Kitgum school resources
Key Facts:
Project Name: Books and resources for secondary school
Programme: Serve
Partner organisation: Rev Jabulani Issoke Secondary School: Education Department - Church of Uganda, Kitgum Diocese
Location: Kitgum, Northern Uganda
Key contact: Wilson Kitara – Chairman/Acting Headmaster
Support provided: Text books and other school resources (e.g. scientific equipment) provided to secondary school in war-torn Kitgum, to provide the students with reference books to complete their studies.
Project since: February 2007 - present
Summary:
Many of the children in Uganda’s troubled Kitgum area have never had the chance to attend seconday school, as the costs were just too much. The Church’s school aimed to give them that chance, but it lacks the resources and provision to give them a really good education – it relies on volunteer teachers and almost no text books, little stationary and no chairs and tables. JMT has begun a relationship in providing the school with text books and resources to build up a library and set of resources for the school to utilise.
Jabulani Issoke Memorial school, Kitgum Students at an assembly outside the school
Detail and background:
Kitgum is in the north of Uganda, close to the Sudanese border and in the heart of the Acholi people’s tribal land. It is has been heavily hit by the 20-year insurgency war by the Lord’s Resistance Army, a guerrilla army which claims to want to rule Uganda by Ten Commandments but practises atrocities and relies on kidnapped child soldiers. The people of Kitgum have been badly afflicted, unable to visit the fields or their villages, many have lived in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps on the edges of town for years; many of the children have lived their whole lives there. They live in cramped conditions, with no work, often little sanitation and rely on aid agencies for food handouts. They have lived in permanent fear of attacks by the LRA and of raids to kidnap children, whom are turned into child soldiers or sex slaves, and forced to commit terrible atrocities.
As a result, many of the children have for years walked each night into the towns to sleep in barbed-wire compounds, protected by the army; they are the ‘night commuters’. More recently, there have been a series of cease-fires, and in 2006 a set of peace talks began, hosted in Juba, Sudan. Whilst they collapsed, there has been relative peace around Kitgum and lives have begun to slowly return to ‘normal’ as night shelters have been stopped and camps dismantled.
Many of the children have never had the opportunity to attend school at all, and one finds primary schools full of teenagers, who are only just starting their education. Whilst primary schools are free, secondary schools are expensive for local Ugandans – especially for those with no income, living in camps. Costs are typically ~£140 a year, and far beyond the reach of most people. What’s more, is that much of the infrastructure and teachers in northern Uganda has been decimated by the law. A few years ago, the local Church decided to open a secondary school on its Diocese grounds to try and provide a more affordable education to local children. The Rev Jabulani Issoke Memorial Secondary School was started, and has been slowly developed out of a couple of buildings, and have relied on many voluntary teachers (who earn their living at other schools, but offer to teach here as a ‘voluntary’).
When Nick Marsh visited for the second time in 2006, he and Wilson discussed again the needs of the school, and the complete lack of text books and equipment was highlighted as the major issue; the school had no books – not enough for study and sharing, let alone for anyone to have their own. JMT has funded an initial batch of books and resources to be provided to the school, and will be looking to build on this over time.
Students with donated books A student displaying new 'library' with text books
Latest updates:
Nick Marsh visited Kitgum for the second time last year, along with Laura Burton, Tim and Sue Watson and Gary Ions. It is a tough place to visit, with army blockades, curfews and the threat of attack. Little works in the town – electricity, water and basic amenities are hard to find. However, the people are inspirational and on returning they received a wonderful welcome back! Time spent with friends and their families, and at the shelters and the camps playing with kids is emotionally exhausting and challenging, but immensely rewarding.
It was at this visit in 2006, that the project for the books was muted. Since then, Wilson Kitara developed a list of required books and resources and a reputable source in Kampala. Gary Ions, a friend and missionary in Kampala, oversaw the sourcing and quoting for the initial batch of £500 worth of books and resources. These were delivered in around March 2007.
Links and info:
Read about the troubles in northern Uganda in articles such as on the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3514473.stm
Ways to get involved:
Financial support:
JMT provided ~£500 this year to provide an initial batch of text books and resources. There is a further £2500 of text books and scientific equipment (e.g. Bunsen burners) that have been identified as required, so lots more to do! Please do consider supporting this effort – anything from £5-10 could provide a text book for the school; this is held in the school ‘library’ and used again and again!!
Prayer:
• Please pray that the books and resources are used wisely, and put to good use by the students and teachers
• Pray for peace in northern Uganda and safety in Kitgum, that it may be a place where students and children can grow up and be educated in safety
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