What the Budo inferno reveals
Jun 18, 2008
Tragedies happen in our lives to teach us lessons, I was once told and today, I am a witness to that. Two months after Budo Junior School was closed following the death of 20 children after fire gutted their dormitory on April 14, the school re-opened with an impressive turn-up of pupils.
By Angela Ndagano
Tragedies happen in our lives to teach us lessons, I was once told and today, I am a witness to that. Two months after Budo Junior School was closed following the death of 20 children after fire gutted their dormitory on April 14, the school re-opened with an impressive turn-up of pupils. Over 700 children reported within three days of the school’s re-opening.
Parents flocked the school in big numbers to bring heir children. It was hard to believe this was the school where tragedy had only recently shocked the nation.
“I had to bring back my child, she is in Primary Seven. I want her certificate to have the words Budo Junior,†Lawrence Senoga, a parent, told me. The lesson from this is that you should never underestimate the power of a big name; it will survive even the biggest tragedies. In everything you do in life, protect your name. It will bail you out when you least expect it.
“Death is everywhere; it does not matter where you go when it is your day,†said Nakato, as she reported back to school. It was hard to believe that that these were words of a child who had lost her twin sister in the inferno two months earlier. Children are full of determination, they speak the truth without bitterness or anger. They are brave and can take on what we least expect.
A taskforce for the old students led by Dr. William Kayondo was in place to supervise the renovation of the school. They made sure everything was in place before the school opened.
“Most of us do not have children in Budo Junior, but as old Budonians, we have to help,â€Kayondo said.
It is important to always to remember where we came from. A leaf cannot survive with its roots. I also learnt to keep old schoolmates close; you never know when you will need them.
As I toured the school, I noticed the burnt dormitory, Nasolo, was fenced off so that children would not see it since it would bring back the bad memories. However, as the children passed by, the fear was evident in their eyes. They knew what was behind the fence. There are things in life we cannot protect people from. We can close their eyes, but we cannot stop their minds from wondering. My attention was captured by some parents as they excitedly commented about the school’s new look. “Wow, the school is now very nice,†a parent said happily. To some people, a facelift is enough; they feel people appreciate one more if they improve their looks. When a bad thing happens to you, cover it up with a new look. Slowly, I realise there is so much to learn as I continue my tour of the school. There is a fully-renovated school and dining room, and the dormitories seem to be less congested. Renovation work is still going on but the pupils are reporting back. “Renovation work takes time; it is a continuous process. If we had waited the school would never have opened,†says an administrator.
Have the lessons from the Budo Juniour tragedy, therefore, been adequate to avert such calamities in other schools?
The writer is a trainee journalist
Tragedies happen in our lives to teach us lessons, I was once told and today, I am a witness to that. Two months after Budo Junior School was closed following the death of 20 children after fire gutted their dormitory on April 14, the school re-opened with an impressive turn-up of pupils. Over 700 children reported within three days of the school’s re-opening.
Parents flocked the school in big numbers to bring heir children. It was hard to believe this was the school where tragedy had only recently shocked the nation.
“I had to bring back my child, she is in Primary Seven. I want her certificate to have the words Budo Junior,†Lawrence Senoga, a parent, told me. The lesson from this is that you should never underestimate the power of a big name; it will survive even the biggest tragedies. In everything you do in life, protect your name. It will bail you out when you least expect it.
“Death is everywhere; it does not matter where you go when it is your day,†said Nakato, as she reported back to school. It was hard to believe that that these were words of a child who had lost her twin sister in the inferno two months earlier. Children are full of determination, they speak the truth without bitterness or anger. They are brave and can take on what we least expect.
A taskforce for the old students led by Dr. William Kayondo was in place to supervise the renovation of the school. They made sure everything was in place before the school opened.
“Most of us do not have children in Budo Junior, but as old Budonians, we have to help,â€Kayondo said.
It is important to always to remember where we came from. A leaf cannot survive with its roots. I also learnt to keep old schoolmates close; you never know when you will need them.
As I toured the school, I noticed the burnt dormitory, Nasolo, was fenced off so that children would not see it since it would bring back the bad memories. However, as the children passed by, the fear was evident in their eyes. They knew what was behind the fence. There are things in life we cannot protect people from. We can close their eyes, but we cannot stop their minds from wondering. My attention was captured by some parents as they excitedly commented about the school’s new look. “Wow, the school is now very nice,†a parent said happily. To some people, a facelift is enough; they feel people appreciate one more if they improve their looks. When a bad thing happens to you, cover it up with a new look. Slowly, I realise there is so much to learn as I continue my tour of the school. There is a fully-renovated school and dining room, and the dormitories seem to be less congested. Renovation work is still going on but the pupils are reporting back. “Renovation work takes time; it is a continuous process. If we had waited the school would never have opened,†says an administrator.
Have the lessons from the Budo Juniour tragedy, therefore, been adequate to avert such calamities in other schools?
The writer is a trainee journalist