WHO ARE THE POOR: KYENJOJO DISTRICT STAKEHOLDERS DIALOGUE MEETING PROBES CAUSES OF POVERTY

In a  Kyenjojo District conference in at Tooro Royal Cottages on 25^th October 2013 that aimed at  eradicating poverty and the declining standards of Education   Mr. Muhenda  Rujumba the retired CAO of Kamwenge decried the fact Kyenjojo district was always envied and glorified for producing educated and well learned persons.  Mwenge County was re known for having well educated citizens and wealth but this glorious history is gone but fortunately it can be redeemable. Most parents in Kyenjojo would struggle to give their children education despite the little available resources.  The citizens of Kyenjojo would compete for placements in schools like BUDDO, Ntare and Mbarara high.  The question remains will Kyenjojo be able to get a professor who is locally trained in Kyenjojo in this generation? The senior Citizen called for the need to revigorate the education and production sectors.   However,‘’Kyenjojo has embraced the phenomena of why educate my child yet I can get money in business and with this rigorous targets have been made like complete primary education and secondary education and acquire a boda boda and the proceeds is used for pool and gambling” he lamented. The leaders emphasized that the UPE policy doesn’t remove the responsibility of parents in ensuring quality education. He emphasized the need for the community in Kyenjojo to take on their roles and responsibilities as quality education is the only way to solve a mentally retarded society and the choice is ours as the poor the society becomes the more illiterate or semi-illiterate the citizen it produces. 

The elders were not amazed with the fact that Kyenjojo is rated one of the poorest districts in Uganda by National bureau of statistics yet they have able bodied men and women and asserted that without education we are slaves, as slaves we no rights therefore as citizens of Kyenjojo we must deliberate ourselves and we know that we can as education is the key pillar for developments. HON TOM Butime emphasized the education of kyenjojo will entirely depend on how stable our  homes are and there if the citizens do not have a core income generating activity at home then  they are  hanging and thus education may not be attained.  The former Member of Parliament was quick to give an example that when he visited Amanya Mushega and Jim Muhwezi’s home he did not see the citizens waiting for them while sleeping to ask for help for school fees as it is in Kyenjojo.

In the conference the leaders decried of the fact that Kahanda Primary school and Rubango primary schools which were traditional schools of Kyenjojo district were scraped off P.6 and P.7 as these schools instead of progressing they have gone two steps backwards. What will happen to the community shall achieve the millennium development goal  with such developments.

Key facts about Kyenjojo from DEO’s presentation

Kyenjojo district  has 200 pre-primary schools of which only 97 have licenses with about 5000 pupil,  The district has 128 government aided primary schools and 52 private primary schools with a total enrollment of 38534boys and 37717 girls .  The total number of teachers in the district is 1120 were on pay role of which 48 were in maternity or sick leave. 50 Class room have a roof with no blocks. By October 2013. Pupils of Iboroga and Butiti Boys are still studying under condemned buildings. In 2013, 12 pupils, 8 teachers and a district inspector of schools were lost.  In Nyabuharwa Primary 16 were defiled and made pregnant.

It was no surprise that the  participants  confirmed and by consensus agreed that the facts and information presented during the conference reflect the real status of education and household production and income thus the quality of education and poverty at household level are directly related and influence each another,  Therefore, appreciating the need to act to improve the quality of education, recognizing the potential and endowments that exist and can facilitate change. Key resolutions were; organizing subcounty conferences, education and fighting poverty becomes a priority for all stakeholders, All elected leaders take the political responsibility for the quality of education and production at household level since they were voted into office to ensure better service delivery as well as   leaders working together to ensure that each household has utilized land well, has sufficient food for home consumption and marketing for income generation.

The dialogue meeting in Kyenjojo attracted over 120 participants who included among others, RDC, CAO (represented), LC V (represented) DNC, SNCs, DEO, Inspector of schools, CDOs, LC III C/Ps, Opinion leaders, retired politicians like Conel Butime, head teachers, Civil society organizations like RIDE Africa, Caritus Fort Portal, KRC, Tooro Development Network among others..

 Policy Review by RWECO

The Education department takes the biggest percentage of the district budget for the years in review ( 2011/12-2013/14) but that does not result into quality education given the grades of pupils in Primary Leaving Examinations and performance of the teachers. The stakeholders questioned why spend colossal sums of money and yet  register poor performance, that was after the RWECO presented the implication of the budget to service delivery and the Kyenjojo district leadership was tasked to work with CSOs and other agencies to improve on the education standards

Compiled by RWECO Team

Erina Kahunde and Sheila K