Mother Thereza Preparatory School shines at national kiswahili competition

The spirit of unity and cultural pride was at its peak during the highly anticipated National Kiswahili Competition organized by the Uganda National Primary School Kiswahili Teachers Association (UNPSKTA).

The event, held at St Anthony Nursery and Primary in Kampala, brought together six outstanding primary schools from across the country to showcase their talents in Kiswahili through poetry, storytelling, drama, and public speech.

This year’s competition, held under the theme “Kuendeleza Vipaji vya Wanafunzi Kupitia Kiswahili Na Sanaa ya Maonyesho” – (Developing Learners’ Talents through Kiswahili and Performing Arts), aimed at promoting the growth of Kiswahili as a national language and encouraging creativity among young learners.

Participating schools were from Kampala, Lira, Hoima, and Adjumani. But it was Mother Thereza Preparatory School from Adjumani district that stole the spotlight, emerging as the overall champions in the poetry category.

Their winning performance, titled “Amani Nandi ya Tofutti” (Peace in Diversity), captivated both the judges and the audience. The poem, delivered with passion and powerful expression, touched on themes of national unity, peace, and the importance of embracing cultural and linguistic diversity in Uganda.

Speaking after receiving the trophy, the proprietor of Mother Thereza Preparatory School, Asiku James, commended his pupils and the Kiswahili teaching staff for their hard work and dedication.

“The issue of pan-Africanism. You know Africa, especially East Africa, we are one. But in all aspects of life, we need that language. And what we know is in Africa, Kiswahili is considered the official language of Africa. So, I feel by promoting it, I’m promoting Pan Africanism. And that’s why I’m insisting.

“As I speak now, I run this program from P1 out P7 and I have four trained teachers. Three of them are Kenyan nationals, then one is a Ugandan national. And it’s so moving so well and we have actually even started a program for adult education,”Asiku added.

The national chairman Chawakishum, Tusingwire Joseph, applauded all the schools for their participation and reiterated the importance of supporting Kiswahili education at the primary level.

“This association is called Uganda National Primary School, Kiswahili Teachers Association which started in 2015 with the aim of spreading Kiswahili in all Uganda Primary Schools. Meaning that the members of this association are only Primary School Kiswahili Teachers.

“As I talk now, we have over 200 schools in Central Uganda which are teaching Kiswahili, then some parts of Uganda, especially Western sub-region, Kasese and Toro sub-region, they are all teaching Swahili as a compulsory subject,” he emphasized.

“But the challenge we are getting is that the government has not emphasized all schools to teach Swahili,” said Joseph.

Parents, teachers, and education officers who attended the event expressed joy at seeing learners confidently performing in Kiswahili, a language that continues to gain regional and continental significance.

As the curtains closed on the successful event, one message echoed loud and clear: Kiswahili is not just a language, but a bridge to unity, culture, and endless potential for Africa’s young generation.