Welcome to Alfred's Blog
All about Alfred
Ejoka (hello)! My name is Alfred Oboke and I'm volunteering with VSO as a teacher trainer on VSO's education project here in my home country of Uganda. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to keep you up to date with how the project is going, my work, and how your support is making a big difference to the lives of many young children.
I grew up in Karamoja, so I know from my own experiences how much education can shape a person's life. It means a lot to me that I now that the chance to work with teachers and communities here, helping children to learn, stay in school and feel safe and supported.
Children here can face big barriers to education. Many families live in poverty, and drought and poor harvests make life even harder. If parents are struggling to feed their families, their children may kept at home to help with work instead of going to school. For girls, the barriers can be even greater. At times, young girls can be married off in exchange for money or livestock, and they can be expected to stay at home to care for siblings or do household chores. Children with disabilities also face severe discrimination - many are kept at home, viewed as a curse or hidden away from the community. Children are getting left behind in education.
With your support, volunteers like me are working to change things for the better for the children of Karamoja.
Alfred Oboke's updates
Ejoka (hello) from Uganda
This is my first update to you and I'm very excited to share my work, so you can see first-hand the impact you're making by sponsoring a volunteer, like me. In this update, I'll share a little of my own story and tell you more about the challenges children face here - particularly girls and children and disabilities. I'll introduce you to a brave young woman called Juliet* too, whose story highlights the unimaginable difficulties that can be overcome with the right support - your support.
Want to ask a question?
VSO’s Sponsor a Volunteer team will share your message with the VSO volunteer and get back to you with a response. Your email address will not be used, disclosed or transferred to any VSO personnel, it will be stored securely in accordance with VSOs privacy policy. A sample of messages including display names will be published to the Sponsor a Volunteer homepage each month.
Your latest questions answered
Thank you very much for your kind message. It is lovely to meet you too. I am happy to hear that you enjoyed school, and it is interesting to know that you grew up in London and now live in Birmingham.
I completely agree with you that education, especially for girls, is one of the strongest pathways out of poverty. In many communities here in Karamoja, girls still face challenges such as early marriage, domestic responsibilities, and limited access to learning opportunities. Through our work with VSO and local schools, we continue encouraging families and communities to support girls’ education and keep children in school.
Seeing girls gain confidence, continue learning, and dream about their future is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
Your encouragement means a lot to me and strengthens my commitment to supporting inclusive and quality education for all children.
Thank you once again for your support and thoughtful words. I also look forward to keeping in touch and sharing more updates with you about our work and the progress being made in the communities.
With warm regards,
Alfred
Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful message.
Your lifelong dedication to public service and international development is very inspiring to me.
Please do not underestimate the impact of your work as a teacher. Even enthusiasm and commitment alone can leave a lasting impression on learners and communities. Today, many of us in education continue to learn through experience, mentorship, and engagement with communities, just as pioneers like you did.
Messages like yours motivate me greatly in my work with VSO, especially as we continue supporting teachers, learners, and communities in Karamoja. I hope to continue learning from experienced people like you.
Thank you very much for your kind and inspiring message.
We bring about lasting change not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers to empower communities in some of the world’s poorest regions. You can read more about VSO’s areas of work and discover more about our projects here.
Hear from our volunteers
Our volunteers are working right now around the world to help with education, food and health. Click on someone below to learn more about their work.
Diane Uwamahirwe
Muraho (hello)! My name is Diane Uwamahirwe. I’m volunteering as a Special Educational Needs coordinator on VSO’s early education project in Rwanda. I’m looking forward to keeping you up to date with how we’re getting on and how your support is making a lasting difference to the lives of young children here.
Theonas Kalumika
Moni onse! I’m Theonas Kalumika, an education specialist volunteer in Malawi. Before I started volunteering for VSO, I was a primary school teacher for 13 years and spent 18 years as a primary education advisor. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to update you more on how your support is changing the lives of many children.