A school with a heart for Kony’s helpless victims
Jul 13, 2003
A five-year-old girl sits crossed legged under a tree right in the middle of the school compound
By Wagwau Jamesa
A five-year-old girl sits crossed legged under a tree right in the middle of the school compound.
She yawns and waves to a friend from a distance.
Opposite the tree stands an iron- roofed rectangular shade from where teachers relax in the heat of the afternoon.
Suddenly, the calm girl jerks and leaps from her wooden seat and sneezes unceremoniously.
She stands with her head bowed as mucus drool loosely through her nose.
A middle-aged female teacher pulls her own handkerchief and rushes towards the girl’s direction.
She tilts the girl’s head in an upright position and with the tenderness of a mother’s hand cleans the girl’s nose to the last bit.
This is a hint to the exceptional care offered to the pupils of St. Andrew Community School 47 miles along Hoima Road.
Established 10 years ago the school currently boasts of 300 pupils and 14 teachers.
With its location in Temanekali village, the school has attracted not only primary school going children but has also opened up a section for nursery school children.
As other children live in perpetual fear of the bullet in the northern part of Uganda, three children have had taste added to their future.
They are beneficiaries of the Northern War Scholarship offered by St. Andrew Community School. The present beneficiaries include Sharon Akello in P3, Peace Aguti in Nursery, and Jacob Ojara in P5.
Pastor Paul Kiviiri the school director explains that the sponsorship was his own initiative. It was the school’s contribution to helping those displaced by the Kony war.
“My heart was touched when I visited Cornerstone Resource Centre in Kitgum where several war victims are cared for. I had never come face to face with the gruesome pain experienced by our war affected brothers from the north.
“The spirit of God convicted me deeply to do something to assist my fellow Ugandans and this marked the birth of this noble idea,†the Pastor narrates.
“I then pursued it further and discussed it with the Director of Cornerstone Resource project, Rev. Charles Okong’o P’ Rwot who then identified the children and handed them over to me.â€
The three children are not from the same family and are complete orphans. Sharon and Peace confess that they have never seen their parents. There are possibilities that their parents were either scattered or killed in the prevailing northern war.
“They call me ‘Mummy’ and they feel a strong attachment towards me. Both of these girls have never known a mother’s love and I try my level best to provide it to them,†says Christine Oculia a P2 teacher.
As we moved to interview them the three children looked scared at the sight of strangers. The image which the war has etched in their young minds remain indelibly marked and can clearly be seen from the long duration they need to confide in strangers.
Jacob Ojara looked traumatised and explained that he lost both of his parents and all his bothers and sisters scattered in different directions.
Asked what makes him love his new home, Ojara smiles and explains that for the first time he has seen love.
“I am surprised that here we can study comfortably without running away from rebels. I am also moved by the kind of love which children show towards others, this is a good place,†he says.
The school has two teachers from the north who help to make the children to feel at home.
Florence Amaro- Rwot, one of the teachers says that the children feel quite free with them since they can communicate in their local dialect.
The director says that the school wishes to get more children for sponsorship programme but lacks funds.
“We are limited financially and presently we only use prayer as a therapy for these children.
“In future we shall have to employ a qualified psychotherapist to rehabilitate them.
“I pray that the ministry of Education shares my dream and lends me a hand,†says the pastor.
Where there is hope there is always a way. As Pastor Kiviiri trudges on to assist the disadvantaged children of Uganda, amidst scant resources, may his dream inspire our hearts also.
A five-year-old girl sits crossed legged under a tree right in the middle of the school compound.
She yawns and waves to a friend from a distance.
Opposite the tree stands an iron- roofed rectangular shade from where teachers relax in the heat of the afternoon.
Suddenly, the calm girl jerks and leaps from her wooden seat and sneezes unceremoniously.
She stands with her head bowed as mucus drool loosely through her nose.
A middle-aged female teacher pulls her own handkerchief and rushes towards the girl’s direction.
She tilts the girl’s head in an upright position and with the tenderness of a mother’s hand cleans the girl’s nose to the last bit.
This is a hint to the exceptional care offered to the pupils of St. Andrew Community School 47 miles along Hoima Road.
Established 10 years ago the school currently boasts of 300 pupils and 14 teachers.
With its location in Temanekali village, the school has attracted not only primary school going children but has also opened up a section for nursery school children.
As other children live in perpetual fear of the bullet in the northern part of Uganda, three children have had taste added to their future.
They are beneficiaries of the Northern War Scholarship offered by St. Andrew Community School. The present beneficiaries include Sharon Akello in P3, Peace Aguti in Nursery, and Jacob Ojara in P5.
Pastor Paul Kiviiri the school director explains that the sponsorship was his own initiative. It was the school’s contribution to helping those displaced by the Kony war.
“My heart was touched when I visited Cornerstone Resource Centre in Kitgum where several war victims are cared for. I had never come face to face with the gruesome pain experienced by our war affected brothers from the north.
“The spirit of God convicted me deeply to do something to assist my fellow Ugandans and this marked the birth of this noble idea,†the Pastor narrates.
“I then pursued it further and discussed it with the Director of Cornerstone Resource project, Rev. Charles Okong’o P’ Rwot who then identified the children and handed them over to me.â€
The three children are not from the same family and are complete orphans. Sharon and Peace confess that they have never seen their parents. There are possibilities that their parents were either scattered or killed in the prevailing northern war.
“They call me ‘Mummy’ and they feel a strong attachment towards me. Both of these girls have never known a mother’s love and I try my level best to provide it to them,†says Christine Oculia a P2 teacher.
As we moved to interview them the three children looked scared at the sight of strangers. The image which the war has etched in their young minds remain indelibly marked and can clearly be seen from the long duration they need to confide in strangers.
Jacob Ojara looked traumatised and explained that he lost both of his parents and all his bothers and sisters scattered in different directions.
Asked what makes him love his new home, Ojara smiles and explains that for the first time he has seen love.
“I am surprised that here we can study comfortably without running away from rebels. I am also moved by the kind of love which children show towards others, this is a good place,†he says.
The school has two teachers from the north who help to make the children to feel at home.
Florence Amaro- Rwot, one of the teachers says that the children feel quite free with them since they can communicate in their local dialect.
The director says that the school wishes to get more children for sponsorship programme but lacks funds.
“We are limited financially and presently we only use prayer as a therapy for these children.
“In future we shall have to employ a qualified psychotherapist to rehabilitate them.
“I pray that the ministry of Education shares my dream and lends me a hand,†says the pastor.
Where there is hope there is always a way. As Pastor Kiviiri trudges on to assist the disadvantaged children of Uganda, amidst scant resources, may his dream inspire our hearts also.