Give children equal opportunities - Oulanyah

The Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, has called for provision of equal opportunities to all children in the different parts of the country.
Oulanyah said that children in Uganda face different challenges and problems, which vary from different locations in cities, towns, rural areas and the remotest of areas.
“The challenges that the children in Komoret face are different from the challenges the children in the city face; the opportunities available to these children are different,” Oulanyah said.

The Deputy Speaker said that, “it is the responsibility of government to bridge these differences and accord all children in this country, equal opportunities. That responsibility rests with the government of Uganda”.

Oulanyah said this while presiding at the opening of Komoret Primary School in Nakapiripirit District in the Karamoja sub-region on Tuesday, 22 January 2019.
The school was constructed by Fields of Life, a Christian organisation from Northern Ireland and operating in the East African Region.

Oulanyah said that Karamoja is a challenged region adding that there have been deliberate measures to support disadvantaged regions of that kind.
“There is an Equalisation Grant for such regions; we have in our laws something called affirmative action that is giving a little more to disadvantaged communities so that they can also try and build up their capacities,” he added.

He urged the parents in the Komoret community to ensure that children attend school since facilities have been brought closer to them.
“Education is a collective responsibility; the parents must play their part and the children must also bring themselves to school. This is the only way we can transform the lives of the people,” he said.

On a request by the Founder of Fields of Life, Rev Trevor Stevens that the school is fenced off to avoid cattle grazing on the school land and persons encroaching on it, the Deputy Speaker directed the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Hon John Byabagambi, to ensure that the school is fenced off.
Byabagambi on his part promised that fencing off of the school would start on Tuesday, 29 January 2019.

Nakapiripirit District Woman Representative, Hon Esther Anyakun called on the district leadership to ensure that when the school term opens, children are sent to the school. She called on the District Police Commander to arrest LC1 chairpersons who don’t ensure children are in school.
“There is no development without education. If you are the LC1 of a parish and we find school going children in your area, we will work with police and come for you. We want to find the children in classrooms,” she warned.

Eng.  Byabagambi urged mothers in the area to ensure that their children are in school and not herding cattle.
“I regard women in Karamoja as the most important persons in the region. I urge the women to take the children to school and you will reap more,” he added.

Fields of Life has constructed two classroom blocks, a staff house, latrines, a borehole and provided scholastic materials for the school. They have also furnished the classrooms with desks.
This is the first school in Komoret with the other school over 25 kilometres away.