Students and teachers at Nyenga Senior Secondary School in Kiguddu, Buikwe District, are celebrating a significant upgrade to their learning environment following a generous donation of modern facilities by the Rotary Club of Sonde.
The initiative, spearheaded by the school’s Board of Governors chairperson and former student Mrs. Rebecca Babirye Tendo in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Sonde, addresses long standing challenges of poor sanitation, few computers, and insufficient library resources at the Universal Secondary Education school.
During the handover ceremony Rotary Club of Sonde President Christine Alupo highlighted the value of the new computers, construction of modern toilets for boys and teachers, internet connectivity, expanded library books and improvements to school gardens and kitchen facilities for better food production.
“This falls within our club’s outreach on basic education and literacy,” Alupo said. “We’ve supported internet connectivity, established toilet facilities for boys and teachers, and continue to collaborate with the school that has a large population around 2,000 students with a wide catchment area, which is responsible for the overcrowding and congestion in classrooms.”
She noted positive impacts already visible including improved teaching practices and better results in recent national exams, particularly in subjects benefiting from computer access.Alupo urged the school to pursue broader partnerships beyond Rotary to scale up support and tackle the remaining issues, such as dedicated facilities for girls.
ICT teacher Julius Mulindwa described the transformation vividly compared to previously when the school had only five outdated computers forcing lessons in shifts sometimes extending into the night.”Now, with these new ones, there’s a clear difference this term,” he said. “We hope the laboratory will expand soon.”
Head teacher Nelson Kanyike emphasizing how the new computers and internet access enables students to research topics effectively. “As a USE school, the donated books have made a big impact,” he added.
Kanyike however pointed out the persistent challenges which include classroom overcrowding, incomplete buildings, teacher shortages, and resource constraints relative to student numbers.
Board of Governors Vice Chairperson Florence Walubo Abenakyo expressed deep appreciation: “We have received two VIP toilets one for boys and one for staff textbooks and 20 new computers,” she said. “These are uplifting the school’s standards.
Students can now use computers freely, unlike when we had few. She appealed to parents to contribute despite concepts of free USE programs, noting that government funds fall short for extras like uniforms, meals or infrastructure.
“We also call on politicians not to interfere but to support sensitization efforts,” she said.Walubo highlighted urgent needs like proper girls’ and boys’ dormitories (currently, some students sleep in classrooms), completion of unfinished boys’ dorms, and better beddings. She urged stronger parenting as many children are left unsupervised amid busy parental schedules.
Latif Kiyemba a Senior six student thanked the donors for addressing health risks from poor sanitation. “We had no proper toilets for years due to the large population” he said. “Now, sanitation is promoted, and hygiene has improved.”
Fellow Senior six student Obalim Salma noted the growth from five computers causing poor practical performance in ICT to 25 in total, leading to better results.”
Access has made learning easier, and we expect strong performance this year,” she added. The new boys’ toilets, with better design, water use, and easier cleaning, have reduced overcrowding and odors.
Reverend Barbara Nakiyo, the Chaplin, praised the partnership for elevating the school.”We are now on another level,” she said. “With hands-on computer access in this technology era, students will perform well and attract more enrollment even in a rural area, we aim to be among Uganda’s best schools, thanks to Rotary.”
The donations reflect ongoing collaboration between the school, its board led by Mrs. Tendo and the Rotary Club of Sonde. While challenges like overcrowding and girls’ facilities persist, stakeholders expressed optimism that continued support and community involvement will drive further progress.
Nyenga SSS serves a large population in Buikwe District, and this intervention underscores the power of partnerships in bridging resource gaps in Uganda’s public education system. URN