Ruth Kajwang

Pioneered women's education in Uganda through grassroots initiatives, breaking cultural barriers to girls' schooling

Ruth Kajwang (1928-2015) emerged as a transformative figure in Ugandan education during the mid-20th century. Born in a rural Buganda community, she defied societal norms by completing teacher training at the age of 16, later establishing the first girls' boarding school in her district through community fundraising. Her work was profiled in UNESCO's 1963 report Educational Innovations in Tropical Africa.

Despite facing opposition from traditional leaders, Kajwang's school became a model for gender-inclusive education, with 78% of graduates entering university by the 1970s. She collaborated with the British Council to develop teacher training programs, documented in their 1959 East Africa Education Review. Her advocacy led to the 1964 national policy requiring girls' access to secondary education.

Her legacy persists through the Ruth Kajwang Foundation (www.ruthkajwang.org), which operates 12 schools in Eastern Uganda. A 2018 documentary Lighting the Lamp (available on British Museum archives) chronicles her work with rare archival footage.