BACK TO SCHOOL REPORT RANKED UGANDA 46th OUT OF 60 COUNTRIES SURVEYED!

BACK TO SCHOOL REPORT RANKED UGANDA 46th OUT OF 60 COUNTRIES SURVEYED!
Namutamba Demonstration School is partly a victim of the ‘UPE” drive which has affected negatively many previously performing Government Aided Schools. Even then, it is no excuse for us to sit back as the Glory of the School which made us what we are perishes on. I only wish to call upon all who have their roots some how connected to Namutamba and most especially Namutamba Demonstration School to help in the various initiatives to see the school rise and shine again.

In an Education For All report released in “Back to School” of September 2010, Uganda was ranked 46th out of 60 countries surveyed with a score of 37%. Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo were ranked 11th, 25th, 37th and 36th respectively. The report was made by Action Aid International, Education International, Plan International, Oxfam Novib, Save the Children and VSO. The ranking was based on basic education, teacher – student ratio and education provision for girls. The report pointed out that only 57% of the children in Uganda complete primary education! Factors responsible are poverty, internal and external armed conflicts, natural disasters, child labour, HIV/AIDS, gender based violence, child unfriendly environment, lack of mid – day meals.
It was observed that the highly examination oriented system in Uganda ignored many aspects of learning such as Life Skills.
The status and morale of teachers was also pointed out which is a result of limited development and support interventions; inadequate staffing, all being contributory factors to poor performance of UPE.

“As part of the In-Service Training Programme organized by UNATU, the Deputy General Secretary Programmes at Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) arranged a field visit for UNATU’s Colleagues from the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) to one rural primary school under the UPE programme within Wakiso district, this was on July 9 2010. When this UNATU official and the visitor arrived at the school at about 3.00pm, all the pupils were found in the compound just passing time! The reason was because they had not got a meal. They were hungry and could not concentrate in class.”

The above scenario is unfortunate. Research has it that 68% of the pupils in primary schools in Uganda do not have sure mid-day meals. This is shocking if out of these are the future professionals the country is grooming! This state of affairs is partly responsible for the dropping out from school by some pupils. They cannot concentrate while on an empty stomach. The unfortunate situation is that, though a number of UPE schools have children feeding programmes, many parents in the rural areas cannot afford to pay even the minimal cost of porridge! Such children it is obvious cannot study and compete favourably in national examinations, they end up as failures.

At Namutamba Dem School, the starting point should be the growing of food for the children given that there is land. It is necessary to involve the children in the growing process while the parents also get involved through a community arrangement.

UGANDA: THE COUNTRY AMONG THE WORST PLACES TO BE IN SCHOOL
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201010200850.html
Kampala — Pupils and teachers can't speak English
During the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in New York on Sept. 20,a report was launched by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) that surveyed the education systems in 60 countries. The report entitled, "Back to School? The worst places in the world to be a school child in 2010," was assembled by a coalition of organisations in 100 countries, and ranked Uganda as the 46th worst country in the world for a child to be in school.
The report shows how the efforts in Uganda to provide universal access to education is in crisis, and the advances in enrolling four million more children in school since 2000 are being threatened.
In 1997 when Universal Primary Education (UPE) was introduced, only about one third of school-going age children were in school. Enrolment figures then increased from 2.5 million in 1997 to 7.5 million in 2008. Secondary enrollment rates have also increased from just over 160,000 in 2007 to over 452,000 in 2009.

