Private school teachers in Gulu receive food aid

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Teachers from private schools in Gulu municipality have received a donation of relief food.

The food donated by Calvary Chapel and distributed through the Gulu COVID-19 taskforce and was handed over to about 540 teachers on Sunday.

The donation was 5 tonnes of maize floor and 2.5 tonnes of beans. Each teacher received 10 kilograms of maize floor and 5 kilograms of beans.

Recently, a section of private school teachers in Gulu municipality launched a social media campaign dubbed “open our schools or feed the teachers” appealing to teachers worst hit by the COVID-19 to register for food aid.

Openytho William Lucima, a teacher at Nile Progressive Secondary School and one of the mobilisers said most of the beneficiaries are private school teachers who have not been paid by their respective schools since March this year.

He said they are lobbying for food relief to be given to more 1000 teachers who have already registered under their campaign.

Stella Akong, one of the beneficiaries and a teacher at Future Hope nursery and primary school said she has resorted to farming in the backyard because they are not certain when schools will be opened for studies to resume. She said the food relief will supplement what she has planted in her backyard garden.

Charity Ajok, another teacher at Mama Catherine primary and nursery school urged the government to consider supporting teachers of private schools who have gone without salary for many months.

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