SUMMARY:
- “Some of our schools’ assets were damaged such as furniture because some refugees used desks as firewood. The pit-latrine facilities are also filled up.”
School administrators in Bundibugyo district have invoked the government’s assistance in repairing and replacing school property that has recently been damaged by refugees from DR Congo.
Congolese refugees whose migration to Uganda was due to attacks from Allied Defence Forces (ADF) rebels, had recently found sanctuary in eight schools near Busunga border in the district
According to the district school inspector, Mr Milton Kandole, some of the primary schools whose properties were destroyed include Butogo, Busolhu, Kalera, Busu, Butogo, Bundingoma, Lamia, and Nyangonda.
“Some of our schools’ assets were damaged such as furniture because some refugees used desks as firewood. The pit-latrine facilities are also filled up,” Mr Kandole said. Class walls and doors were also damaged.
Mr Joackim Mubaraka, a teacher at Lamia Primary School, said the institution has a shortage of desks and pit-latrines, and added that an assessment report on the damage of school properties is underway. This report will be submitted to the district leaders and the Office of the Prime Minister for intervention.
According to Mr Mubaraka ,their school had more than 200 pupils from Congo before the attacks, but some have since left.
“We had an enrollment of 800 pupils, including more than 200 learners from DR Congo but the number has since been reduced by half because after the attacks, the learners went with their parents to the refugee settlement camps,” he said.
Mr Andrew Byamukama, the head teacher of Bundingoma Primary School, said they share one pit-latrine with more than 700 learners because the second one was filled up by refugees, adding that pupils do not have enough furniture.
He added that they had tried repairing a few desks, but the majority are still damaged, slowing all learning activities given the population of the school.
According to the district refugee focal person, Mr Francis Senyondo, the OPM in partnership with aid agencies such as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Care and Assistance for Forced Migrants are working on transferring all the refugees to Bubukwanga transit centre.
He agreed that the refugees, who were temporarily taking staying in the schools, destroyed some of the properties.
“We don’t have money to fix what has been destroyed, but we are planning to write to the OPM and UNHCR to seek assistance, ” Mr Senyondo said.
This is not the first time for refugees to do such a thing, as during last year’s lockdown, Rwambale primary school had a fair share of similar experiences, but the destroyed properties were renovated when the refugees were relocated to different camps.