About Us
Hungry Minds Educational Society (HUMES)
formed in response to requests from adult literacy learners for help with their living needs. Stakeholders working with the founders, challenged them to place education within the context of community improvement and then model this process to surrounding villages.
Learners living below the poverty line repeatedly request training that is closely linked with their envisioned livelihood and daily family needs. HUMES aims to respond to our learners, while addressing the issues of why those needs persist.
The low educational levels amongst Uganda’s adult population and the lack of personal and community resources contribute to chronic poverty which in turn, traps individuals in a state of severe need. Donor funding has created corruption, dependency and discouraged creativity and problem solving in Uganda.
Our methodology is based on the premise that learners have the human, natural and social resources for self-reliance, but lack the enabling conditions which training and grassroots financial assistance can provide through international partnerships. HUMES acts as the intermediary to bring together those that have questions and those that have the expertise, programs, models and resources to provide solutions.
Principal Staff
Joyce Nairuba
is the Ugandan co-founder of Hungry Minds Educational Society. She has a degree in Adult Education and Community Development and has been involved with training and coordinating literacy projects in Uganda for over ten years.
Karen Smith
is the Canadian co-founder of Hungry Minds Educational Society. She is a qualified counsellor and teacher with over 25 years of international experience as an adult educator.