Uganda 2001 – a lesson beyond the classroom

This photo was taken in rural Uganda in 2001—yes, I was younger then.

I remember asking the teacher if I could speak with the students and pose a simple question: “Who had breakfast this morning?” About half the class raised their hands. I followed up: “What did you have?” Of those who responded, about half had tea; the others had cassava melon.

Experiences like this are profoundly humbling. They reveal the reality behind the numbers. As an educational economist, there’s no substitute for being on the ground—visiting schools, listening to students, and seeing firsthand the conditions in which learning happens. Economics is about how people live their everyday lives – not just about the numbers. This kind of insight never makes it into spreadsheets, but it’s where the real understanding begins.