Dear Friends, Partners, and Supporters,
As I write this, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and pride. Power Teachers Africa’s first year has been a journey of determination, learning, and impact, one that has exceeded even our most optimistic hopes.
We established Power Teachers Africa in 2024 because we saw, with painful clarity, the elephant in the classroom: teacher absenteeism. In Uganda, over half of all teachers are absent on any given day. The cost to children’s learning is devastating. We founded this organisation with a simple conviction: that teachers are the key to solving the learning crisis, and that when teachers are motivated, supported, and present, children learn.
In 2025, we proved this conviction to be true.
Our Power Teachers for Learning model, which we piloted with 31 teachers and 1,816 learners (1,045 female) in a government primary school in Mbale District, achieved what we set out to demonstrate: improved learning outcomes, reduced teacher absenteeism, teachers’ professional development, and increased teacher satisfaction. The results speak for themselves. Learning improved across all classes. Teachers showed up. And most importantly, children learned
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that we did it with minimal funding, during one of the most challenging years for development finance in recent memory. The closure of USAID in February and widespread donor budget cuts created an impossibly difficult environment. But we moved forward anyway, sustained by the extraordinary commitment of our team.
I want to pay tribute to our Executive Team and Board of Directors, who volunteered countless hours, covered personal costs for travel and accommodation, and invested their own resources to ensure the organisation could function. Without their dedication, none of this would have been possible.
The Power Teachers for Learning model’s approval by the Ministry of Education and Sports is a milestone we are particularly proud of. It means that Power Teachers Africa is not operating in isolation, but contributing directly to Uganda’s National Teacher Policy, specifically the Teacher Incentive Framework and the implementation of cost-effective, high-quality digital continuing professional development. Our work is embedded in national priorities, and we have the opportunity to inform policy and practice at scale.
One of the most important lessons we learned this year is the transformative power of technology when it works for teachers, not against them. Providing reliable internet access to the school was a game changer. Teachers could access courses, upload materials, and engage with the model without worrying about data costs. We also learned that digital literacy training is essential; once teachers had the skills and confidence, they didn’t just complete one course, they completed many, driven by genuine interest. It also enabled teachers to participate in MoES TELA, which is DES’ monitoring tool for teacher presence and effectiveness, and which requires internet access.
Looking ahead, our priority is clear: we need to develop the mobile APP that will automate attendance verification and payment systems. This is key to making the model efficient, scalable, and sustainable. With an APP, teachers can upload geo stamped and time-stamped photos proving their presence in the classroom, and incentive payments are released automatically via mobile money.
Administration time drops to almost zero. Teachers can also complete CPD courses offline on the APP, a critical feature for schools without consistent internet. This technology will benefit not only Power Teachers Africa, but MoES itself, as it can be adapted to support broader teacher management and professional development systems.
We also aspire to develop our own digital CPD courses and e-learning resources, tailored specifically to the realities of Ugandan classrooms. These resources will complement our curated menu of open-access courses and further strengthen teachers’ capacity to improve learning outcomes. Ultimately, we aspire to rolling out our model to many more schools.
As we enter 2026, we do so with a proven model, a committed team, and a clear sense of purpose. We have demonstrated that when you put the power in teachers’ hands, when you trust them, support them, and reward their commitment, they transform children’s lives.
Thank you for believing in this work. Together, we are proving that teachers matter, that teacher motivation matters, and that teachers are the key.
Sincerely, Dr. Emmanuel Khabusi Kamuli
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
“When teachers thrive, learners succeed.”