Needy children benefit from Chinese scholarships

Eight needy but bright pupils from the districts of Mubende, Kakumiro, Kibaale and Kagadi have benefited from the Chinese children scholarship project.

The children 4 girls and 4 boys were selected by the district education departments from the different districts and submitted to the Chinese Communication Construction Company (CCCC) undertaking the construction of 107km Mubende-Kakumiro-Kibaale-Kagadi road.

Each child was given sh200,000 as contribution to their scholastic needs as they prepare to sit for Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) later this year.

The children who benefited are Pauline Asaba and Moses Kirungi from Kibaale district, Caroline Najjinda and Andrew Mwesigwa from Mubende district, Priscila Karungi and Denis Natuhwera from Kakumiro district while Justine Mbabazi and Alinda Marvin were from Kagadi district.

Speaking to New Vision after receiving the money, Andrew Mwesigwa, an orphan from St. Don Bosco Primary School Kasambya in Mubende district said he had lost hope of completing P7 because his mother is admitted in hospital while his father died.

"My single parent cannot give me the scholastic requirements because she is bedridden and I had lost hope of completing primary seven," said Mwesigwa.

He said he will use the money to clear school requirements such as boarding fees.

Priscila Karungi from St. Kizito Kakumiro Boys' Primary School said the money will help her buy essential requirements as a girl so as to continue in school.

Karungi said that she will use the money to buy sanitary pads and other requirements while at school and also pay the mock examinations fees.

"The money will help me buy sanitary pads and also pay for the mock fees needed at school," said Karungi.

Ju Wenjie the CCCC project manager Mubende-Kakumiro-Kibaale-Kagadi road said the scholarships were given in celebration of International Children's Day in order to encourage children study hard to be beneficial to society when they grow up.

"CCCC, the contractor of Mubende-Kakumiro-Kibaale-Kagadi road project will support 8 best pupils from the four districts along the road by giving children scholarship annually for the entire project period," said Wenjie.

International Children's Day is observed on June 1^st annually. The World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland, proclaimed June 1 to be International Children's Day in 1925.

He said that it's their corporate social responsibility to lend a hand to the community where they are implementing projects in the world.

Wenjie said that by repairing roads for local communities, carrying out HIV/AIDS prevention, gender equality activities, donating necessities to orphanages and organizing other forms of social welfare activities is a way of returning its favour to the Ugandan society.

The secretary for education and health in Kibaale district, Hope Kanyenzi, who represented the Kibaale district chairman commended CCCC for helping the needy children in the four districts.

"We appreciate the contribution of CCCC to our education and health sectors and urge them to continue doing so," said Kanyenzi.

She asked the company to also consider lending a hand to tertiary students who drop out due to lack of tuition fees.