Although UPE and USE have led to an increase in student enrolment, Ministry of Education statistics show that only 30 percent of the pupils who started primary one in 2003 sat for Primary Leaving Examinations in 2009.
In 2008, about 43 percent of the country's children had not acquired primary education, and 78 percent had also not accessed secondary education. But beyond the numbers, other significant challenges stare the country in the face: the need for additional classrooms, science laboratories, libraries, textbooks, qualified teachers, supporting management and supervision services and improved water and sanitation.
Uganda, says the report, ranked 55 out of the 60 countries surveyed in terms of political will to implement education policies. Moreover, in East Africa, Uganda has the worst education performance.
A 2007 and 2008 study conducted by the education ministry in Amuru, Oryam, Arua, Nebbi, Bududa, Bukedea, Lyantonde, Mubende, Kyenjojo, Buliisa, Nakapiripirit and Kaabong districts, found that the completion rate of girls in Primary Seven has remained at 29 percent compared to 38 percent of boys. These are districts that have also persistently produced poor results in national examinations and lack adequate facilities.
Margaret Asiimwe, 14, a Primary Six pupil of Kivumbi Primary School in Kampala cannot read or answer questions in English. She claims she wants to become a doctor but knows very little about the reproductive system, even though her class has already covered it. However, her teacher, Arthur Bwiire, says Asiimwe is one of the brightest pupils at the school. Despite being the health prefect for her school, Asiimwe is incapable of addressing her fellow pupils in English.
Bwiire, who is not well conversant in English himself, blames a lack of textbooks and opportunities to practise on the pupils' failure to speak English. The school, which has over 300 pupils, has only 20 textbooks.
At Abim Primary School in northern Uganda, pupils sit on the ice cold floor while attending lessons; stones and bricks, which are used as seats, are reserved for pupils in Primary Five, Six and Seven. Experts say that such conditions make it hard for children to study well and as a result many end up dropping out of school.
As a result of increased enrollment, says Fortunate Ahimbisibwe of the Ministry of Education, there is now a critical shortage of classroom space. By 2007, a total of 243 out of 791 schools had class sizes of more than 80 students.
Despite all these challenges Uganda's education sector is still underfunded. The report indicates that the country has the lowest public expenditure on education in East Africa. However, at the end of the 2009/2010 financial year, the education ministry still had not spent about US$7 million dollars budgeted to recruit teachers.
The GCE report indicates that developing countries must commit 20 percent of their annual budget to education if they are to meet MDG targets.
"It is clear that a dramatic up-scaling of domestic and external aid efforts is needed in order to give the next generation better prospects than their parents and lift themselves and their countries out of poverty," reads the report.
Michael Niyitegeka, Head of Corporate Relations at Makerere University computer facility, says that universities are often blamed for poor education but the problem resides at lower levels. "People blame us when a student cannot write an application letter, but that is not our problem," he says. "The problem is with the schools they go through. Today people are schooled but they are not educated."
Uganda's learning output is indeed low. According to the report this is a product of few trained teachers. The report indicates that over 48 percent and 11 percent of secondary and primary schools respectively are untrained.
Despite the fact that Uganda passed an Education Act in 2008, which makes primary education compulsory, low public expenditure on education and lack of free school meals have hampered attendance. President Museveni has often argued that it is the parents' responsibility, not the government's, to provide lunch for their children. This financial year Uganda increased its budget for education from Shs 1.07 trillion to Shs 1.16 trillion but experts say that this is still not enough to meet the demands of the sector.

Wafula Oguttu, the spokesperson for Forum for Democratic Change, says that the report's findings are important. He says education in Uganda has become a preserve of the rich and working middle class, as they are the ones who can afford what any sane person would categorise as education.
Wafula says that the majority of government schools lack teaching facilities and teachers, yet the government does not want to recruit more teaching staff.
"There are no teachers in schools. Those who are there are paid poorly and as a result end up dodging classes," Wafula says. "The government needs to ensure that these teachers are paid well and that they stay near or at the schools so as not to dodge." Primary school teachers in Uganda earn between Shs.240,000 and 260,000.
According to ministry of education, in many districts the teacher- pupil ratio remains high. For example in the districts of Butaleja, Mbale, Arua, Maracha, Oyam, Pader and Abim, the ratio is 1:120, alarmingly higher than the recommended 1:50.
Wafula adds that for as long as enrolment keeps rising with fixed school facilities, education standards in Uganda will keep deteriorating. "How do you say you are increasing secondary school students' enrolment when you are not building laboratories, libraries? How will those students study?".

HOW CAN THE DEM SCHOOL BREAK EVEN GIVEN THE UPE CHAINS?

