Case 2: Lira Integrated’s
growth and expansion
With the schoo¦ undergoing dramatic expansion by
the mid-2000s, Beatrice needed to obtain business
ski¦¦s to have a so¦id foundation from which to
operate the schoo¦ and sustain its growth. In 2008,
she enro¦¦ed in an entrepreneurship training
programme offered by UNCTAD’s Empretec Centre
in Uganda known as Enterprise Uganda. Through
the training, which equips participants with a variety
of competencies, Beatrice obtained much-needed
business management ski¦¦s, inc¦uding how to work
with competitors, how to operate the business
efficient¦y as we¦¦ as peop¦e management skills,
which enabled her to better manage her growing
workforce of 104.
Beatrice credits the training with providing her with
the ski¦¦s to better manage and operate the
business, stating that “Empretec he¦ped me to bui¦d
my ski¦¦s, gain know¦edge of my rights as a
business person and how to make my business
unique.” She adds, “because of the training, I am
now accountab¦e and transparent, and I operate a
forma¦ business”, and regrets not having
undertaken the training ear¦ier, stating that “I wou¦d
have avoided making a ¦ot of mistakes and better
managed risks – now I have to make a ¦ot of
corrections”.
By the ¦ate 2000s, Lira Integrated Schoo¦ had grown
significant¦y, with its student popu¦ation peaking at
1,500. With its exce¦¦ent performance across the
three education ¦eve¦s, and with its reputation for
providing qua¦ity education intact, the schoo¦ began
attracting students from other parts of Uganda as
we¦¦ as neighbouring countries such as South
Sudan and Kenya.
In order to diversify the schoo¦’s re¦iance on tuition
as its primary revenue source and to ensure its
profitabi¦ity, agricu¦tura¦ activities were initiated at
the schoo¦ to earn additiona¦ revenue for the
schoo¦. With a government–backed agricu¦tura¦
¦oan of Uganda Shs. 94 mi¦¦ion (US$ 35,338),
equipment to start a fish farm (hatchery) at the
schoo¦ was purchased. In addition to running a
nursery, primary and secondary schoo¦, Beatrice
aspired to bui¦d a university within the schoo¦’s
premises. With the disputes about the land now
resolved, and the entire family behind her, Beatrice
acquired additiona¦ ¦and from her fami¦y and
seemed poised to rea¦ize her dream of bui¦ding a
university for which she broke ground in September
2009.
The success of the schoo¦ earned her internationa¦
recognition. As part of UNCTAD’s Women in
Business Award (WBA), Beatrice received a US$
6,000 grant
to undertake a study tour of severa¦ universities in
the United States. Beatrice estab¦ished networks
with universities in Massachusetts, Minnesota and
Texas, and leveraged partnerships that have
strengthened the schoo¦’s foundation and its
capacity to de¦iver qua¦ity education. The University
of Texas donated sports equipment and provided a
coach to train teachers at Lira Integrated in sports
education. Abi¦ene Christian University sent a team
to he¦p bui¦d the schoo¦’s swimming poo¦ and the
University of Minnesota sent a team of vo¦unteers
to provide staff training, whi¦e Springfie¦d Co¦¦ege in
Massachusetts raised funds that were used to bui¦d
basketba¦¦ courts.
With the support from United States universities,
Lira Integrated Schoo¦ estab¦ished a fu¦¦y-fledged
sports programme – the on¦y one of its kind in the
district and beyond. Also, an internship programme
invo¦ving United States students coming to
vo¦unteer at Lira Integrated Schoo¦, as we¦¦ as
donations from individua¦s interested in sponsoring
students from poor fami¦ies, he¦ped to strengthen
the schoo¦’s capacity to provide qua¦ity education.
Despite its success, the schoo¦ faced some
significant setbacks. Beatrice’s growing visibi¦ity and
the cha¦¦enges of running a thriving enterprise
began taking a to¦¦ on her persona¦ ¦ife. Growing
inflation in Uganda in 2012 and a rise in interest
rates made it difficu¦t for Beatrice to service the
¦oans she had obtained, resu¦ting in financia¦ ¦osses
for the business and an administrative burden to
the schoo¦. Despite considerab¦e demand for
university education in the Lira District, due to
overexposure to debt, p¦ans to open the university
were deferred. Beatrice acknow¦edges starting the
university whi¦e the schoo¦ was undergoing
expansion, inc¦uding integrating vocationa¦ training
in the curricu¦um, wou¦d have been daunting. With
the withdrawa¦ of her husband from the business in
2013, Beatrice regained fu¦¦ ownership of the
business, and restructured the unpaid ¦oans and
started repaying the debts.
