Is this really a School?

When I was little, I didn’t know what life was going to offer me. I had so many obstacles along my path. I grew up in polygamous family and without a mother. I went to a nearby primary school in Arua and because of war, we had to leave Arua and move to our father’s ancestral home in Pakwach.

My dream of education was almost chattered but I thank God I was able to move to the city although I almost missed my target due to my own fault. I wrote about that in the story I wrote on world pulse entitled “My Journey in Education”, sometime back.

Why Am I writing my introduction like this? Recently, we went for community work somewhere and what shocked me was that in this day and era in Uganda we still have such kind of schools without any buildings, and the bare minimum scholastic materials. We had partnered with some friends to go and give scholastic materials but what I saw left me in tears.

First of all the road leading to the place was terrible where we could walk some distances and leave the cars to maneuver then board. It was a very humbling experience because we take many things for granted. We eventually reached our destination and when I was told that that was the school, I couldn’t believe my eyes. We saw very old iron sheets supported by few poles as classroom containing pupils from primary one to primary four. Primary one had very many girl children but primary four had none.

These children have to walk a very long distance in the bush and can’t go to school when it’s raining. The girl children are at risk because they can easily be raped along the way and no wonder we were told most of them have babies or are pregnant. The primary four boys were few about 11 but they are all full grown up boys fit to be in higher education but they are still in primary four. The school is manned by two teachers and one head-teacher all men.

Generally, the area lacks many things including water which is a basic necessity. The nearest government school is about 26 kilometres and the trading centre is about the same or slightly more distance. The day we visited, the few parents who turned up and the pupils were very happy but I kept wondering how far these children will go with their education. I know for a fact that that is not the only school in that district or in Uganda that is suffering like that but being a community school started by parents who really want their children to study, maybe something can be done.

I'm therefore wondering how my sisters here can help even with a mere tent so that when it rains, these pupils can at least be safe.

NB: I have permission to use the pics