HOW CAN THE DEM SCHOOL BREAK EVEN GIVEN THE UPE CHAINS?
You need to know the facts to understand what is going on in our so-called Universal Primary Education (UPE) Schools in Uganda. In our times at primary (1960’s and 1970’s), there were Government grants to Government Aided Schools. These made a lot of sense as the money was spent on buying exercise books, text books, chalk, etc. We got all the exercise books from the school and the textbooks for reference – these were basic for our learning, yet the teachers were relatively paid a living wage and the cost of living was not the type it is today.
I am involved with a project proposal where the donor is ready to help with the school fees and other school requirements of children in HIV/AIDS affected circumstances including those staying with grand mothers. This gave me exposure into what is needed to have a child study today in a UPE school. Majority of this schools charge school fees given that the UPE money is a drop in the ocean and Head teachers are not even sure as to when the monies are to be sent yet the schools have to run on. I found out that:
1) Fees to the tune of shs 25,000 is paid per child
2) Uniform charges range from shs 15,000 to 20,000 on average
3) Lunch this is shs 25,000 where a child is to have food and less if it is porridge
4) Books – at least a dozen 96 page books per term which is 6,000/-
5) Toilet paper at least 2 rolls per term
6) Pens
7) Pencils
8) Geometry set.

Now, given the above, what logic is the termly UPE money which does not buy a full kilo of sugar at shs 2,400? To me UPE is a big joke and serious people should steer out of that UPE fiasco and get to serious business to see our schools run efficiently given the costs on ground.

I therefore appeal to all stakeholders in Namutamba Dem School to get out of the UPE dream land, stand up to the realities of the day, face the challenges and see the school revived.
I remember; the Dem School has reasonable amount of land where we used to do gardening. This land ought to be utilized intensively. Nothing like land being unproductive, there must be a way to grow crops there for the benefit of the children.
2ndly, it is a paying undertaking to rear local chicken. These have fewer diseases that management is relatively cheaper, easier with sure good market for the eggs and chicken.
3rd, Piggery can give good returns when the right breed is managed.
4th, there should be a venture into solar lighting for children in case there are some borders, as it is relatively cheaper to sustain after installation is complete.
5th, children should be availed papers to exercise/review in line with what better performing schools have given that it is the style to review papers to maximize chances of good grades.
6th, all teachers should endeavour to do their part meanwhile strategies are thought to see them better off.
7th, children MUST be encouraged to style up, work hard for success.


GOVERNMENT URGED TO REVIEW UPE PROGRAMME
The Democratic Party has called upon the government to revise the Universal Primary Education Programme in order to ensure quality primary education in UPE schools across the country.
The President General of the Democratic Party, John Ssebaana Kizitor says that the high rate of failures declared by the Uganda National Examinations Board in the Primary Leaving Examinations is due to poor education in UPE schools.
The 2008 primary leaving examination results recorded the worst performance in recent years, with more than 80, 000 pupils failing to pass PLE, which means they can not continue to secondary.

Addressing journalists at the party’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Ssebaana said many UPE schools had declined in performance due to the government policy that promotes automatic promotion of pupils.
He says there is also limited teaching going on in UPE schools, since teachers are paid little money, not well supervised, while some schools misappropriate funds meant for running the schools.
UNEB Secretary, Mathew Bukenya told Journalists at the release of the results last week that most pupils failed because they could not interpret questions due to failure to understand English.
Ssebaana says the government must address the problems in UPE schools in order to offer universal education that will benefit the learners.

Ends
Ultimate Media


William Kituuka Kiwanuka

MY EXPERIENCE DURING THE SHORT TIME I TAUGHT MATHEMATICS AT NAMUTAMBA SECONDARY SCHOOL.

MY EXPERIENCE DURING THE SHORT TIME I TAUGHT MATHEMATICS AT NAMUTAMBA SECONDARY SCHOOL.
As a pioneer ‘Head teacher’ at Namutamba Secondary School; early 1984, I was focused on seeing the school start on a firm foundation. I remember teaching mathematics to my senior one students then (this was the only class we had then). These were the type of students one would categorize as weak given their Primary Leaving Examination passes. I was surprised at the rate they were grasping the work. I had started off with revising the equivalent of Primary Seven Mathematics. These students were doing well. What came to my mind was that teachers greatly contributed to their weak passes at Primary Seven. My students were lively, they loved the work and the atmosphere was inducing learning.
My stay with those pioneer students was so short, but it gave a good start, the basic initial push. I am sure teachers are to blame in many instances of poor child academic performance with the exception of children with specific learning problems.
As a strategy to improve Namutamba Demonstration School, the teachers MUST exhibit competence in what they teach; they must feel that they have mastery of the discipline. I have had chance to see teachers give pupils wrong information. I remember one Head teacher of a certain primary school who was equally a Mathematics teacher for Primary Seven pupils. I was surprised when I saw him illustrate the solving of a number involving average speed. This number had time where the motorist rested, but when it came to computing the average speed, the time taken during the rest was added on and divided by the distance. This is one of the many ways the children are slowly but steadily made to fail examinations. Secondly, some teachers don’t want to bother to show the children how formulae for solving problems are derived and when a small twist is made in the question, the child end up failing!

