According to Dr Mwebesa, the re-opening of schools is highly dependent on the vaccination of teachers and students in tertiary institutions aged 18 years and above

New numbers from UNESCO, released this Thursday, show that schools are now fully open in 117 countries, with 539 million students back in class, ranging from pre-primary to secondary levels. Around 117 million students, representing 7.5 per cent of the total, are still affected by complete school closures in 18 countries.

Several primary school head teachers in Kampala are opposed to the staggered way of reopening as proposed by the government for safe reopening that calls for having two learning shifts per day or having alternate days for the learners.

According to Kidega, besides conducting lessons illegally, the teachers and pupils were not adhering to the COVID-19 standard operating procedures including wearing face masks, observing social distancing, hand sanitizing, with majority not vaccinated.

Today, as he concluded his three-day visit to Uganda, the Rotary International President Shekar Mehta pledged partnership with the government of Uganda to support distance learning through raising resources to procure supportive equipment like radios and televisions. He was addressing journalists after a visit to Makerere University which hosts one of the seven Rotary Peace Centres across the World.

The project will see 116 schools constructed. Of these, 84 schools will be constructed in non-refugee hosting districts while 32 new schools will be constructed in the refugee-hosting districts. at least 61 existing schools in refugee-hosting districts will also be expanded.

Hamza Ssempala, one of the children who was selling things on the streets, says that the project has changed his life and that of his mother tremendously. He now has access to books, coaching, and his mother is empowered financially.