More than forty (40) vulnerable children in Kijura town council in Kabarole district have been given scholastic materials by their funders, the Haguruka Mtoto Foundation.
In January this year, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni lifted the mandatory lockdown that had been instituted due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The President also allowed schools to resume operations after almost two years of being closed.
Many children from across the country and their parents were grappling with absolute poverty and no dues and requirements to take their children back to school. However, the less privileged and vulnerable remained with no hope of returning since their only source of school fees and requirements would be well-wishers and sponsors.
In Kijura town council, Kabarole district, the education office noted that well as several children had been returned, the vulnerable had no chance of returning to school after the pandemic, save for those in foundations such as Haguruka Mtoto.
On Thursday last week, Sharlotte Niwagaba, a representative of Haguruka Mtoto Foundation took a consignment of scholastic materials and other requirements needed for school going children.
The Items which included books, uniforms, pens, plates, cups, mathematical sets, rulers, toilet papers, among other requirements were delivered to forty (40) vulnerable children registered by the foundation.
The vulnerable children who are supported by the foundation are taken to different schools within Kijura town council to attain letters of opportunity. The children, between 4 to 17 years are attending their primary and secondary classes.
According to Niwagaba, the foundation went along to visiting the children in their respective homes so as to record other challenges the vulnerable children go through for proper Intervention.
“Taking to children scholastic materials, visiting orphan’s homes and interacting with the orphans guardians was also done to ensure that we clearly understand how they are treated, how they live and note if the kind of environment they live in is necessary for their proper growth,” Niwagaba says.
Niwagaba added that “we also visited children’s teachers at the different schools, offered guidance and counseling to the children, teaching them on how to promote personal hygiene and sanitation around their homes to avoid diseases like malaria.”
Dennis Byaruhanga the Director of the foundation says, part of their efforts to help such children is to envision the need to support the less privileged through attaining education and developing talents for the children.
It is upon such background that he led the formation of football teams, the foundation and trainings to tap into the neglected talents of the young children within the area which would be developed through the foundation to become responsible citizens in the country.
Byaruhanga also called upon other well-wishers to join in his quest to help vulnerable, “for they are also important people and if given opportunity, can become more useful to the development of the country.”
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