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Uganda celebrates International Literacy Day 2023
Uganda joined the global community in commemorating International Literacy Day with a series of events and initiatives aimed at promoting literacy and life-long learning opportunities for all. This annual observance serves as a stark reminder of the importance of literacy in fostering social economic inclusion among all citizens of the world. The theme for this year's International Literacy Day across the globe was "Promoting Literacy for a world in transition: Building a foundation for peaceful sustainable society.”
The event in Uganda provided a platform to reflect on the progress made in recent years, but also highlighted the work that remains to be done. It was organized to underscore the significance of lifelong learning by highlighting the relevance of both formal and informal education, as well as fostering discussions on the promotion of inclusive, and innovative literacy programming approaches and strategies. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development are responsible for rolling out literacy programmes in Uganda. Other stakeholders including Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Service Organizations (CSOs) work closely with the government to provide complementary learning opportunities aimed at improving literacy rates and access to quality education across the country.
Hon. Minister of State for Youth and Children’s Affairs, Hon. Sarah Mateke, opened the events of the Literacy Symposium and launched the National Non-Formal Adult Learning & Community Education (NALCE) Strategy for Uganda (2023/24-2027/28), which aims to provide a mechanism for the planning, implementation and evaluation of NALCE programmes.
Education can give people the freedom to promote their human dignity and literacy is important in promoting peaceful co-existence.
Events of the Literacy week
Several activities and initiatives were conducted by different stakeholders across the country in a week-long series of celebrations that culminated in the Literacy Symposium. These included:
Literacy dialogue
Held on 6 September 2023, the event brought together key stakeholders together to discuss key policy interventions needed to support literacy programming in the country. The Commissioner Community Development and Literacy. Mr. Everest Tumwesigye. highlighted the relevant of good-quality education in his address, stating that: “To succeed within this current and future environment, there is a need for quality education and learning that develops skills, knowledge, attitudes and values which enable the young and old alike to become successful life-long learners.”
Pre-event Literacy Activities
Pre-event celebrations were held on 7 September and preceded the Literacy Symposium. The event provided a platform for CSOs and literacy champions from diverse communities across the country to showcase their innovations and talents. The activities conducted during the event included a Literacy Walk, Youth-led panel discussions as well as a "Read, Comprehend and Tell" session.
The UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Susan Namondo Ngongi, was Chief Guest at the event held at the KCCA Hall in Kampala. In her speech read by the UNESCO Project Coordinator, she called attention to the need to prioritize education and foster partnerships to achieve Uganda's goals of promoting literacy for a world in transition. “The Government of Uganda, civil society organizations, businesses, and international institutions like the United Nations must work together to ensure that quality education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or circumstances,” she highlighted.
The United Nations is fully committed to advancing literacy as part of our broader efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We recognize that literacy is not just one goal in isolation; it is an enabler of all others.
As Uganda reflects on the success of this year's International Literacy Day commemoration, it is hoped that the nation's commitment to education and literacy will continue to grow stronger, leading to a more literate and enlightened society that contributes to social and economic development.
