Project Name: Rebuilding the Moral Infrastructure of the Youth in Uganda: Nurturing a new Generation for National Transformation

Project Funder: The Makerere Research Innovation Fund

Project Duration: 1 year

Project Synopsis

This is a hybrid of both Research and Innovation (R&I) project seeking to expand the BANG [Becoming a New Generation] Program with the major objective of rebuilding the moral infrastructure of the youth, specifically focused on critical values, morals, character and ethical conduct that are necessary for academic excellence, social innovations, positive mindset, attitude and behavior change, essential for individual, family, institutional, community as well as national transformation. The activities to be employed will include sensitization talks, training, seminars, counselling and mentorship, media campaigns, talent developing programs, learning opportunities, encouraging a spirit of volunteerism and social responsibility, networking and knowledge sharing, rewarding outstanding behavior and innovations, establishing BANG Clubs etc.

This project proposes a novel innovation to solve the problem identified above by developing appropriate information, education and communication [IEC] materials necessary to carry out pragmatic and holistic interventions in Universities, secondary schools, and communities in order to: -

• Build a new generation of youth, sensitized and empowered to acquire values, morals, and character and life skills such as self-control, honesty, financial literacy, hard work, integrity, patriotism, positive attitude and mindset towards life, including personal and social responsibility. Attention will be put to issues of sexuality, pornography, drug abuse, alcohol and substance abuse as well as social innovations, transformative leadership and economic empowerment in order to break the poverty mentality and the dependency syndrome among young people.
• Establish BANG Clubs which will provide support to the youth and help them sustain the positive values and commitments they make.
• Equip and empower lecturers and teachers to positively and professionally handle the youth under their care, as role models and to complement and supplement the efforts of parents.

Sensitizing and training parents and guardians on responsible fatherhood, how to nurture, guide and care for their children/youth appropriately and how to inculcate values, morals and character in them using positive parenting skills.

Makerere University PI: Dr. Peace Musiimenta

Research Team: Dr. Peace Musiimenta, Dr. Brenda Boonabaana, Dr. Amos Ochieng, Steven Langa, Ivan Twinomuhwezi Kiiza, Jasper Ankunda, Victoria Mwebaze, Peter Warren Kahigiriza, Allan Ampurire, Pius Okello, Doreen Kisembo, Edgar Tumwesigye