to albino children or with any other disability to please take that child to school, take that child to a Non-Government Organization that’s willing to help a particular group of people that your child falls under. Let’s get our next caller.

13^th CALLER

OCHIENG FROM KABUKYI, MAYUGE: Let me first appreciate you for the wonderful show, you host a very wonderful show because its known that when you educate a child, he/she is assured to make it in life because education has the highest value followed by land in the whole world, so from my perspective, if you are to educate your child well so that you can also benefit from that child, we need to have very good and sympathetic head teachers at school, if we have someone who is capable of leading our teachers well, and one who can lead parents equally well, where there is always assurance of good negotiations and understanding when it comes to meetings about resolutions of about issues of children feeding at school.

MODERATOR: Sir, those people are present in schools because the one who heads and leads the teachers is called the head teacher.

OCHIENG FROM KABUKYI , MAYUGE: What about the one who leads and heads the parents?

MODERATOR: That one is called the chairman PTA plus the Chairperson SMC.

OCHIENG FROM KABUKYI, MAYUGE: Thank you very much, so if that person of the PTA could be patriotic and have love for his/her nation through ensuring that the food that children feed on doesn’t get used up in the store, he/she constantly visit and interact with the teachers on a daily basis to find out what is transpiring at the school on behalf of the parents, but you find people who were assigned that responsibility but spend even 1-2 months without visiting the school.

MODERATOR: So what are you doing differently in that region of Kabukyi?

OCHIENG FROM KABUKYI, MAYUGE: Thank you for that wonderful question, we are trying so much to ensure that different teachers of the schools of our region can work together and have that bond despite the fact they teach in a different school, this bond helps because if misfortune strikes and a child of a particular school get an accident in the presence of a teacher of a different school, that teacher will take the initiative to help, but without that bond, that teacher will not do anything to help that particular child.

As I conclude, a parent needs to take the initiative to ask his/her child what he/she wants to study or become in the future because you may take the child to school and may wish to take him to A level and study something different yet he/she wants to study mechanical engineering, so parents should not force or impose onto course that their children don’t want to pursue, you may force your child to be a nurse but yet in actual he/she didn’t want to be, those are nurses who don’t attend to patients effectively in the future and end up causing problems, thank you bye.

MODERATOR: Thank you for calling; Mr. Ochieng from Kabukyi, let’s go for another short commercial break of about half of a minute, stay tuned.

SHORT COMMERCIAL BREAK

MODERATOR: Okay, welcome back from that short commercial break, thank you for staying tuned  to 90.6 Busoga One FM, Omwoyo Gwa Busoga, let us proceed with our talk show on the theme where we are asking, “What are you doing differently in your capacity to add value in boosting the education of your children?”.

As we proceed, I am only left with a few minutes until the end of the show, but I want to continue interacting with all my dear listeners that are out there, I know you are many because you call in and assure us in different regions of Busoga that many people are always tuned in to 90.6 Busoga One FM Omwoyo Gwa Busoga. Let me receive our next caller

14^th CALLER

WAISWA CHARLES FROM BUKUTULA KAGULU: The difference that I have made or put in place to boost the education of my children is that in Bukutula, there was no primary school, when I realized that there was no school, I myself set up a primary school on a private basis which is fully operational.

MODERATOR: Wow, that’s really wonderful.

WAISWA CHARLES FROM BUKUTULA KAGULU: To me, at least I think that something I did differently to add on the value or to ensure children receive education and I didn’t stop there but also there was a child who was bright and she qualified to do a teaching course, so i helped and took her for further studies.

MODERATOR: Thank you Mr. Waiswa Charles from Bukutula in Kagulu for calling in and also making such a difference of setting up a primary school in your region, went ahead and helped someone pursue a teaching course.

15^th CALLER

DAN FROM BUKENDI LUUKA: I am just appreciating you for the wonderful show.

MODERATOR: Mr. Dan, what have you done that has made a difference in the education of your children? Dan has gone off but I am sending greetings to all people of Luuka district and  those in an area called the “network” led by Mr. Mukisa Geofrey, you are very powerful people.

16^th CALLER

MAKYOLE ALEX FROM BUVUMA:  I am appreciating you for the wonderful show, May God Bless you.