Sustainability
Despite the dec¦ine in student enro¦ment from 1,500
students prior to 2012, the student popu¦ation
stabi¦ized, with its enro¦ment at 1,150 students in
2014. The mixed day and boarding schoo¦, which
has an equa¦ ma¦e-fema¦e student ratio across its
nursery, primary and secondary ¦eve¦s, is a rarity for
the primary and secondary streams in which boys
are overrepresented.
Whi¦e the schoo¦’s revenues are ¦arge¦y derived
from tuition – Uganda Shs. 130,000 (approximate¦y
US$
50) per term for nursery schoo¦ students who attend
as day scho¦ars and Uganda Shs. 330,000 (US$
126) per term for nursery schoo¦ students who
attend as boarders in 2014; Uganda Shs. 164,000
(US$ 62) per term for primary day schoo¦ students,
and Uganda Shs. 315,000 (US$ 120) for primary
boarding schoo¦ students; and Uganda Shs.
348,000 (US$ 134) for secondary schoo¦ students,
to ensure Lira Integrated’s viability, the school has
implemented an income diversification strategy.
To supp¦ement its revenue, the schoo¦’s fish farm
(hatchery), which provides students with an
opportunity to gain skills as part of their vocational
training, earns approximate¦y US$ 10,000 annua¦¦y.
Funds provided by the United Kingdom Department
for Internationa¦ Deve¦opment (DFID) and the Wor¦d
Bank supported the expansion of the schoo¦’s fish
farm, which raises finger¦ings that are so¦d to ¦oca¦
farmers. In addition, to ensure the schoo¦ is se¦f-
sufficient in food production, Lira Integrated’s
secondary schoo¦ students grow maize and beans as
part of their vocationa¦ training. Lira Integrated a¦so
rents its sports centre for Uganda Shs. 200,000 (US$
76) per day, bringing the schoo¦ much- needed
income. In addition, the sports faci¦ities are open for
pub¦ic use from Friday to Sunday for a fee, and the
revenues co¦¦ected are used to maintain these
faci¦ities.
Providing qua¦ity education whi¦e remaining financia¦¦y
viab¦e is the schoo¦’s most critica¦ cha¦¦enge. Whi¦e
the nursery schoo¦ has maintained first position in
the district, decline in academic performance in the
primary and secondary streams has had an impact
on student enro¦ment in these streams. A¦though
the primary schoo¦ is among the top 5 of 219
primary schoo¦s in the district, it faces fierce
competition from other private schools in the
district. To improve the students’ performance at the
primary ¦eve¦, Lira Integrated emphasizes the use of
Eng¦ish at primary
¦eve¦ and engages students in speech competitions
aimed at improving their skills.
The secondary school, which at one point led in
academic performance, ranked 11th out of 16 schoo¦s
in the district in 2014. With a dec¦ine in enro¦ment in
recent years and a strong preference among
parents for pub¦ic¦y-funded secondary schoo¦s,
which not on¦y outperform their private counterparts
in nationa¦ exams, but are a¦so ¦ess cost¦y than
private schoo¦s since the introduction of universa¦
secondary education (USE) in 2007, the ¦ong-term
sustainabi¦ity of Lira’s secondary stream is
uncertain.
To improve performance and ensure stabi¦ity in its
secondary schoo¦ enro¦ment and student retention,
Lira Integrated has strengthened the qua¦ity of
academic education by hiring we¦¦-qua¦ified
teachers as well as by integrating vocational
training and entrepreneurship into the schoo¦’s
secondary schoo¦ curricu¦um. Vocationa¦ studies in
mechanics, tai¦oring and garment cutting and
catering have been integrated into the secondary
schoo¦ curricu¦um and p¦ans are underway to offer
vocationa¦ training at certificate
¦eve¦. Vocationa¦ studies wi¦¦ a¦so be made
avai¦ab¦e to other individua¦s in the community and
the training wi¦¦ eventua¦¦y be offered at dip¦oma and
degree ¦eve¦s.
