Boarding School Project of MONDO in Uganda

The boarding school system is very common in Uganda. Families like to opt to send their children to these kind of facilities as they believe the quality of education is better if the children are full time at the school environment. Most of the primary schools even make it mandatory at the last year of primary level.

In Kikooba Primary school an inadequate system was functioning. The school officially did not have boarding section however when I arrived to Kikooba I noted that eight kids are always at school even at night time. When I asked why these children are not at home the Head Teachers explained that the families cannot take care of them and asked to keep them at school. Despite the school could not provide basic tools like beds, blankets and mosquito nets the teachers agreed to let the children stay. The children were staying in very poor conditions sleeping on the floor lacking nets exposed to malaria but they never complained to me. They were smiling and asked me to escort them to fetch water every evening. Not to carry the heavy jerry cans for them but because they liked to sing for me and teach basic luganda language on the way. I learnt the names of animals and flowers through these walks very fast.

The need of a boarding section was clear immediately due to the situation of these kids. In addition the school can ask a higher fee in the case they can provide boarding and meals. That could solve the financial struggles and help to pay the teachers’ salaries on time. Kids seems to like to move in to the schools as well. As most of them has 5-10 siblings it does not mean a sacrifice to share a room with their friends at school. In addition in the case of boarding school the children have sometimes better nutrition than at home.

Due to MONDO’s financial support and Ugandan Pioneers Association’s cooperation in two months twenty beds were ordered from the local carpenter. The boarding section now functions with three rooms; one for the girls and two for the boys with brand new clean mattresses and mosquito nets. In the future a new building is planned to be built to have better accommodation for the pupils. Thanks to the hard work of the teachers of the school, MONDA and UPA Kikooba Primary school could start a new era and provide better solution for the families.

P.S. When we hired a local minibus to carry the mattresses and nets from Kampala to the village the traffic police stopped us. It turned out that my minibus was not allowed to carry goods as their licence was only valid for passengers. What a mistake of mine! However when I explained to the strict police officers that we carry European donation to a school in a remote village their heart seemed to melt and let us go without paying any fee. In Uganda education is one of the most important things and the whole society from the wealthiest ones to the most vulnerable do everything possible to support in order to ameliorate the level of education.