Advancing literacy across Uganda schools

For more than five years, Room to Read has partnered with Uganda schools, organizations and communities to strengthen early literacy, implementing a comprehensive literacy program across 91 schools in Mubende and Mitooma districts. In 2025, this work reached an important new milestone with the expansion of the program into Gulu district — bringing high-quality, locally relevant learning materials to even more children.

The second half of the year marked a period of significant advancement, driven by deep collaboration with government partners, education leaders and language experts working together to support learning outcomes across Uganda schools.

Bringing stories to life in Leb-Acoli

Our major focus for 2025 was the development of storybooks in Leb-Acoli (also known as Acholi), ensuring children can learn to read in a language they speak and understand. Our team developed 30 Leb-Acoli titles and submitted the collection to Uganda’s National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) for evaluation and certification.

By the end of September 2025, all 30 storybooks received full certification and approval from NCDC for use in Uganda schools — an important step in expanding access to high-quality, mother-tongue reading materials for early learners in northern Uganda.

Building a strong literacy foundation

Utilizing our expertise in curriculum and educational content, we completed a comprehensive review of the Leb-Acoli wordlist, superscription and text data in September 2025, laying the groundwork for structured literacy instruction aligned with national standards for Uganda schools. The following month, Room to Read's local leadership convened a two-day workshop in Kampala to develop Grade 1 and Grade 2 Leb-Acoli literacy scope and sequence.

The workshop brought together a wide range of partners, including senior curriculum specialists and quality assurance officers from NCDC, a representative from the Ministry of Education and Sports, district inspectors from Gulu, a member of the Acholi language board, language experts, Reading Association of Uganda members, and Room to Read’s regional leadership. This collaborative process ensured the scope and sequence met national requirements while reflecting linguistic and cultural expertise relevant to Uganda schools.

Advocating for mother-tongue instruction

In October 2025, our program implementing partner, the Reading Association of Uganda, hosted a one-day advocacy workshop to build support for the continued development of Acholi-language instructional materials for Uganda schools. Cultural leaders, district education officials, inspectors of schools, centre coordinating tutors, language board representatives from the Ministry of Education and Sports and NCDC officials came together to reinforce a shared commitment: ensuring children can learn to read in a language that reflects their identity and community.

Preparing for program implementation in Gulu district

Laying the foundation for program rollout required careful planning and collaboration. Beginning in October 2025, the Reading Association of Uganda — working closely with the Gulu education administration—conducted data collection and school screening across Gulu city and the wider district. By the end of November, 88 Uganda schools had been reviewed, with in-person visits conducted at 53 schools in partnership with district inspectors.

The final selection of 40 new project schools will be completed by the end of December 2025, with program implementation scheduled to begin in January 2026— expanding Room to Read’s reach to children across Uganda schools.

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