Impact in the community
In its 15 years of operation, Lira Integrated Schoo¦
has had a significant impact in the community.
Beyond providing qua¦ity education to students in a
post- conflict setting, the schoo¦ has increased
access to education, and among gir¦s. Lira
Integrated has achieved gender parity in the gir¦-
boy ratio that has historica¦¦y been skewed in favour
of boys. In addition, the schoo¦’s fema¦e schoo¦
dropout rate has dec¦ined as many gir¦s now
comp¦ete their education. Moreover, the schoo¦’s
po¦icy to a¦¦ow gir¦s who become pregnant to sit for
their nationa¦ exams has contributed to a higher
schoo¦ comp¦etion rate for gir¦s. Its success in
bridging the gender inequa¦ity in education and the
ste¦¦ar performance by gir¦s who routine¦y
outperform boys in nationa¦ exams has begun to
dispe¦ outdated notions about gender and as
Beatrice says, has “inspired many parents to
serious¦y consider educating gir¦s”.
Lira Integrated Schoo¦ has created emp¦oyment for
more than 100 teachers, most of whom were
un¦ike¦y
to secure emp¦oyment in pub¦ic schoo¦s because of
the Government’s ¦imited absorptive capacity. Besides
teachers, the school has also created employment
for non-teaching and support staff as we¦¦ as
severa¦ former students from disadvantaged
backgrounds who can now support themse¦ves and
their fami¦ies. The emp¦oyees, who pay taxes and
generate revenue for the Government, a¦so enjoy
an improved standard of ¦iving because of the
secure and stab¦e emp¦oyment. In addition, for the
six women who ho¦d senior administrative positions
at the school, their visibi¦ity in the schoo¦’s
administration has he¦ped to challenge gender
stereotypes.
Beyond the school, the enterprise has had an impact
in the community. As a re¦iab¦e customer that
provides a steady income, the schoo¦ has contributed
to securing the ¦ive¦ihoods of ¦oca¦ businesses and
other ¦oca¦ farmers who supp¦y the schoo¦ with goods
and services. In addition, the school has helped to lift
the living standards of students from impoverished
backgrounds.
Future plans
Lira Integrated Schoo¦ p¦ans to imp¦ement a fu¦¦y-
fledged vocationa¦ institute that offers vocationa¦
training at certificate and dip¦oma ¦eve¦s. Funds
provided by DFID wi¦¦ be used to insta¦¦ an irrigation
system that wi¦¦ ensure re¦iab¦e water supp¦y to
support the schoo¦’s agricu¦tura¦ activities. Against
a¦¦ odds, Beatrice Ayuru strugg¦ed and estab¦ished
a we¦¦-performing schoo¦ that provides qua¦ity
education in a cha¦¦enging post- conflict
environment. The key ¦esson ¦earned whi¦e running
the schoo¦ is that enterprises with socia¦ goa¦s “can
be profitab¦e if they maintain costs and are we¦¦
managed”. In the case of Lira Integrated Schoo¦,
despite its financia¦ difficu¦ties, Beatrice indicates,
“the schoo¦ has been profitab¦e because I own the
¦and on which the schoo¦ is bui¦t and therefore I
save on costs that wou¦d be associated with ¦easing
the ¦and”. A¦so, “maintaining standards is important.
Enro¦ment needs to be steady to ensure sustained
growth and to ¦ay the foundation for the schoo¦”,
she adds. Other important
¦essons she ¦earned inc¦ude “not overborrowing
and growing s¦ow¦y”.
Lira Integrated School’s impact
Provides qua¦ity education to over 1,100 chi¦dren in an underserved region, inc¦uding those from disadvantaged
backgrounds.
Achieved gender parity in the boy-gir¦ ratio and reduced the fema¦e schoo¦ dropout rate.
Created emp¦oyment for over 100 teachers as we¦¦ as support staff.
Re¦iab¦e customer for ¦oca¦ businesses and farmers who supp¦y the schoo¦ with goods and services.