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Buikwe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Icelandic International Development Agency-ICEIDA has completed the renovation of 47 government schools in Buikwe District.
In 2014 the Government of Uganda signed a financing agreement of USD 9 million with Iceland to support the construction and renovation of schools in fishing communities.
The objective was to facilitate improvement in livelihood and living conditions of people including improving the quality of basic education in schools serving fishing communities of Buikwe district.
The District Education Officer Joyce Nalubega says since the schools were too many, they chose to use different contractors to speed up the works on time.
Out of the 47 schools, 43 are government primary schools and four are secondary schools. They include Ngogwe Baskerville, Nyenga SSS, Sacred Heart Najja, and Victoria Senior secondary school.
In addition to the renovations, three classroom blocks, one staff quarter with three apartments, two six stance latrines were constructed and six solar panels and one water tank of 1,000 liters installed.
She explains that the new developments have come at a time when schools in the district require minimum standards and essential basic facilities to resume candidate classes.
“There so many families now challenged with taking back students and pupils to schools but parents should use such opportunities of new schools to take back their children.”
Mathias Kigongo, the LCV District Chairperson, says that the renovations will enhance a good learning environment. He notes that the funding also caters for functional health clubs in schools, regular health-related sensitization sustainable feeding programmes which are most likely to improve the health leaving of children in Buikwe.
“Schools are constructed and now it is the custodians such as churches to ensure their smooth operation and parents should also support these schools”.
Anna Maria Namuswe a resident at Najja sub-county is excited with the facelifts given to their schools. Namuswe says that it will motivate many of their children especially in the fishing communities to enrol in schools.
The Mukono Diocesan Bishop James William Ssebbaggala says that once school structures are expanded and improved, parents should play their part in ensuring that pupils and students attend to school.
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