By Mulengera Reporters
In his speech recently during the thanksgiving celebrations to mark his wife Janet Kataha’s 77th birthday anniversary, President Museveni directed his State House Comptroller Jane Barekye to ensure that two state-of-art laboratories (one for computer training and another for learning of the sciences) are constructed and fully equipped at Migera UWESO Secondary School, in whose compound the First Lady’s 77th birthday fete was held.
In directing this donation, which many guests felt was long over due, the President was prompted and responded to an earlier speech by Mrs. Jolly K Kaguhangire who serves as CEO for UWESO, a charity organization which supports vulnerable women, orphaned children, widows and the elderly.
In full its Uganda’s Women Effort to Save Orphans and it was founded by then a much younger Janet Kataha in the late 1980s in a bid to shield and support to thousands of Ugandan little children and women who had been orphaned and widowed as a result of the HIV-Aids scourge that swept through Uganda and devastated communities in rural Uganda during those early Museveni years. The organization has many similar such schools, children’s homes and charity projects not only in Migera Nakasongola but in several other parts of Uganda.
JOLLY K’S SPEECH
A close ally of Mrs. Museveni, Mrs. Kaguhangire made a detailed speech as she welcomed her guests since her organization, UWESO, was the one hosting the thanksgiving session through its school-Migera UWESO Secondary School.
Flanked by the headteacher, Justine Kironde, Kaguhangire explained that UWESO owns up to 1 square mile of land in that part of Nakasongola. Much of it is currently being used to facilitate tree planting and the rearing of goats and cows. She spoke about partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture to work towards modernizing and improving on this livestock farming.
Out of the 1 square mile, 40 acres is dedicated to the school (Migera UWESO SS) though much of it remains unutilized because of inadequate financial resources available at the school managers’ disposal. “We have a lot of plans on how to put this land to more appropriate use but we are being derailed by lack of adequate resources,” Mrs. Kaguhangire told her guests who included the First Couple, Deputy Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, a few Ministers, Buganda Kingdom officials, corporate and business leaders from the private business community.
She further explained that the school currently has an enrolment of 540 learners who are mainly from vulnerable families in the rural parts of greater Gulu, West Nile, Lango and rural Buganda. Having began in 2003, the Migera UWESO school has over the years churned out many students a lot of whom are now big people serving as MPs, doctors, senior officers in the security establishment etc.
Those present were asked to stand up and wave to the H.E, which they cheerfully did. Mrs. Kaguhangire explained that there is greater need for their educational services beyond just the 540 learners they are currently catering for. She added that they desire to take on many more learners from vulnerable communities of Uganda except that they are resource-constrained.
It was explained that little fees is collected from those who have to pay a small fraction, which management has to improvise to top up. They can’t be required to pay the full fees that would be ideal or adequate because these are children from financially vulnerable families and communities-yet they have a right to an education to guarantee their future.
They have to be fed properly, be taught by qualified teachers who have to be well paid and yet there are many other administrative costs. To make matters worse, Kaguhangire explained that, UWESO is deliberately a locally-funded and resourced organization as fundraising from external sources is seldom prioritized.
“None of the teachers is on the government payroll,” Kaguhangire explained as she thanked local partners and organizations which have over the years stood with Migera SS and supported other UWESO undertakings. These local partners were enumerated to include tycoons Sudhir Ruparelia and Godfrey Kirumira’s families, Oweek Joyce Sebugwawo and lawyer Daudi Mpanga (whose mum Joyce Mpanga, who is now deceased, served as UWESO CEO many years ago).
Others include the MD Movit Group (who always donates cosmetics and laundry products to support the children who are under UWESO care) and Tororo Cement whose MD the First Lady specifically thanked in a subsequent speech and even repeatedly mentioned by name.
Tororo Cement has done so much to support the welfare and sustenance of the Ugandan children under the UWESO care including funding the construction of the UWESO vocational institute at Migera which the President and First Lady toured as they arrived for the birthday thanksgiving event.
The same cement manufacturer was also recognized for renovating buildings at the Migera Nakasongola school on top of generously feeding children at the Masulita home.
Mrs. Kaguhangire thanked Tororo Cement for all this and said what now remains is the equipping of the same institute. She was hopeful all this will be accomplished one day. She also revealed that, even when they don’t have anything like a single modern and well-equipped laboratory, they improvise and teach sciences from S1 to S6. She added that they have no computers. Neither do they have a library as yet. Being a staunch Christian believer, she expressed optimism that all these will come some day.
Mrs. Kaguhangire also recognized the office of the First Lady for effectively partnering with them besides the office of State House Comptroller, the Uganda Youth Forum leadership under their Chairman Dr. James Magara and the Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity group patronized by Annie Muhairwe, the Deputy IGG. Megha Industries was also recognized for their support and solidarity besides Crane Roofings for their mattresses donations to support the sustenance of hundreds of children scattered at the different UWESO homes.
Besides thanking Ugandans for greatly loving their First Lady Janet Museveni (well wishes desiring to participate in the event were so many & thereby overwhelming the organizers), Mrs. Kaguhangire saluted the Nakasongola local government leadership (including the area MPs, the CAO, the RDC, the Police leadership & the rest of the security apparatus) for their effective collaboration with UWESO which has ensured smooth operations both at the school and the livestock farm.
She also appreciated three Ministries under the GoU for their support towards UWESO projects at Nakasongola and elsewhere. These Ministries are MAAIF, Education and the one of Gender & Social Development whose Permanent Secretary Aggrey Kibenge was present having worked veery well with Mrs. Museveni as Under Secretary at Education. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
