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West Nile fund gets Shs120m for needy students
Fees. The State Minister for Primary Education, Ms Rosemary Seninde (second left), hands over an envelope containing Shs5m from the First Lady, Ms Janet Museveni, to leaders from West Nile led by Mr Gabriel Ajedra (left), the State minister of Finance for General Duties at Golf Course Hotel in Kampala on June 28, 2019. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE
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Mr Charles Draecabo, the chairman of West Nile Education Trust Fund, said the initiative, which started in 2013, has seen an increase of scholarships from four to 10, where the beneficiaries today are studying medicine and pharmacy in various government universities.
Kampala. A fundraising for West Nile Education Trust Fund to provide scholarships to needy but bright students from the sub-region yielded Shs121m in cash and pledges.
During the annual fundraising dinner at Golf Course Hotel in Kampala on Friday, four prominent bus companies KK Travellers, Gaaga Bus Company, Nile Coaches and Zawadi Coaches joined the First Lady and Minister of Education, Ms Janet Museveni, renowned businesswoman Amina Hersi, lawyers, judges, magistrates and other professionals from the West Nile region to raise the funds for education of needy students from the sub-region.
During the dinner where the State minister for Primary Education, Ms Rosemary Seninde, represented the First Lady, challenged other professionals and elites around the country to reflect on the quality of education in their home towns and make initiatives to improve it.
“Elites should think about the quality of education in their regions as a way of giving back to their communities. This is what we should do to develop our people,” Ms Seninde said.
Citing the example of Busoga, Ms Seninde said after analysing their region’s consistent poor performance in national examinations, her ministry liaised with the local leaders to find a solution.
“Nobody organised you, I wish other regions could emulate this example. When we talk about education, I am what I am because of the primary teacher. As far as primary education is concerned, it is about the teacher,” she said.
Mr Caleb Alaka, the president of West Nile Foundation, said in the aftermath of the insurgencies which ravaged the West Nile sub-region, they looked at the decline in academic performance of once giant schools such as St Joseph’s College Ombachi and St Charles Lwanga College Koboko and mobilised graduates from the area to revamp the lost glory.
“We sat down and we wondered where our future lawyers, engineers, entrepreneurs, doctors and businessmen would come from and this was the beginning of transformation. I can assure you, West Nile will again emerge as a giant,” he affirmed.
Mr Charles Draecabo, the chairman of West Nile Education Trust Fund, said the initiative, which started in 2013, has seen an increase of scholarships from four to 10, where the beneficiaries today are studying medicine and pharmacy in various government universities.
“We started fundraising using gate collections from the monthly get-together dance parties. This is the money we are using for the scholarships. We also agreed to go beyond scholarships and improve vocational skills in the region and retooling teachers,” he said.
Among the big donors of the night were West Nile Bar and Bench Association, an umbrella organisation for judicial officers from the sub-region which pledged Shs50m.
Ms Museveni made a cash donation of Shs5m and Atiak Sugar Factory boss Amina Hersi also donated Shs10m in cash.
