Japan boosts Kapelebyong school with four-classroom block

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The Japanese embassy in Uganda has completed the construction of a four-classroom block at Obalanga Primary School in Kapelebyong District.

The block, whose construction started on February 20, 2024, with a grant of $67,986 (about sh249m), is expected to be commissioned on March 20, 2025.

Embassy deputy head of mission, Tomotaka Yoshimura, is expected to officiate the commissioning of the project to the beneficiaries, according to an embassy statement issued today, March 17.

Government-aided Obalanga Primary School was established in 1947 and the pupil enrolment increases every year. For instance, the school had 1,045 pupils in 2018 but the number rose to 1,683 by 2024. However, the embassy says the construction of facilities has not kept up with the growing number of pupils, leaving the school with a chronic shortage of classrooms. 

"At the time of requesting for the grant in 2023, there were only 12 existing classrooms, with an average of 131 pupils per classroom. In addition, 5 of the 12 classrooms were built in 1947 and severely dilapidated, with 2 classrooms having no windows or doors," the statement reads. 

"Furthermore, the school had only five stances for both male and female, and on average, more than 300 people used each stance, far exceeding the national standard".

It is because of the above challenges that the Embassy of Japan supported the construction of the four-classroom block and two latrine blocks at Obalanga Primary School, equipped with 72 three-seater desks for pupils.

It is hoped that this upgrade will significantly enhance the capacity of the school to deliver better quality education in a safe and hygienic environment, benefitting the entire community and beyond.

"The support is part of the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), a scheme administered by the Embassy of Japan to support community-led development projects which uplift the life of people at the grassroots level. So far, a total of 294 projects have been funded under the scheme since its initiation in Uganda in 1992," the statement reads.