Olu Alu Campaign implementation gains ground in Yumbe and Arua Districts
The winning team from Locombgo Primary School celebrates their victory after an exciting match against Obero Primary School.
From 20th to 29th March 2025, the OLU ALU campaign team carried out a series of activities in Yumbe and Arua districts as part of the ongoing effort to build a grassroots movement. The aim was to ensure that young people—especially adolescent boys and girls— felt a sense of ownership and were actively involved in discussions that affect their daily lives. Eight schools were visited, six in Yumbe and two in Arua. In these schools, learners took part in debates on pressing social issues like early marriage, drug abuse, school dropout, and gender-based violence. These sessions became valuable spaces where young people confidently shared their thoughts, sharpened their critical thinking, and explored the root causes and consequences of these challenges.
At schools like Muni and Lodonga Girls, students debated motions such as “Is Gender-Based Violence a Public or Private Issue?” and “Early Marriage Should Be Abolished.” These discussions pushed pupils to reflect on cultural norms and how they impact girls’ health, education, and overall futures. The debates at Locomgbo and Yumbe Primary tackled topics like “Staying in School is Better than Staying at Home” and “Teachers are to Blame for the High School Dropout Rates.” respectively. These opened up honest conversations about poverty, peer pressure, poor teaching practices, and lack of support at home, helping students dig deeper into why many of their peers drop out. The impact was felt immediately.
Titus, the Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Coordinator of Restless Development Uganda, awards a certificate to one of the best debaters at Muni Primary School in Arua District.
The headteacher at Locomgbo Primary said, “What Olu Alu has organised today has opened our eyes. We are going to adopt debates as a regular tool to sensitise our pupils on issues like early pregnancy and substance abuse.” In addition to the debates, five sports galas were held—four in Yumbe and one in Arua. Boys and girls took part in football and netball matches, which served as both entertainment and education.
A netball match between Obero Primary School and Locomgbo Primary School in Yumbe District.
Each game started with awareness sessions on school retention, drug abuse, early pregnancy, and GBV led by the Restless Development team, the change agents and mentors. The games were also attended by local leaders, parents and community members. A teacher from Kenyanga Primary shared how the event brought back boys who had dropped out of school simply because of their desire to participate in the games.
Throughout the campaign, the team also engaged directly with adolescent change agents and community mentors in Yumbe. Through in-depth interviews and storytelling, they collected powerful accounts of youth-led advocacy and behaviour change. These included stories of young people helping school dropouts return to class, preventing early marriages, and leading sensitisation among their peers.
One inspiring story comes from Desire, a passionate change agent who organised a community meeting that led to a life-changing outcome: a girl who had been out of school for two years could re-enrol. She secured a scholarship through the meeting and is now receiving ongoing mentorship in secondary school.
My friend Nadia had given up on returning to school. She’d been out for two years, and her parents preferred she stay home to help with chores. But thanks to the skills I gained from the co-creation workshop, I was able to approach and engage her parents confidently. Eventually, they agreed to support her return to school
Desire Princess, a Change Agent on the Olu Alu Campaign.
Another change agent, Amiri Zaki, convinced a peer to stay in school despite financial challenges and continued supporting him. In Bidi Bidi village, Aliku used school debates and football matches to unite young people, helping one dropout raise money through farming so he could return to school. Mentors also played a vital role.
Ismaili Aluma, a radio presenter at Bidi Bidi FM, used his platform to raise awareness on the campaign topics and helped a clan member allow his daughter to return to school. Amiza Tabani conducted awareness sessions on early marriage, GBV, and menstruation, assisted in reintegrating three out-of-school youths, and contributed to efforts aimed at reducing absenteeism. Samira Andezu mediated in an early marriage case, helped the girl return to school, and advocated for better teacher availability in public schools.
Olu Alu is a youth-led movement aimed at reducing school dropouts, preventing gender-based violence and drug abuse.
