Replicating our successful Primary School Refurbishment Programme in Jinja, over the past 4 years Soft Power Education has renovated and built classrooms at 8 schools in the Buliisa district. We are continuing to work with district officials to improve the government provision of free primary education in Buliisa, which has among the poorest education infrastructures in Uganda and one of the poorest education outcomes as a result.
The Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Soft Power Education have recognised seventeen schools in the Paraa and Buliisa areas, which require varying levels of maintenance to bring them into line with the recommended government standards. The varying levels range from some routine maintenance and paint work right through to complete rebuild. These schools will also have the opportunity of entering into a wider partnership, wherein pupils will have the opportunity to experience the conservation education activities based at the Education Centre as well as participating in various outreach school programmes.
In February 2010, the Murchison Team conducted a survey of the condition of the existing government and some community schools in Buliisa. Schools then applied for refurbishment and building work, which will allow us to assess those in the greatest need and to plan effectively for our 2010 Murchison School Refurbishment Programme. This year we constructed 5 classrooms and a toilet block at Kijumbia Community School, where none previously existed, and two more at Nyamakuta Primary School to accommodate the phenomenal success and increased enrolment following our building there last year. Read more about the schools in the Buliisa District.
We are looking to build on our success in Buliisa district by adding a year round programme which will allow us to undertake small but highly cost efficient and effective works at schools.
Firstly we need to paint the many classrooms that we have built over the past four years. Secondly, partly because of Soft Power Education’s contribution to education infrastructure, there are now many more teachers in Buliisa: over 120 new positions were filled this year alone. Unfortunately staff retention is a major problem in the district in part because of an almost complete lack of suitable accommodation for teachers as there are few permanent buildings. We are looking at the possibility of constructing staff accommodation to alleviate this problem, most acute among female staff, which negatively affects female students’ performance. Further, a lack of private latrine facilities has been identified as a major factor behind the alarming drop-out rate for girls. It has been demonstrated all over the world that educating girls has the most dramatic effect on child welfare, nutrition, population growth rates, HIV/AIDS rates and other health issues including child and maternal mortality rates. With a relatively small amount of money we can provide better, more private latrine facilities which will encourage adolescent girls to complete their primary education.
This programme has been funded by The Jephcott Charitable Trust (UK), Hands of Help (AUS) and of course the amazing University of Leeds (UK) who came back in June for their 4th consecutive year working on the Murchison Project. In 2009 alone they fundraised £50,000! We are very grateful for their support which has allowed us to work at the following schools: