Dear Sir/Madam,
Namutamba Demonstration School was founded 75 years ago in 1936 by the Lea Wilson family. The School is located at Kiwanda village in Namutamba Parish within Mityana district, a 12 miles drive from Mityana along Kitemu - Bulera road. This year, the School and the associated community celebrate the achievements; however, there are a number of short comings at the School and these are the subject of this appeal. These include:
1) The accommodation of teachers. Much as the school accommodates all the teachers with the exception of those who stay in own houses, the staff houses are in a very bad shape as reflected in the photos below. There is need to renovate those that can be renovated, and where possible put up new ones to replace the condemned ones.
2) The feeding of the children is a problem yet the school has good land to which crops and fruit trees can be planted. We would like to get this exercise started on so that before the end of the year the children can harvest food from own garden and have decent meals. This calls for funds to help in opening up this land, tools to use, seeds to plant.
3) The School at 75 requires a Library building and proper management of the library resources. This calls for either putting up a new structure or renovating one of the structures currently not in use and putting library infrastructure in place. There is need to have a full time librarian to manage the library well as well as get more resource books for the library.
4) The School has nothing like a Science Laboratory. It is right to say that currently; the Sciences are done theoretically. The appeal is to put up a structure for a Laboratory services so that children can do practicals as opposed to being theoretical. The children are supposed to learn about machines, electricity (the battery and connecting a bulb), the food values in food, etc.
5) The School has no kitchen. There is simply a shape and children are served either porridge which goes without sugar for lunch. A whole system which is hygienic from management of whatever is to do with food (utensils, water, etc) to be in place including enough support staff to manage the cooking for 800 children who are the school population.
6) The school badly needs sure supply for water. Children have to fetch water a mile away from school and on coming back to school; it is a hill they have to climb. Given the number of school buildings, water harvesting is the way to go, and this when well managed can take the school throughout the year.
7) The infant section of the school needs a lot more to play with as well as reading materials.
8) Sporting activities need a boost. The play grounds need to be worked on. The goal posts are vandalized by the community, so there is need to have them well fixed and security assured mostly at night.
9) The school does not have a single computer. The school communication and examinations have all got to be worked on from outside the school which is quite expensive.
10) The school needs a Sick bay. There is no School Nurse and no First Aid equipment worth talking about.
11) It is absurd that many of the school equipment which break are not repaired given lack of petty cash for the purpose. A lot of furniture needs to be repaired as well as windows and doors. Mechanism for locking needs to be devised to keep off those who want to vandalize the school properties.
12) The diet of the children can greatly be boosted if chicken management, as well as zero grazing cattle are incorporated into the picture. These can serve a dual purpose of providing better diet for the children as well as generate income for the school.
13) Lighting can greatly be improved if the school acquires solar lighting.
14) Transport is a problem. Many services have to be got from Mityana town which is 12 miles away. Most of the time, it is commercial motor cyclists that have to be used and these currently charge shs 6,000 for the journey. So, a journey which would cost shs 2,000 is three times the cost, meaning that one has to raise shs 12,000 to be sure of going to Mityana and back!
CAN THE SCHOOL GENERATE OWN INCOME?
Yes, the School can generate income if the following projects are implemented;
1. The management of chicken by the school will generate surplus for marketing which will help the school;
2. The management of improved cattle under zero – grazing will provide for the children and surplus to marketing hence boost the welfare of the school;
3. The school can provide the services indicated below which are badly needed in the area out of which income can be generated:
i. Tents for hire to public making functions;
ii. Plastic chairs for hire on public functions;
iii. Public address system;
iv. A generator;
v. Plates that can be hired out on functions;
vi. Marketing surplus from fruits grown which take a shorter period (grafted: Mangoes, Oranges, Avocado, and Passion fruit to mention some).
On behalf of the community of Namutamba Demonstration School I kindly appeal to you as an old student of the school to help out so that the school can have many more potential products that will help Uganda given its development problems.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
Coordinator,
75 Years’ Celebrations for Namutamba Demonstration School
P. O. Box 2678,
Kampala.
Website (running but still under construction): http://www.namutambademschool.webs.com
Attached are some photo impressions of the situation on ground and the appeal in pdf format
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