Food support donated to schools around Lake Victoria shores has boosted pupil turn up compared to other government schools in various parts of Buikwe district.
The Icelandic International Development Agency-ICEIDA offered to Buikwe a special grant of shillings 1.6 billion to assist schools with food support as they recover from the effects of Covid-19 in 2020 though the government continued the recess until this year.
A consignment of 409, 400 kilograms of maize flour and 204,700 kilograms of beans was still secured this term targeting to benefit 23,000 learners in 42 primary and four secondary schools in a call off order manner intended to avoid wastage of food at schools.
The grant also carter for plates to be used by learners, firewood and meal cards that will help inspection of food handling at schools.
The Buikwe District Senior Education Officer and also ICEADA District Project Coordinator Joyce Nalubega says they are surprised with the big number of pupils that have reported at supported schools so far.
She notes that before the lockdown, reporting of pupils in big numbers was a myth since most of the parents claimed to be looking for school requirements especially money for meals.
Currently, schools within Buikwe fishing communities have registered over 50 percent turn up which was not the case before closure of schools. Nalubega advises parents to work hard and save money that will enable sustainability of meals for their children after this term. The donated food will feed learners for a full term.
Godfrey Kanyike, the Burere RC Primary School Head Teacher says before the Covid-19 recess, few pupils could keep at school for a full week on empty stomach. Majority could get involved in silver fish sun-drying and preparing nets for fishermen so as to get upkeep money. So far 80 percent of the registered student this term have reported.
The Head Teacher for Kisimba Umea Primary School, Amina Nakayiza is grateful for the donation saying it is going to improve on the performance of pupils since they will study without worrying against what to eat. She notes that many learners used to escape from school looking for food. At Kisimbi Umea, 286 pupils out of the expected 500 have reported.
Buikwe Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Betty Nankindu say the food donation will help transform to better health the mal-nourished children in their communities. Nankindu notes that a baseline survey conducted recently in the district indicate that 50 percent of school going pupils are mal-nourished.
Meanwhile pupils are happy attending to a conducive study environment at the same time have breakfast and lunch.
In 2014, Government signed a financing agreement of US$ 9 million with Iceland to support livelihood improvement projects of the fishing communities through Buikwe District Fisheries Community Development Program.
This included improvement of quality of basic education in schools, hygiene and clean water supply. A total of 43 government-aided primary schools were renovated and four secondary schools with thunder arresters. They were also given modern kitchen, 10, 000 litter water tanks, three apartment teacher’s quarters and new pit-latrines.
Also 39 fishing villages from Najja, Ssi-Bukunja, Nyenga and Ngogwe Sub County benefited from the project that commenced in 2016.
The agency through Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene-WASH constructed 100 modern toilets on various landing sites of the fishing villages and 71 toilets at selected schools. It also established 25 mini solar water points to supply to 103 Aquatech water taps.
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