These gatherings enabled residents to examine their educational aspirations in view of complex local challenges.
Through patient consultation and reflection, residents, especially mothers, faced a painful reality: for their children to advance academically, they had to leave behind the very relationships and community-building activities that nurtured their growth. Many ended up renting cramped rooms and taking on informal work, undermining both their well-being and academic performance.
“We would see their grades fall and their spirits waver,” recalls Rwinia Kaumba, one of the mothers. “But a high school is not a luxury; it is the lifeline to our children’s future.”