MODERATOR: Mr. Alex, what have you done differently in Buvuma to ensure children receive the best education, Mr. Alex has gone off without answering the question but he has appreciated us for the wonderful talk show.

17^th CALLER

COUNCILOR OF (PWDs) MUTASA FROM JINJA: there are several examples of people with disabilities like Fazira Kirunda and his sister, the head teacher of Namulesa P/S who is partially blind, there is another school in Buwenge Town Council boarding P/S which has a head teacher who is also partially blind,  these people were educated and are now in prominent places, offices and positions, there was a girl child who was an albino and was going to drown because people didn’t see any future or use for her but she is now in a good position.

So I am requesting and advising my fellow parents out there to take their children with disabilities to school because I have some of them working in my office but the truth is that once you give these people with disabilities a chance, they work so hard that they even tend to be more efficient than the ones without disabilities, they don’t steal from work, are always careful because they don’t want to make mistakes, May God Bless you.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much councilor Mutasa from Jinja, you calling in and bearing witness has really given or added weight to today’s talk show’s sub theme of the need to educate the people with disabilities, Mzee Mutasa himself is a person with a disability, he has been a councilor of that particular group of people for a relatively long time, making a difference is what we are talking about, you may find a child who is out there with a disability but when he/she has the ability or capability but he/she may be left out simply because of society negative attitude towards the PWDs yet if given a chance to attain an education, the child in the future would benefit his household, his village and the nation at large.

I am left with a few minutes, so let me receive 2 more callers before I end the show.

18^th CALLER

BAGAGA YAKUBU FROM BUGIRI DISTRICT: We have to work together to ensure we all make a difference as the theme has stated in our different capacities.

MODERATOR: Which individual difference have you personally made Mr. Bagaga?

BAGAGA YAKUBU FROM BUGIRI DISTRICT: I have encouraged and paid school fees for my children as well regularly visiting their particular schools to interact and find out from their teachers about matters concerning their discipline and performances, and get solutions to the problems for the betterment and assurance when it comes to their excellence in performance, thank you for the wonderful show, may God Bless you.

MODERATOR: Amen, thank you Mr. Yakubu for providing time to visit your children at school and paying their school dues, you the parent who is listening in, when did you last visit or check on your children in their respective schools, even though they are day scholars, when did you last visit and talk to their teachers concerning their discipline and performances? let me receive the last caller.

I have failed to get one more caller may be because of poor network, so due to the interest of time, let me close the lines and conclude in the last few minutes that I have today’s talk show. As I conclude I want all the listeners out there to think about it, I have gotten so many callers that I have never had since the beginning of the show, I have received a call from Mr. Mutasa, a prominent person in Jinja district which gives me good feedback that prominent people listen to this talk show, I am appreciating all our dear listeners who have called into the show from in, and out of Busoga region, even you, who hasn’t been able to call in but has tuned in and have been listening in from the start of the show, let’s stay with this “food for thought” like the English man calls it, as we ensure to put a difference in our capacities to boost the education of our children.

I am appreciating all those that are always tuned into Busoga One 90.6 FM, Omwoyo Gwa Busoga every time they switch on their radios; there is a certain woman who stays across the Nile called Madam Diana Balondemu Winfred from Naminya plus your whole family, I once again appreciate and send greetings to you and thank you for always being tuned into this radio station, I am appreciating Bakari Makataba, a motorcyclist (boda boda rider) who is always tuned in as well with your colleagues at the boda boda stage stage in Iganga opposite Iganga municipal council offices, appreciations go to madam Damali from Luuka district in Kiyunga where the headquarters of the Organization are located and madan Seline Nankwanga, madam Brenda, those from Kaliro, Edward, Sarah and Ibanda, greetings to all those that we work with, let’s keep working together tirelessly and not get tired.

I am appreciating ELEVATE the Partners for Education and our friends from Japan who financially sponsor us so that this program can be carried out swiftly and well, you have been very good listeners from the time we started to the time we are closing the show.

I am Balondemu Simon, I wish you all well, we shall meet again on 22^nd-October-2022 to have a talk show of this kind brought to you by ELEVATE.

GOOD BYE