(This article was first published in the New Vision on March 23, 2022)
By Moses Bikala
If you have ever been to Butaleja district, you have probably heard of Benah Siminyu. She is the headteacher of Mugulu High School in Busolwe town council.
She is hailed for empowering parents with income-generating skills.
When she was transferred to Mugulu High School in 2018, Siminyu was met with a high dropout rate of students. The school that has the capacity of 2,000 students, only had 50. She learnt that boys dropped out for petty jobs, while girls were victims of teenage pregnancies or early marriages.
“Some of the girls were being married off to bodaboda cyclists at only sh20,000,” she said.
She said some girls were also dropping out of school because parents could not afford buying for them sanitary pads.
After realising that most homesteads were poor, she started a programme of skilling women in making liquid soap, to earn an income. She started Mugulu Women’s Association that would meet under a tree at the school, thrice a week. The association has 2,500 members.
In 2018, Siminyu also convinced a group of former workmates to donate sanitary pads to disadvantaged students.
Using her resources, Siminyu also buys school uniforms and sanitary pads for girls, which helps increase the number of girls in the school. On average, Siminyu buys 100 uniforms and 10 boxes of sanitary pads for girls every school term.
Her efforts started paying off in 2018, when the school had registered 318 learners and three-quarters of them were girls. The chairperson of the board of governors, Dauson Gessa, said Siminyu always consults stakeholders before taking decisions.
“She is transparent in whatever she does, leaving all people satisfied,” he said.
Gessa said Siminyu utilised the available resources to keep the environment clean, motivate staff and carry out maintenance on the buildings.
Paying Off School Debt
When Siminyu took up office, Mugulu High School was choking on debt, which included salary arrears amounting to sh5.3m and sh2.4m owed to suppliers of stationery and food.
Using the Universal Secondary Education funding, she embarked on clearing all debts, which she achieved within four months. Among the strategies she employed to, was to put off any trips and halted suppliers from making any more deliveries for items, like stationery, until the debt was paid off.
Motivating Staff
To motivate staff, Siminyu introduced an allowance of sh5,000 for every teacher for every lesson conducted outside working hours and weekends. She also ensured that teachers who were not on the payroll received their salaries promptly.
Teachers’ salaries were increased from sh150,000 to sh200,000 within the first two months upon taking office. She convened a parents’ meeting and urged them to each contribute sh12,000 for teachers not on the payroll.
Siminyu always prepares special meals for teachers every Friday, consisting rice and chicken.
She also offered staff a portion of the school land to grow crops for their families.
Community, Security
To maintain good relations with the community, Siminyu has offered residents land for farming and buys scholastic materials for needy families. To ensure students stay in school during class hours, she negotiated with the board of governors to cut down some of the trees in the compound that generated sh7.2m, which was used to fence off the premises.
Covid-19 Interventions
During the lockdown, Siminyu hired 46 youth from different villages to deliver holiday study materials to students using bicycles.
She also sent text messages to parents and students, encouraging them to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Siminyu worked with the district administration to hold a three-day vaccination camp at the school early this year, where 2,450 people received doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
In a bid to encourage girls who conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, Siminyu has offered scholastic materials to enable them return to school.
Six girls who gave birth during the lockdown have returned to school and are benefiting from the initiative. She also spares time to counsel the girls.
Activities
Siminyu bought jerseys and balls for the netball and football teams using the Universal Secondary Education funds to enable them participate in competitive games in and outside the district.
To boost the morale of the players, Siminyu buys glucose and bottled water for them, using her resources.
The school netball team has won the district championships thrice and they represented Butaleja district in the national championships, where they emerged winners.
Improving Performance
Siminyu offered sh15,000 to teachers for every distinction at O’level and sh1m to any student who scored first division. In 2019, the school got its first division at O’level. Siminyu has since been paying tuition for excellent learners to attend schools in Kampala at A’level.
She uses part of her salary to achieve this and has so far for paid for 10 students. She is currently sponsoring three students.
Plans
Siminyu intends to lobby for funding from parents to construct staff quarters to ensure teachers can conduct evening lessons and reduce on late arrivals. She also plans to construct a dormitory to accommodate students in candidate classes.
Others Speak
Christine Akol, district education officer: Siminyu is hardworking and has transformed Mugulu High School into an academic and sports giant in the region. She effectively and properly utilises funds allocated to the school.
Michael Higenyi, Butaleja LC5 chairperson: I urge other headteachers to emulate Siminyu by being devoted while on duty and ensure better results. The district is ready to offer support to the school, to ensure it continues providing quality education to students.
Apollo Webale, Butaleja Resident District Commissioner: She has gone a step ahead to teach women how to make liquid soap and do tailoring, to enable them earn a living.
Patrick Hiiha, LC1 chairperson of Mugulu village: Siminyu is a hardworking and generous woman with a heart for girls. She also empowers families in the district by offering them chickens.
Fact File
- Siminyu was born on January 28, 1978 and attended Kizimba Primary School in Luwero and Tororo Girls School for O’level and A’level, respectively.
- She joined Makerere University from 1999 to 2002 for a bachelor’s degree in education.
- Siminyu served as the headteacher at Kirinya Church of Uganda Secondary School from 2009 to 2014 and 3R Secondary School in Buikwe, before her transfer to Mugulu High School in 2018.
- She is married, and has three children.
