Future First Global has launched a partnership with The Private Education Development Network (PEDN) that will see Alumni Networks built at nearly 100 schools across Uganda.
PEDN is a non-profit organisation working to empower in and out of school youth with a range of market-led and life skills, such as financial literacy and entrepreneurship. They have a presence in 17 districts in Uganda and work with a network of 300 primary and secondary schools.
The new partnership with Future First Global will see Alumni Networks initially established at 92 schools across all 17 districts. With PEDN potentially rolling the project out across all its schools if the initial phase goes well.
Last month, our team were in Kampala to induct over 20 PEDN staff members into best practice for Alumni Network building. These staff members will then be training members of the schools as implementers who will be building the networks. The training covered the key principles of alumni network building and action planning for trainers and implementers.
Speaking during the training session, Joy Mukisa, PEDN Programmes Director, told us how building alumni communities around the schools they operate in were about more than just career guidance for students. She said:
“It’s also about personal life skills, the things that are difficult to teach like building confidence and providing inspiration the students can relate to. This as well as practical skills, like gardening and basic farming, meaning they can feel better equipped for all sides of life.
Molly Nabandeke, the Project Coordinator for Alumni Networks, agreed and noted the benefits of the network extend beyond the student-alumni relationship. She added:
“There are benefits to the teachers and school, who will get to reconnect with students they used to teach and be inspired by hearing about their successes since they left.”
Molly went on to talk about one of the biggest benefits to students being able to benefit from a different sort of peer pressure:
“Some of their fellow students encourage them to drop out or take drugs, but the alumni can be a positive influence on their peers and stand up against some of the negative pressures students face.”
While Joy supported this view and again emphasised that “mentorship and confidence building” is key to their hopes for a successful alumni community.
Joy, Molly and the rest of her team will now move on to training teachers in schools, who will, in turn, begin the implementation of the Alumni Network. Future First Global will continue to offer ongoing support through coaching, additional training, evaluation support, and sustainability planning as the project moves forward.