ZOMBO FARMING COMMUNITY BEGS FOR SUPPORT TOWARDS PARENTS INITIATED SCHOOL

The Community school in Angol Parish, Atyak Sub County, Zombo District.

By Mike Rwothomio

Zombo

The remote farming community of Angol parish, Atyak sub-county, Zombo district has appealed for support from development partners and will-wishers, to revamp the mud-walled structures of Agober parent’s primary school.

The school is situated in the rural village of Agoru, with the population of over 2000 people. The area is attractive to commercial farming due to its fertile soil, prompting a desire for education among their children.

History has it that, in the past decades, community abandoned large swathes of the area, upon being severely infested by River blindness/Onchocerciasis.

However years after, population growth, and better health system amongst other benefits have brought back many farmers from all over Zombo, Nebbi, and Arua districts to settle in Atyak sub-county.

The community school established three years ago, last year had over 300 learners in P1.P2 and P3 and the local leaders revealed that they are registering P4 this year (2025).

“We raised our concern to MP Songa, because we have 500 households here and we need our children to study. We have started this school and brought qualified teachers who have not been absorbed by the government to teach here and there seven including the head teacher,” Urwiny Fred, one of the board members of the school said in an interview with Radio Pacis.

Parents took matters into their own hands, to erect four grass thatched houses, serving as classrooms,  while some  conduct  lessons under shade of trees in the area.

Among urgent priorities the school management committee are requesting are textbooks, chalks, iron sheets, blackboards while they mobilize local resources and paying volunteering teachers.

Fred Urwiny, one of the executive board members, revealed that parents are laying bricks at the school and permanent structures are established for the learners.

The general secretary for Pakich Chiefdom, Thomas Susu revealed that they have allocated 7 acres of land for the future development of primary school infrastructures and playgrounds.

“This fourth year of the existence of this school, we have given the land to the community in the presence of an area councilor. We ask the government, area MP Songa and his friends to bring us development,” Susu urged.

He called upon the district leaders and area MPs to prioritize the school to be taken by the government.

Meanwhile, MP Lawrence Biyika Songa, commended the bold idea of the community members for establishing the school adding as leaders they will forward the school name through district to the Ministry of Education and Sports for coding.

The MP who was visiting the area supported the school administration with shillings 200,000, assuring of further lobbying for construction of the classrooms to aid effective learning.

Zombo district has been supporting community schools like, Amurupii Community P/S in Atyak sub-county, Jupamathu Parents P/S in Akaa sub-county and Aparasa P/S in Nyawir Atyak sub-county saying already their names were submitted to Ministry of Education and Sports awaiting coding.

“What we can afford to do, let’s do them for the development of this school. When we develop this school one of the children here can become an MP like me in future,” Songa motivated the community members.

Another farming community of yil village in Anyola Parish, Atyak sub-county have also called for support to construct classrooms for King Phillip Olarker Rauni III community primary school.

Zombo has 92 government aided primary schools, over 80 private primary schools and about 69 pre-primary schools of which only 45 are active and mostly urban based.

With enormous efforts by the government and Cooper aid, a Switzerland NGO towards development of schools’ infrastructures in Zombo district, there are still areas without schools, especially hardly accessible parts.