Indian missionaries to build more community schools
The Missionaries of Ananda Marga, an Indian global foundation body and Mr Babulal Ruparellia, the chairman of Down Town Group of Companies (3rd L) commission a school in Mukono District last week. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAG
Mukono- The Missionaries of Ananda Marga, an Indian global foundation body, have pledged to construct two more community schools in Mukono District to provide quality education to poor communities.
While handing over a Shs100 million community primary school in Wasswa village, Nagojje Sub-county on Sunday, the chairperson of the school management committee, said the missionaries will build the schools in Seeta and Kayanja to support less privileged children.
“We know that when children get a good foundation, they will grow up responsible citizens and this is exactly what we have come to do here,” Dada Aksovananda said.
The community school, which is located inside Lugazi sugar plantations, supports children of sugar plantation workers. The school has a computer laboratory, a clinic, a school farm and an orphanage.
Mr Babulal Ruparellia, the chairman of Down Town Group of Companies, said he was approached by the missionaries in 1993 to finance the construction of the school when the area was still a remote village.
“These people bought land here and they approached me to support them to construct the school. I used to give them money in bits and I think all together, it amounted to Shs20 million,” he said.
He said since then, he has been giving the school a monthly stipend of Shs100, 000 to feed orphans.
According to Mr Paresh Mehta, a company director, the success of the initiative is a wake-up call to other communities to undertake them as their corporate social responsibility.
