Parents in Kalaki district are now escorting their daughters to Kakure Seed Secondary School for evening study sessions due to inadequate accommodation and concerns about safety. This practice began after the school received its examination centre number last year. Boys, in contrast, are not accompanied by their parents.
Headteacher Moses Ongwara reports that some parents travel over four kilometres to bring their daughters to school for evening preparations. They wait at the nearby Kakure Training Centre until classes end at 9:30 p.m., before escorting their children home. In some cases, parents even use bicycles for the return journey.
Kalaki district’s education and health secretary, Ketty Agwang, has expressed concerns about the safety risks involved in escorting the students. The ministry’s guidelines prohibit schools from using classrooms or halls for accommodation, and Agwang has urged parents to support the construction of a new hostel.
In response to the accommodation crisis, parents have mobilized to fundraise for a girls’ hostel. They have collectively pledged Shs 10,000 per term per child, aiming to raise Shs 260 million for the project. To date, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) has collected Shs 21 million towards the construction of a hostel expected to house 60 to 100 girls.
On August 7, 2024, Dr. Clement Kenneth Ongalo Obote, the state minister for Teso Affairs and MP for Kalaki County, launched the construction of the PTA-funded girls’ hostel. Ongalo noted that while the government does not finance student housing, it encourages parental initiative for such projects.
Ongalo expressed satisfaction with the parents’ efforts, emphasizing that the new hostel will provide much-needed accommodation and supervision for students who travel long distances daily. However, he cautioned against the practice of escorting students, highlighting the associated risks for both parents and students who remain at home.
Ongalo contributed 31 bags of cement and pledged 200 iron sheets towards the hostel’s construction. Julius Odeke, the district communications officer, assured that the district would support the project.
Kakure Seed Secondary School, established in 2015 following resolutions by Kakure sub-county and Kaberamaido district councils, currently has 691 students and 26 staff members. The school occupies ten acres of land donated by the Soroti Catholic Diocese.
