In May of this year our community came together to do something amazing. The aim of this challenge was to raise funds for the renovation & construction of the Nyagakenke Village Primary School. It was to build on the already successful Bwindi Community Projects, with the purpose of delivering conservation, education and economic development benefits to communities whose wellbeing impacts the protection of the endangered mountain gorillas of Uganda.
Nyagakenke Primary School is one of the poorest of 27 schools who have already benefitted from the Bwindi Community Projects, that has already brought fresh water, sanitation and solar power to more than 20,000 people living at the edge of the gorilla habitat.
The school is just 200 metres from the main gate of Mgahinga National Park, a world focus for mountain gorilla conservation of the borders of Uganda & Rwanda. It is a government run school with 449 pupils, and although the school has 7 classes it has only 6 teachers working full time, including the headteacher.
The school was founded in 2012, and currently has poor structures and buildings that are not adequately maintained. The walls of 2 buildings are made of mud and wattle & iron sheets, and the pupils sit in the dirt while attending lessons, and there are not sustainable or hygenic toilets suitable for over 400 students.
Our objective was to raise the funds to build a new school for over 600 pupils, that will also attract many professional teachers because of the improved facilities. The school will be a great vehicle to contribute to conservation and local education. Parents and local communities will be mobilised and improve on their attitudes to enhance protection of the national park and its biodervisty, especially mountain gorillas.
Children in the school will be exposed to a variety of conservation activities, especially those of the The Gorilla Organization & the Ugandan Wildlife Authority. With increased literacy and exposure amongst students, rates of poaching are expected to drop. Currently and previously, a high amount of poaching spanned fro the Nyagakenke area because a great percentage of people were illiterate and had no alternative forms of survival.
Our goal was to raise £155,000 and thanks to the efforts of our troop coming together for this important cause we have not only met our target but have continued to raise more. These extra funds will be used directly to supply the school with the necessities needed once the school has been built.
