Published on 11/10/2024
Kabarole Research & Resource Centre-Uganda (KRC) has donated water purifiers worth millions to Rwangara Primary School in Ntoroko District, Western Uganda.
This donation is a vital intervention following devastating floods that forced the school to relocate to temporary grounds. The water purifiers will ensure safe drinking water for the students and staff, helping to prevent waterborne diseases.
KRC’s support highlights the importance of community resilience and aid in times of crisis. The school community has expressed deep gratitude for this timely assistance.
While delivering the water Purifiers last week, Patrick Muzinduki, the Deputy Executive Director, KRC, emphasized that the purifiers will provide essential access to clean drinking water for students and surrounding communities to prevent waterborne diseases as one of the significant health risks following the floods.
In addition to water purifiers, KRC also launched educational programs on sanitation and recovery to address urgent issues caused by the community’s displacement. This initiative aims to mitigate both the psychosocial and physical challenges displaced residents face by engaging the community and raising awareness on topics like hygiene, gender-based violence, child protection, fostering resilience and unity among families.
Speaking to our Chief Spy, Andrew Irumba, Patrick revealed that after the floods, Rwangara Primary School is facing several challenges where displaced students have to walk or travel long distances by boat daily through stretches of flooded terrain.
Meanwhile, Ninsiima Paul, the headteacher of Rwangara Primary School, noted that the school now operating in tents provided by UNICEF and Save the Children, has experienced a decline in its student population as some families move to safer areas and others struggle to cope with the harsh conditions.
According to Ninsiima, the school which was swept by floods and had to relocate 7kms away to find surface land, has 86 PLE candidates for 2024 and they use local boats to come to school. The school has a total population of 473 pupils and 8 staff, 7 of which are on government payroll.
Rwangara is a government school and it’s the only one with a UNEB centre number. It’s currently operating from a private land which it pays 1m per month to the landowner as tenants.
While thanking KRC-Uganda for the timely intervention to save children from diseases related to drinking unsafe water and The Spy Uganda for popularising their plight, Ninsiima appealed for more assistance from other well-wishers in order to manoeuvre the overwhelming situation.
