Needy children helped ahead of school opening 

By Lawrence Okwakol     

Pallisa: Twenty five  selected children who are believed to be  highly disadvantaged in getting scholastic materials  and in lower primary classes from Kamuge  sub county in Pallisa district were on Wednesday surprised with a dozen each pencils and pens for those in primary three , courtesy of Zimba educational ministries.

“It may seem nothing to people who can afford and have the capacity but to us it is a great offer”, words of Esther Nakiria a grandmother to one of the beneficiaries stated

However, Simon Olupot the vice chairperson LC1 of Onamudian village in Kamuge sub county said  he was very happy when he got a call from Ignatius Egolet the project  director of Zimba  education ministries asking him to pick the needy child whose parents cannot afford to buy books,pencils and pens for them as schools are due to open on February 05,2024 for term one..

Olupot in a joyous expression  said being in charge of children’s affairs as in the LC system he has a big challenge in mobilizing helpless  children to go to school.

“The families of these beneficiaries survive on one meal a day by chance and buying scholastic materials is taken as a secondary priority which can be done without yet children having to go to school “, Olupot said.
Egolet said they initiated this charity activity in  May 2023 after completion of their university education and didn’t want other children to experience what they went through while at school.

“We used to mix all subjects in one exercise book and seldomly had to be canned for not handing books for marking. It was hard but because of God’s lovely grace we studied in third world schools like Kamuge primary school high and passed.

Egolet said nobody should mistake or associate their charity to politics or link them to any politician.

“We are going to be hands on these pioneer beneficiaries and have their lives changed in this locality because we are going to have manageable enterprises that require cheap and available resources with their families and have the environment improved as well,” Egolet said.

Grace Abwor, one of the lower primary teachers in Kamuge station primary school said the majority of their learners come with one exercise book which is cut to make two yet there are six learning areas which all need separate exercise books.

Abwor challenged Zimba education ministries to lobby from their friends and have more children benefit. Am really impressed by your kindness to think of others unlike someone who would start buying posh cars and building magnificent houses for themselves .

Sarah Nakiria, a mother of nine said given the tough resolutions laid down in the general parents meeting to have all children at school with necessities, she is ready to give hers out as baby sitters to avoid running around with a taskforce.

“If they come asking for the children I will tell them my relatives have taken me to study in other places”, Nakiria said.

In Pallisa district given high numbers of helpless children majority of them hardly complete primary five.

Bendicto Kwapa, the LC1 of Namugongo village said  high dropout results are negatively impacting his community as he handles   domestic violence  and  petty theft causes daily.

“Having children in school is not primarily for jobs but to make them learn good social behaviors and delay them from early marriages. I have over 40 girls below the age of 18 who have fallen from marriage and are now in misunderstanding with  their brothers’ wives,” Kwapa said.

Stephen Opela, one of the inspectors of schools in Pallisa appreciated the intervention of Zimba education ministries and challenged them to create a large network of partnering with other organizations so as to help the very needy learners.

“Government of Uganda is contributing nearly 90% of children’s education by providing shelter, salaries for teachers instructional materials giving security and the others like uniform, exercise books and feeding which is obvious in every household id left for the parents who seem unappreciative because in a number of annual general meetings I have presided people ask for 100% support which should not be the case,” Opela said.