How New Vision's Toto magazine is easing child learning

Mar 17, 2016

With the discovery of children as ardent readers, New Vision came up with a number of children-friendly sections and pull-outs, to meet their needs.

A great newspaper needs to be a family newspaper, and New Vision has stood by that goal for the last 30 years. On this ground, children issues and voices have efficiently been given ample space in the newspaper.

With the discovery of children as ardent readers, New Vision came up with a number of children-friendly sections and pull-outs, to meet their needs.

"The different columns that run in Education (Mwalimu) or Her Vision or Sunday Vision, provide authoritative information regarding family issues. They educate the readers and shape their opinions. Those daily stories might look small, but the effect is gradual, indirect and cumulative. With time, stories shape the way people raise their children," Dr. Grace Nambatya observes.

New Vision cares for the wellbeing of a children, in the coverage of health issues.

"On the health pages, the inclusion of children's cases and the expert voices on case management, is really vital to readers," remarks Dr. Sabrina Bakeera Kitaka, a lecturer in the department of Paediatrics, Makerere College of Health Sciences.

"I always love it when I read such stories because I know the public is being enlightened on health issues which affect children."

 otos untie ovita helping the children to learn how to read Toto's Auntie Jovita helping the children to learn how to read

 

 



 New Vision's role

In regard to education, New Vision has been a pacesetter.  With the challenge of many schools not being able to purchase teaching aids like text books, New Vision started the publication of weekly pullouts of questions and answers, which were set by some of the best teachers in the country.

Some schools used these pull-outs to gauge if students could match the standard of other students in the country.

"Children use the New Vision, especially the Toto magazine and Newspaper In Education, as an interaction platform on which they share opinions. The ability to share opinions with other readers builds the children's communication skills, improves their self-esteem and makes them know they are being listen to," Martin Owino, the headteacher of Pearl of Africa Kabalagala, explains.

The media sets the agenda and shapes the public's perception on different issues. New Vision has often been described as ‘a family paper' because, over the years, it has been sensitive to matters that affect families. They also present such information in a professional and family-friendly manner.

As a family paper, parenting is properly addressed in the New Vision.

The company has also been keen on protecting the rights of children, during publication of their stories or photos.

 


Their faces are covered and their names withheld, in some of the cases, especially when they are abused. This helps the children not to be stigmatised. The newspaper also carefully pays attention to what is published, to make sure it is not offensive.

New Vision has also championed projects that focus on children awards. Such projects reward the efforts of all the individuals that have played a significant role in the lives of children.

It has also has dedicated space for the lost children in Saturday Vision. Many children have been reunited with their parents through this programme. The writer of Lost Children, Gladys Kalibbala, was profiled by CNN and consequently a documentary was made about her work and the plight of children in Uganda. She won an award for her stories about children in distress.

"New Vision should be commended for championing the plight of lost and displaced children," Regina Nalwoga, a parent from Kawempe, says.

There was a time a lost child was reunited with the mother and it was aired on Bukedde TV. It was such an emotional moment, but fulfilling at the same time.

 



 Children's Vision

In promoting the reading culture among the children, New Vision started the Children's Vision, the first children's pullout, which was well-received.

On April 15, 1989, the first Children's Vision was published in Saturday Vision.

The four-page pullout was the first of its kind in Uganda. It addressed the reading and writing skills of the children.

 "It was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to our children," recalls Teopista Aguttu, director Little Petals Preschool Naalya, who at one time edited the children's pull-out said.

 Carol Nabwire, who used to read Children's Vision every week while she was a toddler at Namugongo Girls' Primary School, is now doing a travel and tourism programme at Makerere University Business School. "I appeared for the first time in this pull-out during the school camp at Nabinonya on a sports day. This opened my interest in reading the children stories in the New Vision newspaper. The pull-out later turned into Toto magazine.

Some of the children who participated in the reading exercise organised by Toto Magazine pose for a picture.

 Toto

Toto magazine, has of late become a household name for children. The reception of this magazine in 2009 was well- received and it has played a big role in providing reading content for the children. It is a magazine for the children and by the children, hence  promoting children journalism.

It makes children feel exclusively cared for and gives them a voice.

"Toto magazine is a must- buy for our nine-year old son, Timothy and his 11-year-old sister, Tina, who are ardent readers. They enjoy reading the different child-friendly stories published in it," Kitaka says.

 


Having children who write their own stories empowers them to become journalists in future.

"Toto improved my son's reading culture. He got so addicted to the magazine that even when he joined secondary school, he still asks us to get him Toto magazines and take them for him at school. He is currently in Senior Three," Aloysius Mugasa, the executive director, Uganda Kolping Society says.

 

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