DG Katongole donates US $1000 for St. Kizito Katwe Bweya Primary School

By Hannington Sebuliba

He spent five minutes staring at the photos of the dilapidated buildings of St. Kizito Primary School Katwe Bweya and every on wondered what was going on in his mind.
On closer look at the Rotary District 9211 Governor Emmanuel Katongole’s eyes,  you could see some tears. This was due to the fact that the went through such similar schools. He revealed to us that back in the 1960s when he was still in primary school in Mityana District, two classes would share the same classroom,  as it now happens at this particular school.

President Charles Magala shows DG Emmanuel the building they are proposing to construct at St. Kizito Bweya

On of the school teachers, told the Governor that it was such a very trying moment to teach two classes in one classroom. “After teaching Primary one, I tell them to sleep and not to listen to what I am teaching those in Primary two” she narrated with agony in her voice.

This prompted the Governor to recall his childhood school. He wondered how such a school, 8 miles from Uganda’s capital city and 14 miles from Entebbe International Airport can be in such a situation.

In his own words, he had this to say

“I was so inspired to meet a great lady this afternoon, a very humble lady, looks a little bit a senior citzen, but proberbly not of her age,  but because of things she does, she looks after 66 children who study in what I can call a roofshed classroom.  In less than 30 miles from the capital city of Uganda.

DG Emmanuele Katongole  with the school administrators standing on extreme ight is AG Peter Kimbowa and next to the Governor is President Charles Magala.

66 children study in a roof tin shed every class shares a classroom with another. When she is teaching P1, she tells P2 to keep quiet and shut their ears. When time comes for her to teach P2, she tells P1 to sleep in the same class and it happens at the midst of our neighbourhood. St. Kizito Primary School at Bweya looks so pathetic but  I was empowered and inspired my fellow Rotarians when this club took a deliberate decision to say that this year, when Emmanuel Katongole is our District Governor, we are going to build a classroom block to that school.

With the Board members

As Governor, I get so many of these commitments and was advised not to get involved but I should inspire you to go out and do what you are supposed to do. But this personally touched me  because I went through a similar situation. I had my education through a similar school where they would tell us when it was about 10:00am.  We  would do a mat from banana fibres (ekirago) on which they had to tell us to sleep when we didn’t want to sleep so that the next class could be attended to. I went through such a school but today I am your District Governor. That school should not be the way it is my fellow Rotarians. It should not be. We should change it and I will contribute $1000. We should change it because it doesn’t have to remain that way.
I don’t want to command you, but I request you to make sure that whatever it takes that this school is roofed this Rotary year.

DG Hands over PHF certification to Rtn. Dr. Johnson Byabashaija

  It is a human right for children to have a  good education and to grow into a responsible citizen. They should be given immunization, they should be given clean water and education.  This man speaking to you who hid himself in the jungle for three nights not to be counted, if he had not jumped that huddle of  Bulera Primary School to Namilyango. When I saw that school, I remembered Bulera Primary School and I said that I should put some money into changing that school for better. I will contribute US$1000 towards the construction of the classroom block.

Luwombo time

 If I hadn’t jumped that huddle, I would be dead, my grey hair would have turned into something very grey and a very big beared, I would have nvunza, have about 25 children, I would be with women that I fight with every day and would be still drinking mwenge bigere. When I went to Namilyango college all that changed. When I started putting on shoes, I’ve never been without shoes. Why? It is because of Education. Many of you might not say it but you are not different from me. These kids must get better education. It is you and me to provide for them.”

DG Emmanuel Katongole Launches the new Club Logo Designed by Rtn Hannington Sebuliba