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| Lutengo School sign, (SS = Secondary School) |
My Guildford Mukono Link experience has
been with education, particularly through links with Guildford secondary schools with Lutengo United School, where Edward Kaweesi is the Headteacher.
Edward is due to visit Guildford in late May 2017.
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| An original classroom made by local people |
Having been introduced to
him and his school, Sue Knight, my Guildford Fairtrade partner and myself decided to give our additional profit from fairly traded goods sales
to further education at his school.
With help from churches and
individuals as well, we have been able to fund the building of several
classrooms, two dormitories and a computer lab.
The photo (alongside) shows one of the original
classrooms, with its clay plastered wall, wooden supports and grass roofing.
All these materials were gathered and
made by local people.
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| Edward Kaweesi standing by footings of new classroom |
Lutengo United Secondary School was established in the year 2000 by Edward Kaweesi,
Founder and head teacher.
Our photo shows Edward Kaweesi standing
proudly by footings of new classrooms. The bricks were made on site by children shaping
clay found on school land which was left in the sun to dry.
Edward wrote in one of his first reports:
”This school was started as
a response to the cries of the local community who at that time did not have a secondary school within a
radius of three miles. The local leaders therefore resolved to persuade capable people to establish a school
in the area.”
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| Almost finished classrooms |
By 2005 the original
classrooms of wood and clay with thatched roofs were being replaced by brick-built,
iron-roofed ones with support from the Guildford Mukono Link and churches in the Guildford area.
Our photo shows the almost finished classrooms. Additional money came from ourselves for costly roofing. Edward has no money
coming from the government, so it is therefore a private school, but Edward is definitely
in charge!
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| Much singing and dancing accompanied by drumming |
Visitors to the school are received with much singing and dancing accompanied by drumming. Children naturally have great rhythm and sense of dance.
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| three- tier bunks in former girls` dormitory |
A new large girls’ dormitory was opened in 2009 thanks to Fairtrade funding plus input from St Peter’s School, Merrow, which is linked with Lutengo. By 2010 the boys’ equivalent dormitory had been built.
Our photo shows the three-tier bunks in a former girls` dormitory, with little space, no personal area and no
mosquito nets.
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Emily Thornberry, M.P. taking a photo in 2011
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The new two-tier girls` bunk beds,
with nets and more space!
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fuel – efficient stove installed at Lutengo School
to save on fuel costs 2011
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In 2011 a fuel – efficient stove was installed at Lutengo School to save on fuel costs.
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| Edward and myself outside the new girls` dormitory |
Emily Thornberry, MP, Shadow Defence Secretary was in Mukono 2011 to open the new library named in honour of her mother Sallie Thornberry who began the Guildford Mukono Link link when Mayor.
Sallie wanted prosperous Guildford to be linked to an up and coming area in
Uganda, as many of her councillors had contacts in the
country. Sallie was
formerly a Drama and English teacher at St Peter's Secondary School, Merrow, which is part of Guildford.
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New boys` dormitory named after Sue
Knight. |
Our photo shows Sallie Edie outside the new boys` dormitory named
after Sue
Knight.
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A deep hole dug by hand for
a new water supply |
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This pump is fixed on top of the well to aid
water collection by pupils in yellow plastic containers
before and after school.
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Metal roofing increases
temperatures during hottest times, so we have paid for false ceilings to offset
this, i.e. plasterboard fixed to the wooden eaves.
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| Students learning to use the Lutengo School's computers |
In this picture we see Edward in the new computer room overseeing studies on computers sent out by
St
Peters School, Merrow. All secondary pupils now have to learn computing as part of
the
curriculum.
Sadly the funding for more
university places is no longer available at the moment - but if we can raise funds...
Sue Wilbraham
