As a PhD fellow at the Centre for Educational Research and Educational Management (CERM-ESA/DAAD) at Moi University, Annah Atuhaire spent two months in the Research Methods Group in Oldenburg. Her PhD project examines how children living on the streets in Uganda can gain access to schooling through intervention by government bodies and via effective cooperation structures. Her methodologically complex PhD project is now in its final stages, and Annah was able to present her findings at colloquia organised by the Research Methods Group. This clearly demonstrated her passion and her desire to improve the situation of children living on the streets. She conducted her study in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The children living on the streets there come largely from other regions of the country. In some cases, entire families live homeless on the streets of the city, and the children rarely attend school. “Unfortunately, we don’t have children’s homes or safe spaces where children can be taken in if they have no home, as you do in Germany. Help from NGOs is usually not a long-term solution, and so a vicious circle of poverty arises,” explains Annah. Through her research, Annah hopes to help ensure that children in Uganda can be provided with a more effective education in future – one that not only helps them escape the dangers of life on the streets in the short term, but also enables them to break the cycle of poverty in the longer term.

Speaking about her time in Oldenburg – her first visit to Germany – Annah says she learnt a great deal, even beyond the academic feedback and discussions on her research topic and methodological issues. With regard to social interaction, she emphasises that she sees major differences compared to Uganda, particularly in terms of the concept of time. Whilst in Uganda time plays a very minor role – “you bump into someone and you can talk for hours” – here everything is planned down to the last detail, and when visiting people, not only is the exact time you are expected to arrive specified, but in some cases also when you are expected to leave. Overall, she initially found this reserve in social interaction somewhat alienating, but she then realised that people can be reserved whilst still being friendly and helpful when you need assistance or have questions.

As far as eating habits are concerned, she noticed that there is a great deal of sugary food, sweet drinks and alcohol in Germany. Annah arrived in Oldenburg with a whole load of food from Uganda in her suitcase, but then realised that she could manage just fine with the food here and get by.

Overall, Annah has felt very much at home in Oldenburg and is grateful for the many positive encounters and the support from the research group, the International Office, and for the excellent IT support from Philipp and Florian. She emphasises that she would be very happy to return to the University of Oldenburg at any time and will take every opportunity to do so, for example for a postdoctoral fellowship. She is already in contact with the Department for Research and Technology Transfer, which is advising her on research funding. She would also very much welcome co-operation between the University of Oldenburg and Stuart Bishop University in Uganda, where she is employed.

Finally, she says of the CERM-ESA Centre, run jointly by Moi University, the University of Oldenburg, Nelson Mandela University, the University of Dar es Salaam and the Uganda Management Institute: “Thank you to CERM-ESA; I am so proud of my Centre – it has nurtured me academically from the very beginning, and now I keep growing, growing, growing. I love their support and how they treat us like their own children and nurture us. Whenever we go out into the world, people are so impressed and ask: where did these people learn from? We are so proud and truly grateful because the Centre offers us a wealth of knowledge and opportunities.”

Contact: Research Methods Group, Prof. Dr Karsten Speck