ROBERT JJUUKO, PhD
Dr. Robert Jjuuko is a Ugandan educationist, researcher and social development consultant with more than 15 years of theoretical and practical experience; and deep contextual understanding of the education and development landscape in Uganda and sub-saharan Africa. He has proven ability to support students, educators and development workers to achieve individual and organisational learning success. Robert is a passionate scholar of agency, democracy and justice in youth development, vocational education and popular adult education & learning.
Robert Jjuuko obtained his PhD titled ‘Youth transition, agricultural education and employment in Uganda: Freeing individual agency’ in 2021 at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He is a graduate of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa with a Master of Education. He holds a Bachelor of Adult and Community Education Degree from Makerere University, Uganda. The foundation of his adult education lenses are traceable from his more than 5 years’ experience as a community adult literacy tutor in Mukono district; and his diploma in adult education course at Taasisi Ya Elimu Ya Watu Wazima (Institute of Adult Education, Dar es Salaam) during the late 1990s.
Robert’s work experience includes university teaching as well as managing and evaluating community development, vocational & skills development, adult learning & education interventions. He has hands-on experience in education and social policy analysis and advocacy, and NGO management. He has pioneered the founding of local and national initiatives for advocacy and service delivery focusing on the education rights and needs of out-of-school young people and adults. He is a writer and has authored several research and practice oriented articles on a range of subjects including adult education and learning (ALE), agricultural education and training (AET), vocational pedagogy, vocational education and training (VET), workplace learning, and vocational placements.
Robert’s research interests include workplace learning, career guidance, youth transition, vocational pedagogy, adult education financing, and action research for individual transformation and social change. He is affiliated to several national, regional and global networks involved in the research and practice of ALE, VET, Youth Development, Social Justice and Transformative Education.
SAUL TUMWINE
Is a graduate of master of science in Global development and planning from the University of Agder in Norway. He is an educator with more than eight years of working experience with young people and has done field research in community development work.
Saul has skills in mobilisation, leadership, motivation, writing, and editing, all acquired from working with researchers, teaching, and leading student and professional bodies. He is a team player with international perspectives having attended courses in Norway and Germany with participants of different nationalities and diverse cultures. He is currently looking for opportunities leading to a PhD program. His research interests are in the fields of lifelong learning, social protection, social transformation, and special education.
MARIA NANDAGO
Is a Sustainable International Development Scholar with a master degree from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University in the USA. She was a practising high school teacher of economics for 4 years having graduated from the Islamic University in Uganda in the year 1991.
She is a career development worker with national, regional and global experience and exposure of more than 15 years. She has accrued considerable experience in the design and delivery of social development interventions with the use of participatory methodologies. Maria is one of Uganda’s pioneering champions of REFLECT methodology promoted by ActionAid International. She is co. founder of PAMOJA Africa, a pioneer platform for REFLECT practitioners in Africa.
Maria has undertaken dozens of part and full time advisory, consultancy and specialist roles on gender, governance & accountability, participatory methodologies with international development agencies in a couple of African countries.
She has a passion for girl child rights and women empowerment. Her research interest include gender & aging, gender & climate change, Unveiling the silence around gender based violence participation and participatory methodologies for community learning and empowerment