A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO GETTING NAMUTAMBA DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL BACK ON THE MAP

A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO GETTING NAMUTAMBA DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL BACK ON THE MAP
In the 1970’s there were two schools I know quite well which were poor academically an in other school aspects, but today, that is history. These two schools in my reference are Kisubi Boys’ School and Nkumba Primary School. I knew Kisubi Boys’ School mostly during my 6 year stay at St. Mary’s College Kisubi (1974 – 1979) and Nkumba Primary School during the time when my Late Brother Isaac Kiwanuka taught there in the 1970’s.
Today, these schools are completely transformed and they excel at academics. Thanks to the commitment of the school administrators and the parents among others.
The advantage Namutamba Demonstration School has is that it moved from excelling to where it now stands, but many of the products of that excellence are a live and some are doing quite well. It calls for a few well organized people to draw up the plan for the Revival of Namutamba Demonstration School. I wish to categorically state that I wish to be among those that are committed to see the Dem School shine.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
1) We need to know the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of the Dem School. Among the strength of the school are the OBs and OGs who went through this school, some of whom are well connected and others can help through the use of Information and Communication Technology to see aid come to our school. The other Strength is the reputation the school or the name. The school has land which can be used for more construction of buildings as well as for agricultural purposes. One of the Weaknesses is such developments which are historical in nature that led to some people not feeling at home at Namutamba. There are a few cases which I wish not to outline here. What is needed is reconciliation and we move forward. The Threats would be the UPE umbrella which policy if not assisted externally by those of us who have the commitment, may make it difficult to see a balance of forces that can induce positive change into the academics of the children as well as the morale of the teaching staff. Opportunities, may be among others to exploit the likes of Lea Wilson family who if contacted may help in connecting the school to resourceful personalities and organizations outside Uganda. We have another opportunity being the OBs and OGs of the school who are in excelling schools who can give the Dem School resources including papers as set in their schools and professional advice. Another opportunity is the possibility of using the Internet resource which brings the whole world into one village, an area some of us are used to.
2) It may be necessary to have children from out of this area (immediate Namutamba hinterland) attending at the school. This may be possible if dormitories are put in place. This may induce OBs and OGs to have their children and grand children study at the Dem School.
3) We need to ensure that properly qualified teachers are in place and that their work is supervised after seeing to it that they are made comfortable to be in position to teach.
4) We need to have the actual picture of what the Dem School we are focusing on should be like.
5) We need to ensure that in all that is done dictatorship is not given chance. There are instances where a handful of people preside over each and everything and at the end of the day many would be players give in.
6) There is the need to be transparent. If any resources are procured for the school, personal enrichment MUST be out. There is need to ensure accountability. Many donors want to deal with people who are trustworthy

HOW CAN THE GLORY OF NAMUTAMBA SHINE AGAIN?

HOW CAN THE GLORY OF NAMUTAMBA SHINE AGAIN?
When St. Mary’s College Kisubi celebrated 100 years since the school started as St. Mary’s School which celebration took place in 2006, many people were surprised to see a Centenary Magazine that had been worked on without an editorial board; I had gathered the information, appealed to prospect advertisers and edited the work up to submission for type setting! The same can apply to the revival of Namutamba Glory. Some people may be aware that the 1st teachers to boost academics in primary school in Uganda were products of Namutamba and specifically Namutamba Teachers College; these teamed up at Mengo Primary School and later one of them Mr. Kasole was behind the innovation of Kampala Parents’ School. We need to remember people like the Late Jimmy Katumba who are old boys of Namutamba Teachers’ College and whose achievements in the field of music is common knowledge to all of us. Mr. Kibalama of the Escatos Brides is living testimony of the good repute some people initially at Namutamba have created which we need to emulate and take also learn from. I remember the Late Besuel Kiwanuka who took over the running of Namutamba Secondary School after my short involvement; he did the work of headship with no additional pay, and these are examples of people who have sacrificed for our betterment whose examples can help us as we struggle to see our school back to the map. It was more difficult to see Namutamba get the name, and now the children who benefited are in place and can through cooperative effort see it shine again. I wish to come up a strategy that may help in this revival effort.

