12 students from B.Stat 1, Makerere University participated as research assistants in the on effect evaluation of the World Starts With Me (WSWM) projected implemented currently in 100 schools in 29 districts across the country by SchoolNet Uganda. The World Starts With Me is an adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights program.

The effect evaluation aims to find out whether the WSWM changes adolescents’ sexual behaviour into safer behaviour. The effect evaluation will involve 2400 pupils at 48 secondary schools across the country (24 intervention schools and 24 control schools). The effect evaluation will involve administering a questionnaire in March 2008 and in September 2008 at the end of 2008 at the 48 secondary schools and in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FDGs) with students at two secondary schools. The effect evaluation started on Monday 3rd March 2008.

Kakinda Daniel, the Executive Director SchoolNet Uganda says SchoolNet Uganda’s main reason for engaging the B.STAT I students was to give them practical experience in some of the topics they cover in their course.

These topics include:

• Sampling and how to reduce errors in sampling.
• Different types of questionnaires and ways of administering questionnaires.
• Advantages and disadvantages of each method of administering the questionnaires.

The students first underwent three day Evaluation training. The training included:

• Introduction to the World Starts With Me (WSWM) program.
• Introduction to research techniques.
• Introduction and discussion of student questionnaire.
• Pilot testing the student questionnaire at Aggrey Memorial.
• Discussion of the pilot findings.
• Reviewing and finalization of questionnaire.

Motivation of students to join as a Research Assistant.

Below are some of the responses the B.STAT students gave when asked what their motivation was to participate as Research Assistants in the effect evaluation.

• The capacity building that is given before the exercise.
• The experience to learn in the field especially one of the courses I am offering.
• Opening me to other future opportunities with SchoolNet Uganda.
• The incentive given as a way of time compensation after the exercise.
• The fact that I am doing something or working for the first time and travelling to new places.
• I wanted to do some practical for what I am studying.
• It makes me feel I am doing internship for my courses.
• I wanted to travel to different regions of the country and see the way of life in the other regions other than my home region.
• I took this as a chance of putting in practice what I had learnt in class, by going out in the field.
• Get experience about working with young people.
• Going to new places.
• Learn more about sexuality and its related topics and SchoolNet Uganda at large.
• Learn more about sexual reproductive health and also learn more about WSWM and get to know how to interact with many more people.
• Learn about sexuality and reproductive health.
• Learn how to research and collect data.
• I love SchoolNet Uganda and would like to be involved in all its activities.
• The desire to increase my knowledge on research and to improve my skills in as far as field research is concerned.
• I hoped to learn more about HIV/AIDS since I had already heard about WSWM.
• I wanted to do some voluntary work for SchoolNet Uganda, since SchoolNet had been my stepping stone into the Digital world.
• To attend to more projects of SchoolNet Uganda and help others.
• Making a positive change to young people, which is something I had always dreamt of.
• To work as a team because my course mates were involved.
• Gain experience on how to handle myself in font of people.
• The exercise just seemed so exciting to resist.

What the B.Stat 1 students hoped to learn from being Research Assistants in the WSWS effect evaluation.

Below are some of the responses the B.STAT students gave when asked what they hoped to learn from participating as Research Assistants in the WSWM effect evaluation.

• How to deal with people and get accurate, unbiased information from them.
• Team work and coordination among my team mates.
• How to adjust to new environmental conditions like Rwenzori’s weather.
• How to economise given logistics to ensure that the whole exercise runs smoothly.
• I hope to learn what is done in the field and what it means to be responsible for something, in this case these questionnaires and the research we are going to do.
• Hope to learn more about the behaviour of people in other regions.
• Hope to learn more about administering questionnaires and doing research on sexual reproductive health.
• I hope to gain more confidence to approach anybody about the topic of human sexuality, love and relationship.
• I hope to know new places and to learn more about working with young people.
• To put in practice and also to get experience with being in the field.
• Learn how to collect data and get good communication skills.
• Hope to be informed more about the actual WSWM project in the schools. I will have the opportunity of going to and a chance to see for myself the fruits of this part of research and the eventual effect evaluation.
• I hope to gain more self esteem.
• Hope to learn how my fellow teenagers acquire HIV/AIDS.
• Learn more about sexuality.
• Gaining more experience about talking and convincing other people.
• Hope to improve on my self- esteem since am going to meet very many people and convincing them in going to depend on my confidence.
• Hope to meet new people as I work and to gain a little more experience.
• Hope to build my CV.

The Research Assistants were seen off on Saturday 1st March to go and administer separate questionnaires for boys and for girls at 48 secondary schools across the country. The exercise for administering the questionnaires is expected to last for 1 week.

The schools are: St. Joseph’s College Ombaci (Arua), Muni Girls SS (Arua), Bweranyangi Girls (Bushenyi), Nganwa High School (Bushenyi), Duhaga SS (Hoima), Wanyange Girls (Jinja), Mt. Rwenzori Girls SS (Kasese), Bwera SS (Kissed), Bukomero SS (Kiboga),Fatima Aloi Comprehensive Girls School (Lira), Rachele Comprehensive (Lira), Luwero SS (Luwero), Ndejje High School (Luwero),Moroto High School (Moroto), Bulo Parents (Mpigi), Kibibi SS (Mpigi), Nyenga SS (Mukono), Hilltop Nkokonjeru (Mukono), Teso College Aloet (Soroti),  Tubur SS (Soroti),St. Peters College Tororo (Tororo), Aidan College (Wakiso) and Gayaza High School (Wakiso), Arua Public School (Arua), Arua Town College Girls SS (Arua), Masheruka Girls (Bushenyi), Ruyonza SS (Bushenyi), Central School Hoima (Hoima), Nakanyonyi Girls SS (Jinja), St. Theresa Girls SS Nsenyi (Kasese), Karambi SS (Kasese), High Standard SS Kateera (Kiboga), Kitgum Comprehensive College (Kitgum), St. Theresa Girls SS (Lira) and Lira Central SS (Lira), St. Andrew Kaggwa Kassala (Luwero), Nandere St. John SS, Butawuka Magezi Ntake SS (Mpigi), Kibibi Standard SS (Mpigi), Lweru SS (Mukono), Bbuule Memorial SS (Mukono), St. Steven SS (Soroti), Orungo High School (Soroti), Angel Education Center, Namasuba (Wakiso) and Trinity College Nabbingo (Wakiso).
Check again around the mid-March to know exactly what the Research Assistant learned and the practical experience they gained.