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Community safety

SAFE WAY RIGHT WAY PARTNERS WITH 12 ALBERTINE SCHOOLS IN TREE PLANTING.

At safe way right way, we take issues pertaining road safety to be very important, but that in itself is not an end to what we stand for, neither is it the limit to our interventionist activities. Our goal is to create safer roads for Africa, and we recognize the role played by education in the creation of safer roads through fundamental sensitisation on road transport systems, means and safety. 

In the education arena, it has been recognised that a conducive and soothing school environment is a critical learning factor psychologically and practically for the learners and their educators alike. On that note, Safe Way Right Way hain the previous week undertaken a task of donating over 1920 tree seedlings to 9 primary schools in the Albertine region district of Buliisa. These were mainly aimed, on the one hand, at being used to improve the school environment by way of beautifying the surroundings and also creating more shade and on the other hand, at enhancing the students learning and study through responsible tree nurturing by the students themselves. 

On Thursday 2nd May 2024, Safe Way Right Way conducted launch activity for tree planting in schools at kisansya Primary School and a total number of about 900 People attended the function. Different tree species were given out which include griveria (800 seedlings), Musizi (500 seedlings), Albizia/Musiseye (430 seedlings), Jack fruits (160 seedlings) and Oranges (30 seedlings) and total of 1920 tree seedlings were distributed to 9 schools in Kigwera subcounty, Ngwedo subcounty and Wanseko Town council.

After the launch activity tree seedlings were distributed to different schools as follows: Kisansya p/s = 251 seedlings; Kilima p/s = 175 seedlings; Ndandamire p/s =225 seedlings; Wanseko p/s = 130 seedlings; Kirama p/s = 220 seedlings; Kisomere p/s = 240 seedlings; Avogera p/s = 245 seedlings; Ngwedo p/s =234 seedlings; and Kibambura p/s = 200 seedlings.

The launch was attended District Community Development officer for Buliisa District, District Forestry Officer for Buliisa District, Total energies team, Inspector of schools for Buliisa District, Chairperson PTA kisansya P/S, Headteacher kisansya P/S, Deputy headteacher kisansya, Teachers and Pupils. These stakeholders echoed various messages but most importantly requested school administration to take care of trees planted to improve school environment; encouraged school administration to allocate trees to Pupils to enable pupils take charge of these trees to grow well and appreciated Total Energies and Safe Way Right Way for the several school fencings offered to the community schools as a road safety measure. 

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Enhancing Road Safety through Education : The VIA training of trainers Initiative.

The VIA – Global Road Safety Education is a collaborative project supported by Total Energies, Michelin Corporate Foundation, Global Road Safety Partnerships, and Safe Way Right Way Uganda. For over two years Safe Way Right Way has spearheaded the implementation of this project to achieve a paradigm shift in Uganda’s road safety culture, particularly among young people between the ages of 8-18. Additionally, the Uganda police report (2022) revealed that 650 Children had died as a result of road crashes, 395 of the were male and 255 female.

The rationale behind focusing on young children is clear: they often lack adequate understanding of road safety upon starting school, possess limited risk awareness, and are susceptible to danger. It is more important because the children are the future citizens of an expectedly highly motorized Uganda, hence the immediate need to ensure behavioural change, if we are to create a crash free future.

Through the VIA project, Safe Way Right Way has reached 50,000 students and seen the establishment of 20 road safety clubs in schools through the 169 VIA educators that were trained as road safety trainers. The dedication and unwavering support of the 169 teachers from 138 schools in the Albertine region and Kampala have built a strong and sustainable model foundation for the project implementation.

“Safe Way Right Way has reached 50,000 students and seen the establishment of 20 road safety clubs in schools through the 169 VIA educators that were trained as road safety trainers”

Following the 2 years implementation of the project, SWRW organized a refresher training in the Albertine Districts of Hoima, Kikuube, Buliisa, Nwoya, Pakwach, and Hoima City . This training lasted for a week, covering various aspects crucial to enhancing road safety education.

Safe Way Right Way Via Educators refresher training in Hoima city.
Some of the Via Educators sharing a photo moment with Safe Way Right Way Staff

The training sessions commenced in Hoima district on January 29, 2024, followed by Kikuube, Buliisa, Pakwach, and Nwoya districts on subsequent days. The trainingworkshops were facilitated by SWRW staff and they included sessions on road signs, markings, urban traffic guidelines, general traffic rules, and necessary precautions. a presentation on road assessment findings shed light on prevalent risks, such as poorly designed roads, missing signage, and increased traffic in the Albertine region. During these sessions, stakeholders expressed their appreciation for the project’s efforts and provided valuable feedback for improvement.

In Hoima district, Ms. Asiimwe Harriet, the inspector of schools, commended Safe Way Right Way for targeting children in road safety initiatives and urged continued implementation with a focus on addressing reporting issues. In Pakwach district, Mr. Comixx praised the project’s impact and urged its extension to more schools, suggesting more approaches like installing talking compounds to reinforce road safety messages.

Hoima Inspector of schools, Ms.Asiimwe, speaking at the refresher training in Hoima City.
Mr.Comixx addressing the Via Refresher trainees in Pakwach District.

The VIA educators highlighted various challenges, including the lack of respect from motorists for safety measures like flags/lollipops used by teachers to help the pupils cross the roads, limited time for project implementation due to conflicting schedules, and disruptions caused by teacher transfers.

In conclusion, Safe Way Right Way views road safety education as a crucial step in enhancing road safety especially among young people. With over 1.3 million road fatalities recorded annually worldwide, predominantly in low-income countries, proactive education initiatives like VIA are essential. (WHO 2023) 

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