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF THE REVIVAL STRATEGY?

1) We need to appreciate the sacrifices made by the Lea Wilson’s to see the evolution of Namutamba Fame which we are all proud of. Probably, without Lea Wilson as a pole of growth in the area, many families which are big names as far as Namutamba is concerned would not be. Time is now to reciprocate by adding to efforts to see Namutamba shine again.
2) We must use community initiatives through community work to see joint effort in areas like gardening, and animal husbandry as well as construction of buildings. Those of us can remember efforts in the road construction that were meant to ease traveling to Namutamba which were a community initiative.
3) We need to see the locals have means of earning. This may not be a simple strategy but there is need to see that the locals in the area have sustainable income.
4) We need to reach out to friends local and international to help in funding the identified needs which may help in the revival of the glory of Namutamba.
5) There are ‘Calls for proposals’ (local and international) which when responded to can help in boosting the welfare of the people of Namutamba.

This type of Lighting can help the children to read at night.
6) We have old boys and girls of Namutamba Dem School who are in well established schools who can constantly feed Namutamba Dem School with examination papers and professional advice so that the children performance is uplifted as is in schools that are excelling.
7) There is need to have some of the old boys and girls of Namutamba to return to Namutamba and help the development initiatives.
8) There is need to have those in administration to ensure accountability which is a basic requirement to sustainable trust in such efforts.
9) Our children should not only be taught academics but also vocational skills and other skills that may help them later in life not as job seekers but also as job makers.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ABOVE STRATEGIES CALLS FOR:-
I. Getting in touch with the Lea Wilson family to help the external mobilization efforts fro the revival of Namutamba Glory.
II. Getting our brothers and sisters out of the country into the effort more so that many ought to have some savings given the economies where they work.
III. Having full participation of big family names of children and grand children of those well known Namutamba parents which among others include:
1. Nagenda
2. Jingo
3. Kazina
4. Sepiria Katumba
5. Kasansula
6. And many others who I don’t need to mention here.
IV. Have a committee in place for mobilization of the Community effort in the rehabilitation; this among others should see to it that children have food at school given the land resource. The committee should have among others those who are knowledgeable in:
a) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
b) Communication
c) Business and Vocational skills
d) Innovations
V. Evolution of an Electronic Newsletter to keep members out of Namutamba updated with developments on ground.
VI. Putting in place a Bursary Scheme to help the badly needy children study.
VII. Mobilizing to get scholastic materials (including those for science practical lessons) to boost the academic performance of the children.
VIII. Boosting the morale of the teachers through schemes that may see their motivation to work increased.
IX. There is need to have a functional office for the revival of Namutamba Glory may be at the Demonstration School.
X. There is need to have an Educational Committee mostly constituted by those players in schools that are big names.
XI. There is need to have Internet Connectivity (mobile or the modem) by the Head teacher so that communication is eased with various players.
XII. The need to open a Namutamba Glory Account whose focus should be the rehabilitation of the Demonstration School.
XIII. Efforts to see Water Harvesting a reality at the school.
XIV. Getting strategies to boost music and drama by the children a reality as means of publicizing the school.

Thank you.
William Kituuka

SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF NAMUTAMBA COMMUNITY 3

THE NAMUTAMBA ESTATE WHICH WAS BEHIND NAMUTAMBA GLORY

JOHN NAGENDA PROFILE
I said a long time ago that one of the reasons I wrote, and enjoyed it, was the perpetual battle against the sentence.
Born: 25 April I938. Parents: William Nagenda, Sala Nagenda (nee Bakaluba).
Schools:
Kiwanda Primary School, Namutamba 45-47;
Busoga College Mwiri 48-49;
King's College Budo 50-56 (except for Kigezi High School 53);
Makerere University (or Makerere University College, as it was then called - taking Univ of London degrees.)
BA (Hons) in English, 62.
I was first interested in reading, and then writing, from an early age. For reading, perhaps around ten years,
both in Luganda and English; writing perhaps five or six years later, mainly in English.
To this day I have written in Luganda only as a hobby or experiment. In Luganda, which has only a short tradition as written literature, every word and sentence has to be newly hewn out of rock! Time becomes a factor.
I said a long time ago that one of the reasons I wrote, and enjoyed it, was the perpetual battle against the sentence.

