By Anzoo Evaline

The future of underprivileged children in West Nile received a major boost as the Jewel Michaels Foundation for Education was officially launched in Adjumani District. The initiative, spearheaded by Miss Teen Pearl of Africa 2024, Jewel Michaels Anzoa, seeks to transform the lives of disadvantaged children by ensuring they have the opportunity to go to school, stay in school, and successfully complete their education.

The colorful launch was graced by General (Rtd) Caleb Akandwanaho commonly known as Gen. Salim Saleh, who commended Jewel Michael for championing a cause that resonates deeply with Uganda’s vision of empowering the next generation. Gen. Saleh pledged his personal and institutional support through the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme, emphasizing that education and agriculture must move hand in hand to secure the region’s future.

“As OWC, we made a proposal to the Ministry of Education. We had offered to use all the schools with land to be able to start the wealth creation around the schools. So, thank you, Jewel, for bringing me to the education sector through my way of agriculture. The other groups can contribute in their own way, but if I can get this partnership between the education system and agriculture, then I’m ready to collaborate with you,” Gen. Saleh promised.

To demonstrate his commitment, Gen. Saleh contributed 35 million Uganda shillings to support the foundation’s programs, a gesture that was met with overwhelming applause from the community and leaders in attendance.

“With these few words, I hereby launch the foundation and we shall contribute 35 million shillings for the foundation,” Gen. Saleh said.

Queen Jewel Michael, in her speech, expressed her gratitude to the people of Adjumani and West Nile, pledging to use the foundation as a platform to break barriers to education, particularly for girls and children from vulnerable families.

“My dream is to see every child in West Nile have equal access to education. This foundation is not about me, it’s about giving hope and creating opportunities for children who would otherwise be left behind, so our guest of Honor, while recognizing the positive progress, the high dropout rate is attributed to social, economic, cultural, and structural problems” she said. “Guest of Honor, we the children of West Nile called upon you and all the prominent persons, the president of the Republic of Uganda, the minister of education and sports, to hold annual education campaign events in West Nile and sub-regional public dialogue on improving education outcomes in West Nile sub region,” Queen Jewel added.

The District Chairperson of Adjumani district, Hon. Anyama Ben, appreciated the general for honoring his invitation and of the family. Anyama further applauded the family of Maj. Gen. (rtd) Ondoga Michael for acknowledging that they are Madi from Adjumani.

“General Saleh, I want to thank you very much on behalf of my people of Adjumani and on my own behalf for accepting my invitation and the family of Queen. I want to thank Major General Ondoga and the family for first of all for accepting to recognize that you are Madi. Because there are many Ma’di people who have achieved bigger things but they have never brought it home here. Meaning they disassociated themselves from us,” said Hon. Anyama.

“General you are liberator, you are revolutionist, and every Uganda is having peace because of you accepting to sacrifice in the bush. Today you are here to address the issue of Adjumani and West Nile, to bring peace and education in our country and in the district. I thank you,” Anyama added.

Kojoa Cynthia Princess, a student of St. Mary’s Assumpta, said that. “Today that we have been inspired by the Queen Jewel Michaels that this foundation can make students in Adjumani district go to school, to stay in school and complete school. As you know that the rate of dropout in Adjumani district is high”.

The foundation will work closely with schools, parents, and local leaders to tackle challenges such as school dropouts, early marriages, and poverty-related barriers that keep children out of classrooms.

By Anzoo Evaline.

 The dream of transforming the future of underprivileged children in West Nile is taking shape with the official launch of the Jewel Michaels Foundation for Education, an initiative spearheaded by Miss Teen Pearl of Africa, Queen Jewel Michael. The foundation, whose mission is to ensure that vulnerable children have the opportunity to go to school, stay in school, and complete school, will officially be launched on Friday, September 5, 2025, at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani District.

In preparation for the grand launch, a pre-event meeting was held on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at Adjumani District Council Hall, bringing together heads of department, political leaders and opinion from the fourteen districts across the West Nile sub-region. The dialogue cantered on the current state of education in the region, where stakeholders identified poor parental attitudes towards children’s education as one of the most pressing challenges. They urged parents to adopt a more supportive mindset and prioritize education as a key investment for their children’s future.

