Peace's Journey from The Mines to School in Karamoja
A shot of a learner at one of the mobile learning centres
Sixteen-year-old Peace (Not real names) stands in her old Croc slides in the dusty compound of the Utut mobile school. She wears a smile that often fades quickly, as if she's lost in deep thought. Around her, other children, some younger and a few older, shuffle in and out of class. When I sit down with her and ask what her dream is, she says she wants to become a nurse.
“I want to complete school and help my family and others like the nurses at the health centre do,” she says softly, eyes bright with determination. “I, however, do not know if I will be able to finish school to become a nurse.”
Just months ago, in January, Peace’s days were spent at the gold mines. She sifted heaps of soil searching for tiny glimmers of gold. On a good day, she earned 5,000 shillings, barely enough to buy food. Her parents, worn out by years of mining, relied on her to help put food on the table.
Utut Mobile learning centre that was established in Nakapiripirit district
With a mobile school in her community and rigorous community sensitisation about the dangers of child labour, Peace seized the chance she had long yearned for to return to school despite her parents' hesitation.
She convinced her mother that she would still provide for the family. She once attended mainstream school but had to drop out due to a lack of school fees and the pressure to work in the mines.
It is not uncommon for children like Peace and even younger to be engaged in child labour. An estimated 10,000 children are involved in mining across the Karamoja subregion, 58% of them girls.
Despite having another chance at education, the journey remains difficult. Hunger is a silent torture, no meals are provided at school, and at home, the only meal she can rely on comes late in the evening, if she can manage to provide it.
Her routine until recently was attending classes until 1 pm before rushing back to the mines in an attempt to earn a meal for the day. “We close early because most of us are too hungry to focus.” she says.
The mines she worked in, however, were temporarily shut by the government, citing higher numbers and concerns about hygiene. Peace now has to find casual work after school to try and provide her family with a day’s meal.
Peace feels there is too much burden on her to support the family of five since her mother and father are suffering from severe back pain after long days of mining. She worries that this hinders her resolve to stay at school.
As Peace faces the harsh realities of hunger and family duties, the burden of her dreams becomes both her motivation to stay in school and a heavy weight, leading her to deep reflection. How can she concentrate on her studies when each day is a battle for survival?
Peace’s journey is just one of many, echoing the collective struggle of 304 children, so far who have found a path from mines to school
From Mines to School providing a new path for Karamoja’s Children
Funded by the EU through Oxfam Ireland, the “from mines to school” project is implemented by Oxfam in Uganda, in partnership with Education Advocacy Network (EAN) and Resource Rights Africa (RRA). The initiative aims to get children out of hazardous labour in the gold mining districts of Moroto, Nakapiripirit, and Amudat into accelerated learning..
The Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) condenses the primary curriculum into three levels, encompassing Level 1, which covers Primary 2 and 3, Level 2, which covers Primary 4 and 5, and Level 3, which covers Primary 6 and 7.
The goal of these schools is to help learners like Peace, who have missed time in school, catch up and sit their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in record time. Peace is in primary five.
Dengen Moses (22 years) is attending lessons at Naror mobile learning centre
By early 2025, the project had successfully established six Accelerated Education Program (AEP) mobile schools in some of the region’s most challenging-to-reach mining areas, including Naror and Utut in Nakapiripirit, Kokwochaya and Nagwoliet in Amudat, and Napedo and Akwapua in Moroto.
As schools opened, parents demanded that younger siblings be enrolled too, insisting they wouldn’t send older children otherwise. Driven by compassion, teachers accepted these younger learners, but this has stretched resources and placed a heavy toll on staff. Teachers now juggle formal lessons for older learners while keeping the younger ones engaged, often in separate tents or at different times of the day.
Teachers on the Frontline
At the heart of these mobile schools are dedicated teachers who go beyond their call of duty. The 24 teachers powering these mobile schools were selected through public advertisement and rigorous interviews involving District Education Officers. Before deployment, they are supposed to be trained in AEP methods and continue to receive professional development.