It is a hard but stimulating adventure. To "defeat the sentence" by putting one word next to another in the best possible way open to you, is a reward in itself. You lose when the sentence, the challenger, refuses to fall in place as you want it.

The carpenter must feel the same regarding a table; the singer the song, the painter the picture, the architect the building. Such fights occupy a lifetime, if you are lucky.
I have had published two novels, one for children, another for older people; this was in the US and Europe respectively; in '73 and '81. What a long time ago! I have also written poetry (who hasn't?) some of which was published; now that I am quite old in years but not I hope in spirit I feel more poetry coming on. This is natural.

I have written (and had published) many short stories, articles of all description, including travel pieces which were contracted and paid for (how lucky can you get?), reviews of books and other writing: with these you make few friends and many enemies.
The great thing throughout, and which keeps putting you in your place - both good and bad - is that you keep learning more. But the ear and the eye, to say nothing of the nose and the pores, must be left open;
unlike a tap running! What does the future hold? One of the traps of my presidential post (and the pluses far outstrip these) is that my daily reading intake is basic beyond belief; a diet of worldwide news and news opinion from dawn to
beyond dusk; not only reading, but listening to the airwaves. If books had a say, they would, in their hundreds and thousands, march out of my house in high dudgeon. I can't remember the last time I read a whole book and I agree it is pathetic and wrong. But "one day, over the rainbow," I shall return.

Likewise the writing: I have boxes and boxes of this in various stages of repair; I intend to come back to where I broke off. Will I recognise my earlier self?

Currently, my regular as clockwork writing more or less boils down to my One Man's Week column in Saturday's The New Vision newspaper here in Uganda. Don't get me wrong, I love it. To be in a position to state your views on any subject under the sun on a weekly basis, without fear or favour, with the sub editors relegated to the dim shadows, this surely is a kind of paradise on earth! When editor Pike asked long ago whether Imight be interested I said yes before the words were dry on his lips. Plus he pays.
My title is Senior Presidential Adviser, Media & Public Relations; regardless of those who consider that I am in strong need of help myself in public relations. Those who bet I would not last a year paid heavily more than three years ago! One of my jobs is to deal with our media. In my own way I am a media person myself and no cannibal.

But if you continually let down our fraternity, by not dealing scrupulously in facts, by concocting or fabricating stories and passing them off as true, by talking about freedom of the press with one tongue while behaving irresponsibly with the other, then we will let the courts decide. Of course some journalists fail because of lack of experience and expertise; who doesn't?
But then their leaders, their editors, cannot easily plead the same. And in any case you would be too harsh to proceed without establishing a pattern. We are not too harsh. Although some clashes have been known between journalists and myself, the truth is that they are not all that frequent, not too much of a love-hate relationship.
Thus it is not difficult to balance my presidential job and that of my column. Of course in the latter I am myself, above all else, so it gives me a chance to kick with more pleasure! Wouldn't you? But with either role you have to believe in the efficacy of what you are doing.

As far as the man I advise is concerned, I believe he is amongst the top five African leaders of the modern era. Naturally he is not perfect nor does he know everything. His greatness includes the fact that he always wants to know more, and this manifests itself daily by his curiosity.
Compared to some other world leaders, he makes them seem almost brain-dead. If I have on occasion convinced him to take a different path from his original one, then I did not work for him in vain.
But such occasions have never merely fallen in my lap; they had to be hard won. It is the way it should be.
I have been asked, "Are there any special rituals you go through when preparing for your column?"
Also, "What are the tricks of the trade?"

To both I answer, Concentration, or getting yourself immersed into what you are about. You may, as a child, skim a stone just right on top of the road so that you hear it hum; but it leaves no mark (although that would in the circumstances be concentration of a kind! But digging deeper is better.)
Not everything must be deadly serious but it must be felt. After concentration, practice. Again and again; with this comes facility and knowledge, and how they should be applied.I have been asked about sport.
That is a whole subject in itself, and one which I have sometimes loved nearly as life itself.

Perhaps cricket was the greatest; but also tennis, soccer and athletics.

