Makerere University, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Uganda, has launched a Daycare and Breastfeeding Centre at the Institute of Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) to promote gender equality and support parenting students and staff.
The facility, located on the ground floor of IGDS at the Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility, aims to provide a safe, nurturing environment for children aged zero to five years. It will allow mothers and fathers to focus on their academic and professional work without compromising childcare.
Speaking at the launch on August 7, 2025, UNDP Uganda Ag. Resident Representative Ian King hailed the centre as a landmark for gender-responsive services in higher education. “This is about ensuring children’s safety and giving parents peace of mind,” he said. He applauded IGDS for being the first institution in Africa to participate in the Gender Equality Seal (GES) initiative, funded by the European Union.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said the centre would help address a key factor behind student dropouts. “Many students drop out just because they become mothers,” he noted. “This facility will help mothers who are students and staff to continue their work and studies.” He thanked UNDP for its long-standing partnership in creating a more inclusive university.
IGDS Head Prof. Sarah Ssali said the facility reflects Makerere’s long history of advancing gender equality. She noted that while the university has more than 20 gender-related policies, this is the first to directly address childcare needs for both students and staff. “It is a shared space for child care,” she said.
Donna Keirungi, a mother and Makerere alumna, said the centre makes gender equality policies practical. “The journey to establish the centre began in 2022 with support from UNDP, including benchmarking at a well-established Daycare Centre in Parliament,” she said.
Guild President Ssentamu Churchill James described the centre as a symbol of the university’s commitment to removing barriers for parenting students. “It will give students, especially mothers, the peace of mind to balance their roles,” he said.
The facility is open to children of both students and staff, including single fathers, and forms part of Makerere’s Strategic Plan 2020–2030 to create an enabling work-life balance environment.
