Pupils and teachers at St. Charles Lwanga Namabaale Primary School in Lwengo District have found reason to smile as new buildings worth Shs9 billion have transformed their educational environment.
The previous school structures were inadequate and poorly constructed, unable to accommodate all the learners. However, the landscape changed with the construction of new facilities by the Cotton On Foundation, an Australian-based non-profit organization. These new facilities include more than 10 classroom blocks and staff quarters.
Additionally, the new facility boasts multipurpose halls for dining and kitchen services, a playground for recreation, and office blocks for administrative purposes. To ensure a consistent supply of safe and clean water, all the new buildings are equipped with four large rhino water tanks, each with a capacity of 275,000 liters.
On October 20, the new classroom blocks were officially commissioned by Ms. Janet Museveni, the Minister of Education, who was represented by Lands Minister Ms. Judith Nabakooba. Ms. Museveni commended the Cotton On Foundation for their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the younger generation. She expressed confidence that the newly commissioned facilities would provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning at both pre-primary and primary levels.
Ms. Museveni extended her gratitude to the Cotton On Foundation for their support, which had been ongoing since 2007. She highlighted the foundation’s role in empowering youth through quality education, aiming to reduce poverty and enhance the lives of those in need. As a token of appreciation, Ms. Museveni also made a donation of Shs50 million to the school.
While acknowledging the government’s support for over 12,000 schools across the country, Ms. Museveni recognized that there was still a shortage of adequate facilities to comfortably accommodate learners at all levels.
The First Lady went on to thank Masaka Diocese Bishop Serverus Jjumba for generously providing the land on which the new facilities now stand. She emphasized the government’s appreciation for the partnership with the Catholic Church and the church’s significant contribution to the advancement of education and other social services for the people.
Bishop Jjumba also expressed his gratitude to the government for signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cotton On Foundation, which facilitated the smooth execution of the project. He highlighted that without the government’s acceptance, the achievement would not have been possible.
Ms. Claire Najjemba, the Country Manager of the Cotton On Foundation, reiterated their strong commitment to seeing children thrive in education, from kindergarten to university. She encouraged the school community to make full use of the new structures, ensuring that children receive the expected quality education.
The newly unveiled facilities follow a three-campus model, with the lower campus for kindergarten, the middle campus for students from Primary One to Primary Four, and the upper campus for those in Primary Five to Primary Seven.
