By Mike Sebalu
Strømme Foundation, in partnership with Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD) and Rural initiative for Community Empowerment (RICE) West Nile distributed school facilities to 128 schools (100 in Yumbe and 28 in Obongi) districts from 17-20 March 2025 through the RISING project funded by Educate A child (EAC) and AKO Foundation.
The facilities included four classrooms and ten latrine stances at Mijale primary school, 1,242 Desks, 5,900 text books, 50 teachers chairs, 48 teachers’ tables and 40 cartons of Chalk,12 dozens of dusters in Yumbe district while Obongi received 374 desks, 1,652 textbooks, 17 cartons of chalk, 14 teachers’ tables and 14 teachers’ chairs and 3 dozens of dusters.
Stromme Foundation in partnership with CEFORD and RICE West Nile have invested more than 2 Billion Uganda shillings provided by Education Above All and AKO foundation through the RISING project to improve learning outcomes in Yumbe and Obongi Districts since 2022 by Constructing twenty-two classrooms and 85 latrine stances, strengthening school management committees for 128 schools, training more than 1,920 girls in menstrual hygiene management and training more than 1000 teachers in various competences.
The RISING project, implemented by Stromme Foundation and its local implementing partners in consortium with Plan International Uganda has supported the re- enrolment of more than 20,000 out of school children many of whom are refugees from South Sudan and empowered them with life skills through Bonga in School clubs to make informed life decisions including the choice to complete school.
Speaking during the distribution of the learning facilities, Ms Dinah Morgan Nambooze, Stromme Foundation’s Country Director emphasized the role of education in fighting poverty noting that the first day at school marked the first step out of poverty which is the reason Stromme Foundation complements government to ensure that teachers and learners have adequate facilities like textbooks, furniture, classrooms and latrines to make schools in Yumbe and Obongi enjoyable, safe and conducive for improving learning outcomes.
She urged parents, teachers and local government officials to address challenges which prevent girls form completing education in Yumbe and Obongi like teenage pregnancy and early child marriage, missuse of drugs, limited parental involvement.
She further challenged stakeholders to mentor the boy-child to ensure they too remains, completes and succeed in education.
Other stakeholders who addressed communities during the handover of school facilities including Honourable member of Parliament Dr. George D Bhoka from Obongi district, technical and elected district local government leaders like District Education Officers, Chief Administrative Officers, District chairpersons and Resident District Commissioners from Obongi and Yumbe challenged head teachers and School Management Committees to be exemplary to learners and communities, provide stewardship for the facilities, mobilize parents participation, supervise teachers, account for government and locally raised resources to transform the education sector.
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