The Scholars and Alumni of Makerere University’s Mastercard Foundation gathered at Achukudu Community Primary School in Napak District, Karamoja sub-region, Uganda, for their Annual Day of Community Service in December 2023. The school, established in 2013, serves two ethnic communities—the Iteso and Karamojong—with 1,097 pupils and faced challenges such as a shortage of classrooms, inadequate facilities, and desks.
To address these challenges, the Scholars and Alumni chose Achukudu Primary School for their community service project. With support from alumni, the Program Team, the Steering Committee, and partners, they constructed a two-classroom block supervised by an alumni engineer. In addition to the classrooms, the Scholars provided 40 desks, ensuring the school met UNEB Center eligibility criteria.
Hon. John Bosco Ngoya, the area MP, expressed gratitude during the event and donated funds for more desks. Ms. Joyce Nakoya, the District Education Officer, commended the Scholars for their early commitment to giving back and emphasized the importance of providing a decent environment for every child’s education.
Ms. Jolly Okumu, the Program Manager, led the Scholars and alumni in expressing gratitude to Achukudu’s community for contributing to the project. The President of the Scholars Association, Mr. Godfrey Okello, thanked all contributors and stakeholders for turning the dream of a new classroom block into reality.
The Headteacher, Mr. Eryebu Raymond, expressed his excitement, highlighting the significant impact the new facility would have on the school’s teaching and learning environment. The day concluded with joyous celebrations as the pupils and the community danced and ululated during the commissioning of the classroom block.
Financial contributions for the project came from various partners, including DFCU Bank, Post Bank, URA, Katumba Estates, Footsteps Furniture Ltd, and Sion Travels Ltd. The Scholars and Alumni Day of Community Service is an annual tradition focused on addressing community challenges, ranging from offering professional services to constructing vital infrastructure like classroom blocks.
