A pledge for girls’ education in Karamoja

"We want to stay in school, finish our studies, and build better lives. A safe place to sleep helps us focus on our future."

These words, spoken by girls at Kasimeri Primary School in Moroto District, carried a clarity and determination that was impossible to ignore.

When Hon. Neale Richmond, Ireland's Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, visited the school on 20 February 2026, it was their voices, alongside the visible strain of a dormitory stretched far beyond its capacity, that moved him to act.

He pledged to fund the construction of a new dormitory, a direct and practical response to a simple but urgent truth: when girls have a safe and dignified place to live, they are far more likely to stay in school.

"Every girl deserves a safe place to stay in school and build her future," the Minister said.

That pledge did not emerge in isolation. It builds on over two decades of partnership between the Government of Uganda, UNICEF, and the Government of Ireland to strengthen education systems in Karamoja, one of Uganda's most historically marginalised regions. 

The work has been steady and systemic, shaping policy, improving infrastructure and equipping teachers, all in pursuit of a clear goal: by 2027, every child aged 3 to 19 in Karamoja should achieve age-appropriate learning outcomes.

Kasimeri Primary School is a strong example of that progress. Established in 1965, the school now serves 2,117 pupils, including 1,061 girls, 1,056 boys and 94 children with disabilities, supported by 41 teachers.

The dormitory operating beyond capacity has enabled more girls than ever to remain in school, supported by stronger child protection systems and the integration of re-entry guidelines into national policy.

As Minister Richmond moved through the school, the results of long-term investment were visible. New classroom blocks, funded by Ireland through UNICEF, have helped ease the overcrowding that intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic merged two cohorts into Primary One.

Inside a Primary Four classroom, he observed a lesson led by Safia Maua, a senior teacher recognised through the Embassy of Ireland's Teachers Making a Difference Award. Her teaching reflected a broader shift taking place across the system. Through national teacher training programmes supported by the Ministry of Education and Sports and UNICEF, educators are using improved approaches to teach foundational literacy and assess learning more effectively.

"The training changed how I teach. Now I can see the difference in my pupils. They read with more confidence, they participate more, and they are understanding lessons in ways they struggled with before," Safia said.

What the Minister witnessed was not simply one exceptional teacher. It was a system beginning to deliver results at scale.

The visit also revealed how education at Kasimeri reaches beyond the academic. Primary Two pupils sang the Irish national anthem, creating a warm moment of connection between the two countries. The school's WASH club demonstrated their soap making enterprise, showing how practical life skills are being woven into everyday learning and helping to prepare pupils for life beyond the classroom.

Fo over 21 years, Ireland's support through UNICEF and the Government of Uganda has contributed to an increase in Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) in primary from 6 per cent to 89.7 per cent and helped transform schools like Kasimeri into places where girls choose to stay, teachers are empowered to teach, and communities increasingly see education as a pathway to opportunity.

The promise of a new dormitory strengthens that progress, ensuring that more girls in Karamoja can continue their education without interruption, and that the ambitions they expressed so clearly can become a reality.