Albertina Biira: An Education Hero's Legacy Lives On

As a young girl in Nakuwadde, Albertina Biira said she had always heard about Action in Africa and wanted to benefit from the scholarship program. Unfortunately, she was not able to, but that never stopped her from pursuing her dream of being an educator. After dropping out of high school, Albertina joined a teachers’ training college where she was able to train as an elementary and primary school educator.

At 24-years-old, she was a teacher in Little Kings Education Centre, a school which Action in Africa partners with through the Primary Partnership Program (PPP), teaching reading and writing to children of all ages. In November, she unexpectedly passed away from natural causes, leaving her community reeling at the loss of a true hero. Instead of dwelling in our grief, we want to highlight Albertina’s story as an educator who participated and volunteered to support the children at Action in Africa, inspiring all of us even to this day.

Albertina was a passionate and dedicated person who was committed to improving the quality of education that her students received. Because of this she signed up for the weekly AIA Teachers’ Professional Development Workshop where she benefited from the knowledge of facilitators hosted every Saturday. At these workshops, teachers are re-orientated and introduced to topics of child protection, professional conduct and the creation of better and more hospitable environments for learners. 

Her dedication earned her a spot in the computer classes where she was equally an excellent student. Still, it was her dedication to extending the AIA activities to other students in the community that truly stood out for us. After attending this year’s quiz competition, Albertina was a bit sad that some students were unable to participate in such a beneficial activity because of their inability to come to The Centre, and she even suggested hosting these competitions within the partner schools so that more students could benefit from their value. Two days before she passed on, Albertina had just received a certificate of recognition for her participation in the AIA teacher’s workshop.

The news of her death was shocking and truly saddening because we lost one of our own. We appreciate her sacrifice and commitment to the children of Uganda and her contribution to their education shall always be a source of inspiration for us. Amidst our grief, her legacy shines bright.

Rest in peace, dear Albertina, your heroism will never be forgotten.