A Wild Ride - but Worth It!
In September 2019 a Classrooms for Africa group went on a wild ride to visit St. Paul Musekera Nursery and Primary School in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. It was the beginning of the rainy season when heavy afternoon lighting and thunderstorms are a daily occurrence. The road to St. Paul is in reality a track up and over many ranges of hills with rocky outcrops and hairpin bends being par for the course.
St. Paul is situated in a very remote, poverty-stricken area. The school was first visited by Classrooms for Africa representatives in 2016. They decided that, given the state of the structures at the school, every effort should be made to find donors to help fund the construction of permanent classrooms. By the end of that year a block of 3 classrooms had been completed. By July of 2017 a second block was built and in use.
Shortly before the group visited in September 2019, a donor committed to fund the balance of classroom and administration space needed. In spite of the challenging journey, the visitors were able to bring the news to the community. When the good news was announced, the staff, parents and students greeted it with shouts of joy and appreciation. What a heart-warming experience!
In spite of heavy clouds and rain showers, the visitors made it back safely down the mountains.
The project leader, Moses, has commented on some of the positive impacts which the permanent classrooms have made on the community:
having enough space to allow learner-centred activities;
conducive learning environment which improves concentration;
students' performance has improved as they now achieve good grades at state examinations;
young people are in school which improves overall atmosphere in the area;
the illiteracy rate in the community has been reduced;
community members have found work as builders, boosting their income;
the construction has provided markets for local materials such as bricks, sand and timber.