Teachers Making a Difference 2025 competition launched

_____________________
TEACHERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The 2025 edition of the Teachers Making a Difference competition was launched Thursday (May 29) at the Vision Group head office in Kampala.

The multimedia company's chief executive and managing director, Don Wanyama, called it "an exciting day" for the partners of the project.

The annual competition seeks to recognize outstanding teachers who have gone beyond the call of duty to impact their learners and the communities.

At the launch, Kevin Colgan (pictured below, left), the departing Ambassador of Ireland in Uganda, led a team from the embassy.

Declan Peppard (pictured below, left), the managing director of Travelcare (a partner in the project), was also present.

Also in attendance was Annet Mugisha (pictured below), the commissioner of teacher education training and development at the education ministry, who represented the ministry's permanent secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda.

'Extra mile'

"We are all aware that, while teachers play a critical role in a country’s development process, their efforts are rarely recognized, especially in the developing world," said CEO Wanyama, as he offered a brief background of the birth of the project.

"It was because of this that Vision Group initiated this project to recognize and reward those teachers who have gone the extra mile, teachers who have not resigned to fate in the face of limited resources, but, who through personal innovation, have enabled learning to take place."

Through Amb. Colgan, he thanked the Embassy and the people of Ireland for their "generosity in supporting not only the Teachers Making A Difference project, but also Uganda’s development agenda".

He particularly thanked Colgan for his continued support and wished him all the best on his next chapter.

Wanyama also thanked private company Travelcare for journeying with Vision Group — amid tough times for the private sector globally — since the inception of the initiative in 2017.

"Mr Declan, thank you so much. We greatly value and appreciate your contribution to this partnership."

Speaking inside the CEO's boardroom, the Vision Group CEO also extended his appreciation to the education ministry.

"Without the right policy environment and support from the Ministry of Education and Sports, we wouldn’t certainly be implementing this project in schools," he said.

"Therefore, through you Madam Commissioner [Annet Mugisha], convey our sincere gratitude to the entire ministry team, and in particular, the First Lady and Minister, Maama Janet Museveni, for her great stewardship of one of the most important Government departments charged with Uganda’s human capital development."

Wanyama paid tribute to the First Lady's "positive response to our requests to preside over the Teachers Making A Difference Awards".

"We do not take that for granted. She has even now taken her support to the project a notch higher."

Mrs Museveni's office sponsored six winners of the 2023 competition for the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme in Ireland.

During last year’s World Teachers’ Day national celebrations at Lugogo Cricket Oval, where the 2024 winners were unveiled, she again offered to sponsor six of the winners who would have otherwise not travelled to Ireland. 

"We are looking forward to a day when the ministry’s sponsorship is not ad hoc but steamlined into the project," said Wanyama.

'Critical aspect of development'

"As you all know, teachers are a critical aspect in every country's development. And therefore as a ministry we can't be there without teachers," said commissioner Mugisha.

"When a teacher is not motivated, you are rest assured you are not going to get what you want. So when a friend comes in to support another in making a teacher happy and motivated, we are very grateful and we can't take it for granted."

On his part, Travelcare MD Peppard said they are delighted to part of this initiative, especially as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility as a business.

"We are looking to still be in position to sponsor some of the teachers going to Ireland," he said.

 MORE PICTURES FROM THE LAUNCH 

New Vision Editor John Eremu welcomes Columba O'Dowd, the Head of Co-operation at the Embassy of Ireland, for the launch of the Teachers Making a Difference 2025 competition, as Sidney Miria (Content Manager for Special Projects) looks on.

Vision Group CEO Don Wanyama receives Kevin Colgan, the departing Ambassador of Ireland in Uganda, and other officials for the launch.

New Vision Editor John Eremu delivers his remarks during the launch.

Vision Group Editor-in-Chief Barbara Kaija speaking during the launch.

The launch took place inside the CEO's boardroom at the Vision Group head office in Kampala.

All the partners of the Teachers Making a Difference project were represented.

"As you all know, teachers are a critical aspect in every country's development," said

Travelcare, led by managing director Declan Peppard, has been a partner since the project's inception in 2017.

Amb. Colgan has been hailed for his continued support towards the Teachers Making a Difference initiative.

"I am delighted to see the progress we have made," he said, paying tribute to the strong partnership that "has made this programme thrive for eight years".

"Thank you all," said Colgan.

As part of the partnership, memoranda of understading (MoUs) were signed for yet another edition of the Teachers Making a Difference competition.

BACKGROUND

Teachers Making a Difference is part of the Ugandans Making a Difference project initiated by New Vision in April 2008.

The project aims at recognizing and rewarding individual teachers who have gone beyond the call of duty and innovatively using limited resources to positively impact their learners and communities. Over 170 teachers at various levels have been recognized since the initiative was launched.

Since 2017, New Vision has implemented the project in partnership with the Embassy of Ireland in Kampala, Travelcare and until 2020, Trocaire, an Irish non-government organization. Trocaire dropped out following the closing of its operations in Uganda.

Since joining the partnership, the project profile has greatly improved and taken an international dimension, with the six most outstanding of the 12 winners being sponsored for continuous professional development programmes in Ireland.

In this year’s partnership, the Embassy of Ireland is contributing €100,000 while Travelcare is offering seven return air tickets to Ireland for the six winning teachers and one journalist.

Before the closure of their operations in Uganda, Trocaire was responsible for the itinerary and logistical arrangements of the visits in Ireland. Since last year, that role has now been taken on by the Embassy and Travelcare.

As a result of increased funding from the Irish Embassy, since 2018, besides certificates and cash prizes to the individual winners, the schools that produced the winning teachers also receive prizes based on the institution’s needs.

The individual teachers receive a cash prize of sh2 million while their schools receive sh2.5 million worth of prizes in kind. The ultimate prize is the six top teachers being sponsored for a weeklong Continuous Professional Development programme in Ireland.