The Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development is considering scaling the Home Learning Centre (HLC) model, currently implemented by Literacy and Adult Basic Education (LABE)—an indigenous NGO—into a nationwide program.
Under the HLC model, LABE uses innovative methods to engage children by incorporating locally made play materials into their teaching. Materials such as clay dolls, cubes, and handcrafted pottery are used to create an interactive and enjoyable learning experience. LABE also provides training to parents on how to make these materials, ensuring that children remain interested and motivated to learn through the early childhood development (ECD) phase of their lives.
This innovation addresses the high cost of setting up early learning centres, aiming to enable children from underserved communities to benefit from this crucial learning stage in every child’s development.
During a series of field visits to project sites in Northern Uganda and West Nile, Everest Tumwesigye, Commissioner for Community Development and Literacy in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said, “I am particularly impressed by the Terego District Education Officer (DEO), who has transformed his home into a Home Learning Centre to support ECD and home-based learning. This demonstrates that our goals are already integrated into the budget. With forthcoming Government of Uganda Development Funding, we plan to scale these interventions nationally. We envision turning LABE’s Home Learning Centres into model centers, which will expand into a nationwide program.”
These field visits precede International Literacy Day—celebrated on September 8 each year—and follow an MoU signed between LABE and the Ministry on May 30, 2024, to establish a collaborative framework to enhance LABE’s initiatives in responsive caregiving, preschool learning, livelihood literacies, and parenting skills development within home-based learning environments.
The MoU has already been implemented, with significant progress in West Nile, particularly in the Koboko, Terego, and Obongi districts.
LABE’s Stellah Tumwebaze remarked, “We are eager to expand to additional sub-counties within each district, including Obongi, Terego, and Koboko. However, our immediate focus is to strengthen the impact in our current areas to ensure a solid foundation before considering broader expansion. We don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we expand but under-deliver in some sub-counties.”
The Ministry of Gender further expressed its enthusiasm for renewing its partnership with LABE, reaffirming its commitment to making adult basic education and early childhood development accessible to all Ugandans.
Founded in 1989, LABE aims to address the need for sustainable literacy skills, which are essential for equitable grassroots development and a way out of poverty.
