Kapeta Primary School students thrive in Save Our Planet competition

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The Save Our Planet competition by the New Vision newspaper has sparked significant interest and boosted the morale of students at Kapeta Primary School in rural Kotido district in learning, says Head Teacher Clement Otim.

Kapeta Primary is one of 40 schools in the Karamoja region that are supported by Save the Children and New Vision, receiving newspapers to use as educational tools aimed at enhancing students' learning.

“Children constantly bring creative pictures and poems to my office, even those who have won in previous rounds. They continue to submit their entries, hoping for more rewards,” says Otim, who was among the teachers in Kotido trained on using newspapers in education on March 6, 2026.

According to Otim, the Save Our Planet competition has sparked interest even beyond the school walls. Parents have also become more engaged. “They are curious about where the T-shirts come from. They have not spent even a single shilling, yet their children are wearing these T-shirts,” he shares.

“Every time I go out into the community, parents approach me to express their appreciation. They tell me how much I have done for their children and the school, and that encouragement has become a major motivating factor for me," Otim adds.

Teachers in NiE training in Kotido. (Credit: Jacky Achan)

Otim expressed his gratitude for being part of a school supported by the New Vision and Save the Children. “The newspapers we receive contain content about saving the planet, which the children are very interested in. It provides them with the opportunity to compete with others from schools across the country."

How it started

“When I first noticed this section in the newspaper, I introduced it to the pupils, and a few of them decided to participate in the competition,” Otim recalls.

The pupils drew pictures and wrote poems, which were submitted via WhatsApp for publication in New Vision. The school always received feedback on their submissions.

In the beginning, just five children won prizes, but by 2024 and 2025, the number of winners grew.

“Our children won many T-shirts from New Vision. In total, I have around 50 students who now proudly wear the 'Save Our Planet' T-shirts,” Otim says.

Additionally, they received drawing books, colored pencils, Social Studies textbooks, and new sets that I believe are not even available in many schools in Kotido district,” he says.

Otim is thrilled by the support from New Vision and Save the Children, which has sparked significant interest in learning among his pupils.

“I’m very glad to be in a school supported by New Vision and Save the Children. As a result, there is more enthusiasm for learning. The school is now greener, and green is becoming the dominant colour here, which we are all excited about,” he notes.

Looking ahead

Otim appealed to New Vision to continue producing more educational materials to help children participate in the competition, learn, and keep winning.

"As I speak now, the school is thriving. The children are motivated, and it’s evident that they are gaining more from this initiative."

Esther Arinaitwe, the Vision Group Newspapers in Education Manager, mentioned that this year, children have the chance to win even more valuable prizes in the Save Our Planet competition, including backpacks, readers, and textbooks.

She encouraged more teachers to support their students in submitting their work for publication, offering them a chance to win more prizes while learning.

In collaboration with Save the Children, New Vision is actively implementing the Newspapers in Education (NIE) programme across 92 schools in the Karamoja and Acholi regions, including training teachers on how to use newspapers in teaching.

The New Vision NIE team began the training of teachers on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, and concluded on March 13, 2026, in the Karamoja and Acholi regions.