Segment 1

VOICEOVER

A timeless image from the region of Karamoja in northeastern Uganda: children tending to the herd. Cattle and goats are what keep the Karamijong people alive in what can be an unforgiving landscape. Water is scarce, and the harsh environment is not capable of sustaining the masses on crops alone. A new image, one of hope. Children hearing a school bell and scurrying to class, in this case, a UNICEF-supported mobile classroom that allows children here to attend school, while still helping the family look after the animals. Nangiro Lowuya has been raising cattle his entire life, just like his father and grandfather before him. But, after a few lean years, he wants to give his three children options that he never had.

NANGIRO LOWUYA [father of three students]

School is very important because in the past all we cared about was getting more animals. But now we're in the middle of a crisis. The animals are being stolen, and there's an outbreak of disease. And at the end of it, you might not have anything. Education is the light. A child with an education can get a salary and buy food from the market, even buy a new animal if one dies or is stolen.

VOICEOVER

He learned about the mobile classroom from Nakut Rose, a community mobilizer who travels around the village informing families about the importance of giving a child a formal education. UNICEF, which supports her efforts, recognizes education as a fundamental right, outlined in the convention on the rights of the child. Not only will classes like this one help children develop to their full potential, it will give them economic opportunities previously cutoff to their community. Rose is particularly proud of her efforts to get girls in the classroom.

NAKUT ROSE [community mobilizer]

It's important for a girl to go to school so society won't undermine the girls. They are human beings. Also to get knowledge, so they can have a place in society, just like men. A man can serve the family, and a woman can also serve the family at the same time.

VOICEOVER

There are many reasons to provide a free, basic education to children. Education enhances lives, and it helps end generational cycles of poverty and disease. But, at its core, education is a fundamental human right, which should be extended to all children, girls and boys, regardless of where they live. This is Thomas Nybo reporting for UNICEF Television in Moroto, Uganda. Unite for children.