Belgium development agency aids Busoga schools

By Henry Nsubuga

A seed secondary school in Jinja, set to become a model learning institution in the region, has received essential resources to enhance teaching and learning, with the aim of increasing student enrolment, retention and completion. 

Masese Seed School has been provided with four computers and textbooks for mathematics, physics, chemistry, ICT, biology and english. Most of the textbooks were published by Vision Group. 

Enabel Busoga region manager, Flavia Mpeirwe, said similar support has been extended to other schools in the region, including Mpumudde Seed School, St Stephen’s Budondo Senior School, Busedde Seed School, Buyengo Senior Secondary School, Lubani Senior Secondary School, St John Bosco Kamuli Senior School, St Paul Mbulamuti Senior School and Bulopa Senior Secondary School. 

Each school received similar resources to improve their educational standards. 
The assistance is part of an initiative by Enabel, the development agency of Belgium’s federal government. 

Mpeirwe said the agency’s objective is to support institutional and infrastructural development while integrating ICT into education so as to bridge learning gaps, particularly in digital literacy. 

Beyond ICT resources, Enabel has also provided Masese Seed School with water tanks and modern cooking equipment, reinforcing efforts to transform it into a model school in the region. 

Masese Seed School headteacher Hajat Aisha Male Yiga, welcomed the Belgian support, describing it as timely given the school’s urgent infrastructural needs. (All Photos by Henry Nsubuga)

Mpeirwe said the initiative, implemented in Jinja district, Jinja city, Kamuli municipality, and Kamuli district, focuses on integrating technology in education to make learning relevant and compatible with 21st-century demands. 

Enabel Uganda project manager, William Mubiru, said the partnership with the education ministry aims at enhancing teaching quality, governance, leadership and the overall learning environment. 

He revealed that the initiative is part of a five-year programme designed to empower communities through skills development, education and healthcare services, benefiting regions such as Busoga, the Albertine, Rwenzori, West Nile and the Kampala Metropolitan area. 

So far, Enabel has supplied a total of 36 computers and 7,800 textbooks to the nine beneficiary schools. Similar assistance will also be extended to schools in Fort Portal city, Kasese, Kyegegwa and Kabarole districts.

Challenges 

Masese Seed School headteacher Hajat Aisha Male Yiga, welcomed the Belgian support, describing it as timely given the school’s urgent infrastructural needs. 

She revealed that classrooms designed for 50 students currently accommodate as many as 120 learners, while the school has only eight latrine stances for its 1,000 students.
 
Additionally, the school faces a shortage of laboratories and other essential facilities. 
On the staffing front, Male said only 32 teachers are available out of the required 50. To bridge the gap, the school’s board has hired 13 part-time teachers, covering critical subjects such as ICT, technical drawing, Lusoga language and Islamic studies. 

The school also faces a shortage of computers, with only four previously available, primarily serving A’level students for whom ICT is a compulsory subject. 

Male praised Enabel for additional contributions, including training teachers in computer literacy, donating a modern energy-saving kitchen and installing a water harvesting system. 

“O’level students have been mainly having theory classes in terms of computer lessons. However, the donation of four extra computers from Enabel is going to cause a very positive impact,” she said. 

Male also praised Enabel for additional contributions, including training teachers in computer literacy, donating a modern energy-saving kitchen and installing a water harvesting system. 

Furthermore, Enabel is sponsoring the education of 50 students who were at risk of dropping out due to financial difficulties. One of the beneficiaries, Senior Four student Shafic Kafeero, shared his story of struggle and relief.

Raised by a single mother, he had taken up bodaboda riding to raise money for school fees. 

Enabel Uganda Project Manager, William Mubiru (third right) handing over to Hajat Aisha Male, the headteacher of Masese Seed School sample of the textbooks donated to the school.

“During my Senior Three holidays, I was called to school and informed that Enabel had offered to sponsor my education. I had been pushing just to sit for the Uganda Certificate of Education examinations, but now I see hope for continuing to A’level,” he said. 

Denis Waiguta, the school’s director of studies, said before the donation, each textbook was shared by about 10 students, affecting syllabus coverage. 

“With the new textbooks, we can allocate more resources to each student, improving group work and overall learning outcomes,” he said.

Martin Alvin Walugembe, Vision Group’s salesperson, also recognised Enabel’s partnership with Vision Group to boost the education of Uganda’s children.