On Monday 7th August 2023, the Office of the Vice Chancellor under organised a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) outreach to support pupils of Bwama Primary School and Bunyonyi Secondary School in Kitumba sub-county Kabale District who canoe and others swim across Lake Bunyonyi to access their schools.
In a commendable effort to enhance the safety of students crossing the lake to access education, a delegation from Kyambogo University, led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya, extended a helping hand. The university generously donated 100 life jackets to both Bwama Primary School and Lake Bunyonyi Secondary School. 1000 Picfare exercise books, 1000 mathematical sets, 700 pens and 300 pencils. This was purposed to lend a hand to these children to easily access education.
The donation came at the time the school community around Lake Bunyonyi Secondary school were still yet to come to terms, following the tragic incident that had occurred on Friday 4th August 2023 where a Senior Two student Martin Izabayo, lost his life when he drowned in Lake Bunyonyi when the canoe he was moving in on the lake capsized leading to the unfortunate demise.
Speaking at the handover of the life Jackets and other scholastic materials, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya noted that one of the key strategic focus areas of the University is strategic marketing and community engagement. The university over the years has carried out community engagements in Soroti, Bududa and other districts. This is done as a way of impacting the community on easy access to education. “The government of Uganda recognizes education as a basic human right and continues to strive to provide free primary education to all children in the country. However, issues like funding, teacher training, rural populations, and inadequate facilities continue to hinder the progress of educational development despite government efforts to close the gap”. Prof. Katunguka said.
Prof. Katunguka said that this benevolent initiative, would play a pivotal role in facilitating better access to education and uplifting the overall quality of learning experiences at these institutions.
Moses Bwengye Tumwijukye, the Kabale District Education Officer, acknowledged the gravity of the situation saying that this transportation challenge had resulted in five learners missing school on a daily basis. He said that due to resource constraints, the district was unable to provide fuel to individual schools, as all educational institutions within the district were treated equitably.
Isaac Kamukama, the acting Deputy Headteacher of Lake Bunyonyi Secondary School, said that they lacked adequate transportation means, which has been contributing to increased absenteeism and school dropouts among the learners. He said that the problem of the students coming late at school was increasing due to the lack of proper transport means.
Patience Tweheyo, Bwama Primary School Head teacher said that the pupils rarely solely use canoe boats to reach their places of learning. She said that the school had been grappling with an ongoing issue of dropout cases, which has inevitably impacted overall academic performance as now the school population is now at 405 pupils.
BUNYONYI CSR IN PICTURES
