Classroom in a Box · Acholi Quarters Pilot

Letter tiles, number cards, toy money and plenty of laughter. Here is how our pilot grew from an idea into a place where children learn by doing — and where the community is now leading the way.

13 November 2026 Asset Based Community Development Pilot Project (5 min read)

Watch: our latest community-led group session at Acholi Quarters (55 seconds).

Step into one of our sessions at Acholi Quarters and you will not find children sitting quietly, copying from a board. You will find them huddled round a game board, arguing happily about which word to build next. You will see them counting out money, helping a friend who is stuck, and grinning when the answer finally clicks.

That is exactly what our latest group session looked like, and we recorded it so you can see it for yourself. Here is the story of how we got here.

Why we started

In Uganda, most children go to school. The trouble is that many of them leave without being able to read, write or do sums as well as they should. The World Bank estimates that 82% of children at the end of primary school cannot read and understand a simple text for their age. National results show the gap is widest in public schools, where classes are big and teaching materials are few.

We did not want to wait for someone else to fix that. We wanted to try something small, practical and cheap enough that other schools could copy it if it works.

The idea: a classroom in a box

The Classroom in a Box is exactly what it sounds like. Inside are alphabet and number charts, storybooks, flashcards, exercise books, pencils and counting materials, along with games and puzzles.

The big difference is how it is used. Instead of just listening and writing, children can see, touch, move and play with what they are learning. A bottle top becomes a number. A letter tile becomes the start of a new word.

Teachers have been part of this from day one. We trained them to use the materials and have kept visiting to support them. And we believe the people of Acholi Quarters have plenty to offer: teachers, parents, young people and local leaders are not just people we help. They are people who help us.

Phase I: the first steps

Phase I was about getting started and finding out what really works. Teachers learned by doing. They practised teaching counting, adding and taking away with bottle tops and counting sticks — starting with real objects before moving on to written numbers.

Then the children joined in. Over several sessions they worked on:

spelling, reading and building words from letters;
counting, adding, taking away and multiplying with number cards;
puzzles and group challenges; and
counting and spending toy money in a Monopoly-style game.

We checked progress three times, and the signs were good. By the second round, children understood more, spoke up more and finished more of their tasks. Some who had struggled at the start improved after extra practice and a bit of encouragement.

By the third round, one result made the whole team smile. Some children could spell “xylophone” — a long and tricky word taught in an earlier session. They had not just heard it once. They had remembered it.

The children who came were keen to take part. The challenge was never willingness. It was helping more of them to come, and to keep coming.

The honest part

We want to tell you the full story, because that is how a pilot should work.

Turnout dropped. On the first day, 32 of our 39 registered children came. In the next two sessions it was 16. Some newcomers also joined late and had missed earlier lessons, so they needed extra help to catch up.

We also learned that children do not all learn at the same speed. Some pick things up fast and happily help others. Some, especially those who have had little time in a regular school, need more time and more practice.

What we've changed. We spotted these things early and have already acted. Saturday is now our regular session day, with any change announced at least two days ahead. We are asking parents and teachers to help get children to every session. And every session now starts with a short revision, so no one is left behind.

Phase II: the community steps forward

We are now in Phase II, and you can feel the difference. The video above shows our most recent group session, led by the community.

Look at how the children gather round the word boards and sort through their letter tiles. Look at how they work things out together, and how one child leans over to show another what to do. Everything you see is a simple tool being used by children who are enjoying themselves and learning at the same time.

There are no expensive gadgets here. There is a box, some good ideas, and people who care.

What matters in this phase is getting more children to attend regularly, giving extra help to those who need it, and keeping careful records so we can show what is working. These are still early results, not final proof. But they are real, and they are moving in the right direction.

What comes next

When the pilot ends, we will have a clear answer to a simple question: can a box of practical tools help children in under-resourced communities to learn better? If the answer is yes, we will know exactly what to keep, what to improve, and how to share it with more schools.