{UAH} After 28 years of chalk, time for her to relax

By Perez Rumanzi

Hilda Rwamashongye Turyahikayo's work story is one that inspires but is also intimidating. Turyahikayo started teaching in May 1977 at a young age of 17.Her journey of work is full of breaks, disappointments and breakthroughs that when she retired, she felt like relaxing and attending to herself.
"The biggest thing is that my late husband and I had prepared for our retirement. We had built a home started some farming projects and our children had completed school. I am now able to supervise and oversee those projects and a few others I have since started," Rwamashongye says.
Two years to her retirement, she started processing papers for her gratuity, pension and other benefits and handling basic accountabilities and other handover reports at office. Her husband had died two years prior to retirement. She was alone planning this time, which became hectic for her.
"District officials, chief administrative officer, accountants and human resource officials helped me to process the paperwork when I was still in service. When you wait, you  become irrelevant in service and no one will care about you," she says.
Born in 1958 to John and Jovanice Kyabonwa Rwamashongye of Rweibogo Bugamba Rwampara District, Rwamashongye says she accidentally went to teaching in primary schools after she craved to be a veterinarian at a tender age.
Her father, who was president of the National Organisation of Trade union (NOTU), a plumber and fitter at Kilembe Mines was killed in 1971 by soldiers of President Idi Amin and his body dumped in River Nyamwamba. She was 12 years old . A good life ended there.
"Our mother struggled to take us to good schools; for secondary education I went to Bweranyangi Girls' School, Bushenyi where I met many girls including Winnie Byanyima, Janet Museveni, and Miria Matembe. However after Senior Four, my mother was finacially strained and could not carry on. I was taken to Bishop Willis PTC, one of the only four primary teachers colleges. There, I completed my primary teachers' course. I have never regretted being a teacher," she says.
She got married to Japheth Turyahikayo, an employee at the East African Community in 1978 while Rwamashongye was a teacher at Katukuru Primary School in Mbarara District. The infamous war happened and they lost their wealth in 1979. She left for her husband's village to start farming. However, after the war she regained employment and the rest is history.
Work 
In 1993, Rwamashongye applied to work in the new district of Ntungamo and was given a job as deputy head teacher Rutunguru Primary School, about four kilometres away from her home. She had to walk there and back daily.

Turyahikayo enjoying an outing with her daughters.

"I took up the job but found the head teacher resistant to my appointment but I endured. Meanwhile, I had other different responsibilities in different areas such as politics, nongovernmental organisations, and family," Rwamashongye who served as the chairperson Ntungamo District women council from 1996 to 2018," she says.
She went to upgrade her qualifications. She went to school to study a diploma in teaching and later a degree in primary education plus a certificate in education (primary schools) management.
In 2000, she was appointed Grade I headteacher to Muriisa Primary School, a school with 920 pupils at the time, six kilometres away from home, a school she headed until her retirement in 2018.
"I took up a school with many pupils and lots of challenges. One of my key areas was timekeeping; I would wake up at 5am and walk six kilometres from home every day. I would be the first at school and I loved being in class teaching my favourite subjects," she says.
Perks and loss
In 2014, Rwamashongye was awarded the best rural UPE teacher in the country after 47 of her 60 PLE pupils emerged in Grade I.
Her greatest setback she says, was when she lost her husband in 2016. That same year, her pupils performed poorly.
Retires
The mother of seven retired from service after clocking the mandatory retirement age of 60 in 2018. She is one of the three members of the Ntungamo District service commission recently appointed by the district chairman Denis Singahache.
"There is nothing as good as retirement. I spend most of my time at home supervising and working on my farm. There is no pressure and I work at my own pace. I have been given a slot as a commissioner in the Ntungamo District service commission, which is not a permanent job. This enables me to contact and reach people in offices who keep my mind busy and refreshed," she says.
She now keeps dairy cattle, grows coffee and bananas as well as many other annual crops. In a month, Rwamashongye says she makes up to Shs3m before expenses. She is a church elder and mentor to many.
She is writing a book on ebishakuzo (traditional riddles) and their meanings, which she hopes to publish next year.
Work schedule
"I wake up at around 5.30am, jog in my compound to keep fit. I bathe and go to supervise milking, take breakfast and go to supervise more work plus working around gardens and plantations. I have my lunch at 1pm before resting at 2pm. I get to my book for writing and review of the past write ups. Sometimes,  I go to the cows and return to watch TV, from educative to soap operas.  I don't take dinner.  I sleep at around 7.30pm," she says.
Keeping her life away from the limelight and busy supervising work schedules and making her own new projects makes her happier.
When her children are home, they go out. When other duties call, she is on standby.  She gets far more income than in teaching and uses less time than she used to.

What others say
Jeanne Ahairwe, her daughter, says she grew up wishing her mother retires. 
"She had no time to rest. Even when she came home she would again get to books to prepare for the next day. She was a workaholic. I am happy she is retired and I can find her home," she says.
Oddo Arigye, the former Ntungamo district education officer, says, "She is one of the perfectionist head teachers I met in my tenure.  She is a stickler for  time and a resource manager, and one from whom you would seek guidance on how she overcame a challenge." 

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Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)

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