Bunyonyi Island school gets life jackets

Pupils of Bwaama Primary School in Kabale District jubilate after receiving the life jackets last Saturday. PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA

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"Now that we have been given life jackets and a motor boat, I hope the school enrolment will increase from the current 218 pupils to more than 600 pupils. I thank all the well-wishers supporting our school,” Johnson Byambara, Bwaama Primary School head teacher

KABALE. In a bid to support access to education on Bwaama Island in Lake Bunyonyi, Hariss International, has donated 50 life jackets and school bags to Bwaama Primary School.
The jackets are for ensuring safety of the pupils, who travel on water everyday.
The public relations manager at Hariss International, Ms Racheal Luwedde, and other officials delivered the donation to the school last Saturday.

“The founder of Africa Tourist Club, Ms Doreen Berinda, approached us for the support and our company was able to extend this donation to help the pupils attain their educational dreams,” Ms Luwedde said.
Ms Berinda said her club with a membership of more than 50 people advocates support for the needy and vulnerable community members. Three young girls drowned in Lake Bunyonyi when the canoe they were sailing in capsized in September.

She hailed Hariss International for responding to the club’s call, and Entusi Community based organisation for donating an engine boat to transport pupils. Every parent pays Shs2,000 every month to meet fuel costs.
Ms Berinda added: “Through our advocacy, we have been able to raise about 240 life jackets from other donors and we shall give some of them to the students of Bwaama Secondary School, which is on the same island.”

The head teacher, Mr Johnson Byambara, said the enrolment has always remained low, especially in the infant classes, because parents fear sending their young ones to school on canoes without life jackets.
“Now that we have been given life jackets and a motor boat, I hope the school enrolment will increase from the current 218 pupils to more than 600 pupils. I thank all the well-wishers supporting our school,” Mr Byambara added.

He also appealed to government to avail funds for renovating the school.
He said the school, which was built in the 1930s by the missionaries, has not had any serious face-lift for decades.
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