Old, squeaky wooden desks in dimly lit rooms with broken windows and tattered floors are typical of the learning environments in low-cost schools. Limited resources and perpetual teacher absenteeism due to low motivation are the norm. This was the experience of Ivan Agaba, the founder of Imani Schools, who attended a low-cost primary school. He and his classmates aspired to become influential individuals in society, but most never saw this dream fulfilled.

Born and raised in Kisubi, a small village 34 kilometres from Kampala, Agaba faced significant challenges. With his father away pursuing further studies overseas, his mother, a secondary school teacher and the family’s sole breadwinner, could only afford to send him to the best school available in their neighbourhood, which was substandard. Despite these hardships, children from low-income schools are expected to sit the same National examinations and undergo the same grading as their more privileged peers.

Agaba’s life improved when he enrolled in the prestigious St. Mary’s College Kisubi, where his mother taught and secured a bursary to cover most of the fees. There, he encountered the stark disparity between his primary and secondary education. Initially struggling with low confidence and academic challenges, Agaba eventually caught up with his peers, excelled in his national exams, and attended university. This success led him to a corporate business career.

However, a life-changing moment came while volunteering at a high school in Nansana. Agaba met students who, like him, had experienced poor foundational education and were timid and unable to express themselves clearly. These brilliant students reminded him of his struggles. He realized that poor quality foundational education continued to disadvantage young adults in the job market, competing against peers with more privileged educational backgrounds.

This realization inspired Agaba to change the narrative for children in low-income communities by offering high-quality, low-cost education. Imani Schools was born. The pilot project opened in January 2017 in Nansana, a densely populated suburb of Kampala, focusing on:  

• Providing conducive learning environments 
• Ensuring 100% teacher attendance and engagement with students 
• Tailoring favorable payment structures that enable parents to keep their children in school throughout the entire school year.