It has been 15 years since Jackson Twesigye started Nyaka School in Kanungu, to help HIV/Aids orphans. Recently, CHRISTOPHER TUSIIME visited the school, which The Observer first reported about in 2010, and found an institution that has evolved from a primary school into a full-fledged secondary school.
When we arrive, the excitement on Able Amanya’s face is hard to ignore. He is a primary five pupil at Nyaka School, clearly delighted to be in that school.
“I feel very good to be here because I get from them everything I want, for me to study,” he says.
His classmate, Rebecca Natukunda, is equally-happy that she is at school, years after her parents passed on.
“I come from Kayanja village to here every morning. Even though it is not very near, I feel good because I’m at school studying. My grandmother, too, is happy,” she says.
However, as the two pupils head home, they can’t miss the imposing Nyaka Vocational Secondary School in Kanungu. The newly-set-up school also provides free education services to orphans and the needy in the area, according Freda Byaburakira, one of the founders of the Nyaka Aids Foundation.
As we reported earlier, it was Jackson Twesigye, who started the school, setting up a school at Nyakagyezi and another at Kutamba in Nyakishenyi, Rukungiri district.
Twesigye’s philanthropic motive was sparked by the death of his eldest brother Mushabe to HIV/Aids in August 1996. Recently, locals in the area gathered to celebrate 15 years of Nyaka Aids Foundation. The foundation has been providing the same free services to the orphans in the area, especially those whose parents died of HIV/Aids.
The celebrations coincided with the launch of a new secondary school, planned to embrace primary school graduates.
“So, Nyaka Vocational Secondary School will be receiving those who have gone through these two primary schools to enable them further their education ... so far we already have S1 and S2, but we are still contracting more classes up to S6,” Byaburakira said.
Asked whether it is possible to study from the school, even though one hasn’t passed through the said primary schools, Byaburakira agreed.
“Clearly, our aim is to help orphans and the needy in the district. If we have the space and resources needed, why not admit as many children as possible?”
Arnold Sekukuru, the headmaster of Nyaka Vocational Secondary School, said the school has all the necessary equipment to facilitate teaching of science subjects like Chemistry, Biology and Physics.
“We have a fully-stocked library, science laboratory and 50 new computers that are connected to internet ... All our students sleep in dormitories here,” Sekukuru added.
According to Sekukuru, the school currently has 104 students, with 16 at the vocational school. He added that amongst the 16, six are already studying tailoring while 10 are doing building construction.
Currently, Nyaka schools project is supporting 461 children. Of these, Kutamba primary has 227, while Nyaka has 234. The newly-started Nyaka secondary and vocational has 104, while 14 are already at Makerere University.
The children selected to study at Nyaka schools are provided with everything including school fees, scholastic materials, shoes, uniform, breakfast and lunch.
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