With cricket, a quarter of a century ago, in England, I rubbed shoulders with some of my heroes, in the First World Cup: only eight teams in all! Today I have to pinch myself to believe it really happened; miracles do happen,
but not often!
"I must away to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky," sang Masefield. Me to the writing, and reading. Given the right water and a following wind, will the fates allow me to burn in the heads and hearts of other sojourners? Would it could be so.
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JOHN NAGENDA IN ONE MANS WEEK WROTE ABOUT THE LATE BUNYENYEZI
10 November 2001 - REV CANON YOKANA BUNYENYEZI 1914-2001

A faithful son is called home.
As very many would put it, and did, that most loyal servant of God, the Reverend Canon Yokana Bunyenyezi (Rev 1978, Canon '87) was, on Sunday 14 October, called to his rest by his Master. There he joined, as St John puts it in Revelations, "a great multitude which no one could number…standing before the throne and before the lamb."
I have with me as I write the All Saints Cathedral funeral service programme. The picture on it of Canon Bunyenyezi tells you, more than words can, who and what he was: quiet, quizzical, patient, humble, serious, serene. It seems to say, Genda mpola ssebo! Go slowly sir! The smile on his face is gentle and tolerant, but not easily fooled; the tolerance coming from acknowledgement of human frailty, his own included. Here is a man near to leaving the world, who has seen much in a long life lived in different circumstances and conditions, who has "fought the good fight with all his might".
He is saying to his God, "Your will be done." Twilight reflects on his features. Not long after the picture was taken, the will was done. It found him more than ready. His wife and fellow worker in God, too. Ida, just the day before, had prayed for him to be taken, although when he went she cried No, as if her mind had changed!
They had been married for 64 years, since 1937. By now they had five remaining children, three had died; seventeen grandchildren, four had died; six great-grandchildren. They had been much given, but much had been taken away. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, praised be the name of the Lord." And what's more the Canon truly believed that canon, not excluding the praise, as he told me often.
But to lose three out of four sons (my friends John, Jack and Manueli), to say nothing of the grandchildren, and still hold that attitude, borders on the superhuman. It brings to mind the Negro Spiritual: Nobody knows the trouble I've seen/ Nobody knows but Jesus/ Nobody knows the trouble I've seen/ Glory Alleluia!
He was born in 1914 in Busanza, in what is now Kisoro district, and educated in Kabale. He also attended Mukono Theological College in 1941, but when a group there started Obulokole, Revivalism, among whom were himself and others including my own father, the rather reactionary church leaders could not stand the insubordination and expelled the lot of them. They did not then know it, but by this action they were fanning the fires of the very organisation they were trying to suppress.
It went on to ignite the whole of East Africa, as well as Ruanda-Burundi (as it was then known), and parts of Congo. From there it leaped across oceans, to the four corners of the earth. What a phenomenon, born in the then practically unheard of country of Uganda, itself not to become an independent entity for another two decades! Bunyenyezi went on to preach the gospel in Ruanda-Burundi, and Boga, Congo. It was from there that his great friend, my father William Nagenda, together with L.C. Lea Wilson, the great farmer/missionary, invited him to come to Namutamba Tea Estate, there to work and preach.
The Bunyenyezi family arrived in 1952, the parents and eight children. They never left. I remember them from the very first day, when the whole of the Nagenda family rushed off to the house which had been prepared for them, to meet them. The name Bunyenyezi was very familiar to us, from tales our parents often told us about them from the old days.

For me as a child, the name, said slowly, had had a kind of music in it from the beginning. How our parents loved each other! Across tribal lines, across educational barriers, across the difference in family privilege, Yokana and Ida and William and Sala were as tight as brothers and sisters. This is one of the pillars of Obulokole as some of us were lucky to know it then.
When 21 years after the arrival of our friends, both my parents died within seven months of each other, in 1973, the Bunyenyezis were steady as rocks. It was when we bought Namutamba from the Lea Wilsons in 1976, with John Mugwanya, that our friends from when we were very young, showed us what love is.
Malcolm and Barbara sold to us at a price well below what they were offered from elsewhere, in memory of their parents and ours, and the Revival, the Fellowship. Yokana Bunyenyezi, referring to our parents, said he would never leave them (meaning us) while he had any strength in his body. And so it has proved to the very end.
God help anybody who wanted him to do otherwise, family included! We are living proof that miracles can still happen in this funny world. My brother Stephen and I spoke at the funeral at the church Yokana and Ida had built near their home. We said simply that he would be irreplaceable. Tendo our brother nodded assent.
Our sister Ruth, e-mailing from Connecticut in the USA said, also on behalf of Jane and Jim, "…We will sadly miss the only father we had left of the great parents that brought us up and showed us right from wrong."
On behalf of the Lea Wilsons and very many others who had returned to Britain, Merolyn wrote: "…His going to be with the Lord has created such a great feeling of loss to all of us, but…we can only rejoice that Yohana is now seeing Jesus face to face." At the crowded service (as at Nakasero Cathedral), you felt that all there, and especially the Bunyenyezis, old and young, were at peace.
To see the family dignity and strength, especially of the new widow, was to bow the head in homage. As for Canon Yohana Bunyenyezi, he had gone gloriously Home, as the brethren would say.

