A 10,000 pounds donation from 11 students from the Royal Russell School in the UK is making wonders at Two Bridges Nursery and Primary School in Wakiso, writes NICHOLAS BAMULANZEKI.
Two years ago, Two Bridges school was on the verge of being closed down due to lack of basic requirements such as classroom blocks and qualified teachers while the sanitation was horrible.
Because it was a community school, the closure was going to affect several families in the area, many of whom couldn’t afford to take their children to school. At the time, Two Bridges had 80 students and stopped at primary four.
That is when Naome Senteza and her husband took over it. Senteza is a former teacher in the UK and explored her experience and connections to ensure that the school gets some support.
Last year, Two Bridges got a donation of 10,000 pounds plus educational materials such as books, uniforms from students of Royal Russell School in the UK. Within the last few months, Two Bridges had managed to construct an administration block and two new classrooms, which were officially launched on July 22.
Two Bridges is unique in that it is offers a child-centred curriculum. Pupils learn through hands-on exercises to instill creativity and imagination. The school now has a nursery section and the number of pupils has also grown to 150 even though it stops at primary five.
“This is a wonderful gesture from the Royal Russell School and it has turned around the whole community,” said Senteza. “We plan to expand to have primary seven by next year.”
Lucy Schofield, one of the Royal Russell School students that travelled to the school, was impressed with what she saw. “We are glad to positively impact on the lives of the unprivileged and also happy that it has been put to good use,” she said.