Stone quarries and gold mining sites host the highest number of children while others are subjected to carrying bundles of firewood and bags of charcoal for sale to feed their families. Sometimes children walk for over 15 kilometres to Moroto town in search of markets.
The two priests ordained are Rev Deacon Paul Kiyonga of Moroto and Rev Deacon Nicholas Iwala from Nabilatuk district. Bishop Guzzetti also consecrated Francis Opio, Moses Sagal, Anjello Illukol, and Joshua Gidongo to the order of diaconate.
Patrick Mutiro, the head teacher of Kosiroi Primary School in Tapac sub-county, explained that parents often have the misconception that books, pens, and school uniforms should be provided by the government or well-wishers.
Most of the pupils are being sent to school without books, pencils and pens and yet these are necessary requirements needed for every child at school. But now with donations from UNATU, the items will boost the academic performances of learners.
Lobong shared that the teachers have also requested the district authorities to replace the windows of the staff houses with metal ones to enhance their security.
According to the teachers, they are fearing of possible attacks because the schools have been turned into a battle field and crossing point for the cattle rustlers.
Nadunget Primary School usually enrols over 1000 learners only had 80 pupils when our reporter visited the schools on Friday afternoon, while Naitakwae Primary School had 300 out of 1,000 and Moroto Parents Secondary School had 10 learners out of 400 expected to be enrolled.
The planned Construction of the school was launched in July 2022 and the contract was awarded to ADLER Construction Company Limited at a cost of three billion Shillings. But seven months later, the work is yet to start and just a few days ago, a group of casual labourers were seen clearing the site.
Paul Oputa, the Moroto District Education Officer told URN that the Ministry is yet to approve the Board of Governor(BoG) for the two schools. Oputa says that the fate of both schools is not clear because they have severally written to the ministry without any response.
The district officials have started with community sensitisation about the value of education as a way of encouraging parents to take their children to school. The campaign, supported by Welthunger and UNICEF is targeting both parents and children, mainly in remote areas where pastoralism and mining activities take precedence.
Machecho says that around June, the building was completed and commissioned by the district officials immediately. He, however, says that they later realized the work was shoddy.
Logith says that he has been struggling to feed his family over the past months and the children are becoming malnourished due to the lack of food. According to Logith, their contract with the construction company ended in October but district officials instructed them to continue working despite the outstanding dues.
The shortage has forced several schools to employ the services of student teachers to teach science subjects. The schools also lack safety gear and inadequate apparatus to support the effective teaching of science subjects.
Simon Meri, the chairperson School Management Committee at Lia primary school in Katikekile sub county told URN that the school is seriously hit by shortage of accommodation and this is affecting lessons, moreover some of the staff rent many kilometers away from school.
In many parts of Karamoja, school-going children are engaged in activities that include mining, and hawking while the boys are trapped up in the kraals looking after cows.
Esther Anyakun, another learner said that teachers are just roaming up and down and they are not bothered about teaching. Anyakun says if the strike continues, they will fail since revising books alone may not help them.
Samuel Justin Tuko, a resident of Tapac sub-county, blamed the district authorities for constructing the school in an isolated area. Tuko says the school is now used by pastoralists for the safe custody of their livestock.
Mary Teko, a primary six pupil, says she walks through the mountainous routes approximately 5 kilometers each way to get to school on weekly basis. she added that the journeys are riskier in the evening because it is the time cattle raiders always start their movements and they use the same routes children pass.
According to Moru, the thieves managed to open the padlock to the Deputy Head Teacher’s Office and gained access to his office after opening another padlock.
This is the first time the children in these mining communities are getting access to formal education. All along, they have been mainly involved in mining activities and unable to study due to long distances from their areas to the nearest schools within Mororo.
