For over a decade, the Primary 7 classroom at PBCCS stood silent—a room full of desks but no candidates. Year after year, the challenges of life in Azaro meant students often dropped out before they could reach their final exams. But today, there is a new sound coming from those hallways: the sound of a promise being kept.
The Community Catalyst Foundation, through the Janet Ayio Education Fund, has stepped in to ensure that the "Class of 2026" makes history. We know that behind every successful student is a supported teacher, which is why we recently hosted our first Educator Stewardship Forum. Through role-playing, games, and honest discussion, we skilled our teachers in advanced pedagogy and ethical leadership—reinvigorating them to be the guardians of these children’s dreams.
Central to this mission is our P.O.W.E.R programme, which tackles the quiet barriers that often force girls out of the classroom. We are working hard to ensure that something as natural as a period never becomes a reason for a girl to fall behind. By providing menstrual health support and creating a safe, dignifying environment, we are keeping our girls where they belong: in school.
The stakes are real and personal. Currently, there are only two girls in the Primary 7 class of 2026. To ensure they cross the finish line, the Foundation has awarded both of them full bursaries. These two pioneers carry the dreams of all the girls who came before them.
The training ended with shared gifts and certificates, but the real reward was the renewed energy in the staff room. For the first time in ten years, we aren’t just talking about "pupils"—we are talking about "candidates." We are breaking a decade-long drought and proving to Azaro that this time, 2026, we’ll be ready.