(This article was first published in the New Vision on June 29, 2022)
By Mathias Mazinga
His phone buzzed as soon as he switched it on. Steven Musisi, a teacher of mathematics and chemistry at St Mary’s College, Kisubi (SMACK), had just stepped out of the studios of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) television, after delivering his first live mathematics lesson.
While some of the people who called in were in Uganda, he noticed some calls came from DR Congo, Malawi, Kenya and South Sudan. They were students calling to thank Musisi for the lesson he had delivered and asked him to clarify some of the mathematical concepts he discussed during his live television presentation.
“Owing to the overwhelming number of calls, I got the idea of starting a WhatsApp group, and then encouraged students to join so I can attend to them better,” he said.
However, Musisi later realised that he could not explain some mathematical concepts over the social messaging site. He also wanted to see the faces of these students who were contacting him from different places.
Using the money he received from UBC to meet transport costs, Musisi said he bought a zoom license so he could meet with these students online. He explained that the sh2.1m he received in transport refund from UBC over a period of eight months of delivering live television lessons allowed him to conduct extra lessons for around 500 students virtually.
“I would have between 270 and 300 students on zoom per lesson. I would send them a zoom link via WhatsApp,” Musisi added.
During his zoom and television lessons, the teacher said he encouraged learners to observe the public health measures in place to avoid contracting the virus. He also used his television lessons to assure parents that schools would be reopened and encouraged them to send their children back to school. Musisi said he also conducted classes for SMACK students from Senior Two to Six on zoom and Google classroom platforms during the lockdown.
Girls In Sciences
The lockdown only presented him with an opportunity to continue to do what he was already doing: using his limited resources to increase access to educational opportunities for learners. As the lockdown brought to the fore the vulnerability of the girls, with reports of several of them defiled and impregnated during this period, Musisi said he felt that the initiative he and his wife started to encourage girls to pursue sciences in rural areas needed their support than ever before.
When the Government lifted some of the restrictions on transport, Musisi said he visited Oguti Primary School in Tororo, Wamala High School in Mityana and Kojja Secondary School in Mukono where they are sponsoring five girls.
Under the same initiative, Musisi said he and his wife formed partnerships with other schools and community leaders to encourage learners to remain focused on education and embrace technology to continue learning during the lockdown.
Two of the schools benefiting from this partnership are Wamala High School and Kyakatebe Seed Secondary School in Mityana where they supplied 150 and 320 packets of single-use sanitary towels respectively.
After realising that many parents do not create time to talk to their children about life and skills, in 2015, Musisi started what he calls “what counts in life” sessions for students. At the time, he was teaching at King’s College, Budo, where he served as the vice-president of the school’s counselling bureau. Musisi, who still conducts these sessions at SMACK said they encourage students to work hard and prepare them for life after school. He said the sessions, which involve praying with the students and counselling them for 10 minutes before the start of a lesson, equip learners with problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
During the previous sessions, Musisi has covered topics such as the value of due diligence in life, fruits of niceness, visualisation of dreams, productive work, abstinence from sex before marriage and braving life’s fears.
“I always have about three themes per week for about 23 lessons each week. I get some of these themes from the books I read,” he said.
Musisi added that he also conducts remedial classes to give extra support to his learners.
For the past six years, Musisi has been the patron of SMACK’s anti-drugs, cigarettes and alcohol campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of drug abuse. Musisi said he holds talks with students on the dangers of drug abuse and invites counsellors to talk to them about the same.
Musisi said he takes part in games such as chess and tennis to encourage students to develop their talents. He advises fellow teachers to prepare learners for life after school by giving them both academic and soft skills.
Fact File
Born on September 22, 1990 in Tororo, Musisi attended Oguti Primary School in the same district between 1996 and 2002. He went to Rock High School in Tororo and Lunar International College, Kamuli for O’ Level and Rock High School, Tororo for A’ Level.
He graduated with a bachelor of science with education from Makerere in 2013 and started teaching at King’s College Budo in the same year. Musisi joined SMACK from Budo in 2019. He has previously taught at Gogonyo Secondary School in Pallisa and currently teaches at Kojja Secondary School in Mukono.
What Others Say
Rev. Bro. Deodat Aganyira, Smack Headteacher
Musisi is an extraordinary and committed teacher. He is humble, spiritual and has greatly helped students improve in mathematics.
Sarah Nyakabwa, Parent
Musisi goes out of his way to help students who are challenged by science subjects such as mathematics and chemistry. He also mobilises science teachers to help students. He helps students at no cost, but this comes at a fi nancial cost to him, sometimes.
Nicholas Sekitende, Student
Musisi is friendly and his approach to teaching makes classes lively. He also reads a lot and his teaching methods are interesting. He listens to us and attends to our individual concerns.
William Odoch, Head Of Sales And Marketing,
UBC The station received positive feedback about Musisi’s live television lessons during the lockdown.
Tendo Kimuli, Student
Musisi’s ‘what counts in life’ sessions have strengthened the moral foundations of the students and equipped them with knowledge and vital life skills.