Queen Jewel Michael expressed her passion for education during the press conference, noting that many children in West Nile drop out of school due to poverty, neglect, and early marriages.

“I would like to tell you why I choose education. As a 15-year-old child, I have seen myself that very many children in Uganda starting with my own district, which is Adjumani district, are struggling with education. There are so many limitations that stop them from going to school, staying in school, and completing school. I have four cousins who have been in and out of school because of lack of finances, poverty.

I have another cousin who dropped out of school because of teenage pregnancy. And you might ask yourself, if you have four cousins and you go to school, why not help them?

And you ask yourself, why is this happening? In 2025, we have children who are being forced into marriages, little children. In 2025, we have children dropping out of school because of peer pressure. And you ask yourself why is this happening? I am 15 years old and I want to advocate for children who do not have a voice because. I’m able to be here and advocate for all of them. Education is not It shouldn’t be asked for because it is a right. It is something that we should have. And that is why I am starting the Jewel Michaels Foundation for education”, said Miss Teen pearl of Africa.

The Queen Mother Ambassador Lucy Michael has appealed to the parents more especially the mothers to support their children’s education. “Motherhood is a responsibility and the responsibility is towards the family and towards the community and the family is where our children are nurtured first. So, beginning right from the time a child is born. It’s very important first of all for mothers to watch over their health and make sure that they start school at the time they should start school at UPE, which his excellence the President of Uganda has made sure is actually accessible and it is free. So, that is a responsibility of a mother that the key milestones of a child’s life. At the beginning of life, early childhood is fulfilled. The next responsibility of mothers of West Nile would then be towards managing the teen ages of children during puberty. When children are at puberty, they have a lot of emotional and psychological, social economic needs”, Queen mother Lucy emphasized.

The retired Major Gen. Odonga Michael the father to miss teen pearl of Africa also emphasized on the importance of education. “Somehow one may wonder as to why this soldier is so much now engrossed in issues of education. Education made a big contribution to our lives, but still, we have issues and one of them is a poor education or even lack of it, which is a big problem. So, I see education as a critical tool of social transformation and development, and I am what I am because of education”, said Maj Gen. Odonga.

The launch event at Paridi Stadium is expected to draw large crowds, with Gen. Caleb Salim Saleh serving as the Guest of Honour.  

Drani Ronald the senior Education officer of Arua city in charge of Ayivu division welcomed the initiative and said. “We clearly know that West Nile has been the epitome of education in the whole of Uganda. We have very many alumni who have finished their all level from West Nile. In army, in different offices, people used to come from different regions of Uganda to come and study in our region when we went to school, there was emphasis on preparing children to read and write right from P1. And actually, it started even from the church. And that literacy which was emphasized where children were taught to first read and write in their own mother tongue, gave them the power to easily understand English and also to begin to write on their own and to read to interpret.

Our greatest challenge in West Nile, which is causing poor performance is poor reading culture. I want to start from there. Most of our primary schools that are performing like the RDC of Obongi said are from private schools. The reason is these pupils start the education from ECD’’, said Drani. He added “So, many parents complained they are poor. That poverty mindset has affected simple provision of education. And most of our homesteads people are growing Marungi, opium. And the children who are supposed to go to school, these young girls and boys, they first go and pluck this Marungi to get some 1,000, 2,000 shillings. And some of the parents send them to go and sell them. And the parents who are selling this Marungi are actually abusing, they’re chewing it and the children begin to abuse this drug. And now what happens is the children when even they’re in primary, they’re very indiscipline. They’re hostile even to teach they don’t listen to advice. So, drug abuse has greatly. The rate of strikes which we witnessed in West Nile immediately after Covid-19 was the effect of the drug abuse,” Drani added.

The RDC of Obongi district Samuel Mpibaza Hasaka has appealed to the stakeholders to work together as team in ensuring the success of the program

“I want to bear that at the end of this program launch let’s be serious let’s work together Let’s see how we can help out. The girls are suffering. The girls are being defiled. The girls are being married off at a very young age. so happened that we are having this educational campaign in West Nile, let us let work together ladies and gentlemen”, said RDC Hasaka

With the backing of stakeholders and the enthusiasm of the community, the Jewel Michaels Foundation for Education promises to be a beacon of hope for thousands of children whose educational journeys have been threatened by poverty and neglect.