Adome Mary, a teacher, speaking to learners at Utut mobile school in Karamoja subregion
Teachers like Adome Mary, an English teacher at Naror mobile learning centre, go above and beyond, walking several kilometres and using part of their modest salaries to fund their own studies in early childhood development.
Facilities, too, are stretched. Some mobile schools lack toilets, forcing children to run home mid-lesson, a disruption and a health risk. Teachers often rent rooms miles away, as housing near mining areas is too expensive.
Community Structures Driving Change. CCLCs, Puppeteers, and Local Leaders
Driving the mission to keep children in school are the Community Child Labour Committees (CCLCs). These volunteers mobilise, monitor child labour cases, and advocate for children.
Despite facing threats and resistance, some parents angrily demand that CCLCs stop convincing their children to leave the mines, but they persist.
Kakomongole puppet theatre group use drama in form of puppet shows to mobilise parents and children to return to school from the mines.
Complementing them are puppeteer groups, some of them miners turned storytellers, who use drama to engage communities on child labour, the importance of education, and child rights.
“We plan our shows from what we hear at meetings, from the CCLCs, and also from the issues we see in the communities,” says Lodim Patrick, one of the puppeteers from Katikekile.
“Their performances, often held near mining sites, draw large crowds and spark community conversations that shift attitudes. “More parents have been sending their children to school. “That’s what keeps us going,” Patrick adds.”
Crucially, district and sub-county leaders like the Sub-County Chiefs have championed the cause to send children to school, helping to identify sites for mobile schools and guiding community mobilisation.
Leaders like Okong Benson, Subcounty Chief of Kakomongole, speak proudly of the partnership. “This project shows what’s possible when communities and government work together. We see change happening. Now, our challenge is to make sure it lasts,” he says. He states they are committed to the project, including monitoring it.
Building Family Resilience to Keep Children in School
Recognising that poverty drives child labour, the project also supports parents. Over 260 vulnerable parents and guardians have formed groups and supported in the selection of enterprises or income-generating activities including poultry farming, beadwork, and other initiatives.
These enterprises aim to reduce families’ reliance on child labour by offering viable alternatives. While these businesses have yet to begin, the communities and children, like Mercy, are anticipating the change this initiative will bring.
Facing Challenges Together
The project’s biggest obstacle remains the absence of meals at school. Hunger causes children to miss classes, leads to early closures, and affects their concentration. Mercy and many others dream of uniforms, not just for dignity but to help children feel like they belong at a proper school.
ASH facilities are urgently needed. Without toilets and clean water, children risk disease outbreaks, and their dignity suffers.
A Future Beyond the Mines
Despite these challenges, Peace and other learners, such as Dengel, Kurop, and James, continue to hold on to their dreams of one day lifting their families out of poverty.
Dengen Moses (22 years) is a learner at Naror mobile learning centre, raises hands to ask questions in class
Dengel Moses, 22, is the only Primary seven candidate at Naror Mobile School. Dengen dropped out of school years ago to support his widowed mother through farming and odd jobs. Now, with textbooks in hand, he hopes for a second chance.
“I should be done with school by now. But I’m grateful. I believe education will help lift us out of poverty,” he says. Despite Dengen’s determination, he has missed his PLE registration due to a lack of registration money. Due to his age, Dengen will be referred to a mainstream school, where he will hopefully sit his P.L.E.
Younger learners like Koron Nayep, used to spend their days helping with charcoal burning and collecting thorns for market sale. Now, Koron hopes to become a teacher. “I admire my teachers, they know so much and help us. I want to be like them,” she says.
James (Not real names), 13, hopes to become president someday. Once a gold miner, he now goes to school after a teacher’s home visit persuaded his parents. His younger sibling has also joined the mobile school.
By Dorah Ntunga - Media and Communications Coordinator, Oxfam in Uganda