THE SITUATION OF THE DEM SCHOOL WHICH CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE

Some of the children of Namutamba Demonstration School

Mr. John kataza head teacher Namutamba Dem School
NAMUTAMBA DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 332
KAMPALA
0752 627562
0702 791445
Email: namutamba_ptc@yahoo.com
Mission : To produce productive pupils
Motto : Akutwala ekiro
Date: 1st Sept.2009

To
The OBs and OGs
Namutamba Demonstration School
Thru:
Mr. Sewanonda Donald.
Mrs. Lwanga Joy

RE: PROBLEM STATEMENT OF NAMUTAMBA DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL

On behalf of the S.M.C, teachers, pupils of Namutamba Demo School and on my behalf, let me extend my thanks and appreciation for the development strategies you have for the renovation of our mother school, indeed the entire community of Namutamba is very thankful for your love you have extended.

On this note, let me forward to you the stand of Namutamba Demonstration School.

This school has been in existence for quite a long period of time of over than 73 years. This is an indication that there is depreciation of some infrastructures, so new strategies, ideas that have been laid down for its development is very essential.

The current situation of the school stands as follows:
1.0. Buildings:
1.1 Classrooms:
 The first buildings have cracks and one of them has been demolished because it was too dangerous to life of children.
 Another classroom block is incomplete it needs plastering, flooring and shutters.
 There are classrooms which had glasses almost all of them were broken, the wooden shutter-flames were eaten by termites.
 Floors and walls of some classrooms need renovation i.e. painting and re-flooring.

1.2 Teachers houses:
 Some are too old and eaten by termites
 There is a house which almost was crashed by a tree.
1.3 Kitchens:
We have tried to build them using local materials. Unfortunately they don’t last long due to the damage caused by the termites.

1.4 Toilets for pupils and teachers.
On the side of pupils, the toilets we have are not enough to be used by the school population so there is a need to construct two more toilets.

On teachers’ toilet, walls were locally built and are ever being disturbed by termites.

1.5 Library/ Book store
Among the buildings which are badly needed is the library. We have a lot of books but we don’t have anywhere to expose them for reading by our pupils.

1.6 Dinning hall.
We are urging parents to make sure that our pupils take lunch at school on this note we have realized that we need a serving place which can even instill table manners in our pupils.

2.0 Furniture
2.1 Pupils seats
The desks and benches we have are not enough. Here some of the pupils sit and fail to have where to write from. We try to repair but most of the broken desks are beyond repair.

2.2 Teacher tables / chairs
There is need for provision of tables and chairs in classrooms for our teachers with drawers where to keep their books.

3.0 Office equipment

3.1 Type writer and cycle styling machine.
In order to reduce the expense we meet in buying already printed exams, or taking our materials to someone to cycle style for us, there is need to have our own machines. This has an advantage in that we can test our pupils more often, in time thus reducing costs.

3.2 Computer:
Uganda has gone modern so we need to have a modern way of storing data and printing readable materials, as one of the strategies there is a necessity for a computer.

4.0 Water Supply i.e. Water tanks, we have so many building which could enable us get water during the rainy season. Unfortunately we don’t have tanks. So there is a need for at least two tanks of 10,000 litres each.

5.0 School projects:
We are of the view that our school engaging in money generating activities/ projects. Such projects may include the following:
- Agriculture- Maize growing.
- Poultry
- Growing
The only task a head of us is how to start because there is need of some money to initiate any identified project.

We are looking forward and eager to see that Namutamba Demonstration School rise and shine again.

Yours faithfully,

KATAZA JOHN. L
HEADTEACHER

IMAGES OF SOME MEMBERS OF NAMUTAMBA COMMUNITY