St. Paul Biharwe Secondary School ICT Club Launch Mbarara

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, St. Paul Biharwe Secondary School in Mbarara District took a significant stride towards empowering its learners with vital 21st-century skills by officially launching its ICT Club. This initiative was spearheaded by KAWA Uganda in close partnership with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), forming a crucial part of a nationwide effort to equip secondary school learners with essential digital literacy, foster creativity, and build practical problem-solving capabilities. The training sessions were expertly facilitated by Ms. Kyasima Freedom, an experienced ICT Trainer from KAWA. These sessions provided a hands-on introduction to essential digital tools and technologies for the enthusiastic participants. A total of 26 students and 1 teacher actively engaged in the practical exercises, eager to dive into the world of ICT. Learners interacted directly with various software applications, including MIT App Inventor for designing and building mobile applications, Visual Studio Code for exploring introductory programming concepts, and even Basic Robotics to get a feel for automation and hardware interaction. “We were amazed to learn how to build apps ourselves. This was a first for most of us,” one student said during the feedback session, highlighting the immediate impact of the practical approach. Despite facing limited technical resources, the learners demonstrated remarkable levels of motivation, quickly absorbing new concepts and even continuing to explore them independently long after the formal session concluded, showcasing their innate resilience and curiosity.

While the training proved highly impactful for the students, it wasn’t without its unexpected setbacks. The school’s leadership faced significant disruptions due to an unfortunate strike by art subject teachers, which impacted overall school operations. Adding to this, the designated computer teacher was absent, and regrettably, no substitute staff had been informed about the training in advance. These unforeseen circumstances affected the coordination and limited the crucial level of staff involvement, though the students admirably carried the session forward with their unwavering resilience and genuine curiosity. Despite these challenges, the initiative received strong support and encouragement from the school’s ICT Club Patron, Ms. Nayebare Annet, and learners expressed immense appreciation to UCC and KAWA for extending these vital digital skills to their school. The club Patron can be contacted at 0771 056 898, and the Headteacher, Mr. Tayebwa Fredinad, at 0771 492 231. Both KAWA and UCC have reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to providing ongoing mentorship, resource support, and future training programs to ensure the ICT club grows into a vibrant, truly student-led innovation hub.

To fully unlock the club’s immense potential and ensure its long-term sustainable growth, several key actions are strongly recommended. Firstly, there needs to be improved communication and coordination within the school administration to ensure all relevant staff members are thoroughly informed about scheduled ICT programs in advance. Secondly, increased teacher involvement, particularly from those specializing in ICT and science subjects, is crucial to enhance learner guidance and provide robust support for student projects. Thirdly, the provision of more equipment, specifically additional laptops and other vital digital tools, would significantly help increase student participation and enable learners to pursue more advanced and complex projects. Lastly, instituting regular club activities, such as weekly practice sessions and internal challenges, is essential to sustain student interest and foster mastery of digital skills.

The launch of this ICT Club SS marks a truly significant milestone in the school’s journey towards comprehensive digital transformation. Despite the unexpected leadership gaps on the training day, the students admirably took ownership of their learning experience and enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to become true creators of technology. With the continued and dedicated support from KAWA Uganda and UCC, the school is exceptionally well-positioned to nurture a new generation of future digital innovators who possess the capability to solve real-life problems using powerful ICT tools. As a Senior Three student proudly stated, “This is just the beginning. We now know that with or without constant supervision, we can learn, explore, and lead.” This statement perfectly encapsulates the spirit of self-reliance and eagerness to learn that defines the club’s potential.