A farming community in Angol Parish, Atyak Sub-County, Zombo District, has successfully completed the construction of classrooms to provide primary education to its children. Amurupii Community Primary School was started two decades ago but faced challenges in development due to its remote and inaccessible location.
The area has recently become attractive to large-scale farmers due to its fertile soil, prompting a desire for education among their children. The community came together and completed a block containing four classrooms, accommodating learners from P2 to P5, while P1 learners still study in grass-thatched structures or under trees.
However, the local leaders are determined to ensure that learners complete their primary education in this area as soon as possible. This year, the school has registered over 400 pupils and has constructed rooms for offices, but they lack roofing materials. The parents expressed their weariness with constructing grass-thatched buildings, as they are often destroyed by bushfires and termites.
Alfred Rwothumio, the LC I Chairperson of Amurupii Village, who is leading the community effort to build the school, mentioned that many pupils have been dropping out due to the lack of classrooms, despite having willing teachers. He emphasized the need for government intervention to secure funding for school development.
“We are now stuck, we lack materials, to build more classrooms, latrines, desks among others; but we are happy to roof this structure because our children can be safe from harsh weather,” Rwothumio explained in an exclusive interview.
Acirocan Zaida expressed parents’ concerns about their children’s safety during rainy seasons, which discouraged them from attending lessons in poorly constructed mud and grass-thatched structures. She highlighted the parents’ commitment to building the new classroom block to facilitate their children’s education.
The nearest schools to this area are more than ten kilometers away in both Zombo and Madi-Okollo districts. Poor road networks and hilly terrain have hindered development, despite the area’s attractiveness for farming due to its fertile soil. Innocent Adule, one of the teachers at the school, praised the efforts of parents and District Education Officer Odeba Nicholas for encouraging parents to contribute to the construction of permanent classrooms.
“I have hope that learners will remain at school since we have a good building,” he said. In addition to the community’s efforts, the local Members of Parliament, Lawrence Songa Biyika and Esther Afoyocan, and Chairman LC V James Uruna Uyullu have provided support to the school, including chalk, blackboards, money, and roofing materials.
Songa supported the roofing of the office block during his visit, and the district has requested the Ministry of Education and Sports to take over Amurupii Community Primary School, Gonyubendu Parent Primary School, and Jupamathu Church Primary School in Akaa Sub-County.
Songa encouraged well-wishers to support the parents’ struggle and emphasized the importance of community efforts for the school’s development. “What we can afford to do, let’s do them for the development of this school.” The legislature has motivated the parents,” he said.
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