The repatriated street children being warmly welcomed at Lokodiokodio primary school in Napak district. Photos by Medrine Apio
By Medrine Apio
Napak District: Leaders in Napak district are appealing to the government and development partners to support the former street-connected children now in primary schools.
In February this year, the Napak district local government in partnership with the Koinonia Ministry, UWESO, and Kampala Capital City Authority repatriated 308 Karamojong children who had been begging on the streets of Kampala.
The children aged between 5 and 15 were enrolled in Lokodiokodio and Lotome Girls’ Primary schools, where they are expected to stay for a year without meeting their parents.
The Napak district council also passed a resolution to keep the repatriated children at school for the next three years without them meeting their parents.
John Bosco Agilu, the Napak District Speaker, said that the move was aimed at breaking the vicious cycle of sending repatriated children to the streets.
Agilu said that the district has been struggling to contain the problem because of parents who facilitate the children to run back to the streets.
He is optimistic that keeping children at school for more than three years would help to change their mindset on street life and make them start valuing education.
Agilu appealed to the government to support them and implement compulsory free education for all Karamojong children to end child trafficking in the region.
Joan Akeihangwe, the National Coordinator of the Koinonia Ministry said that the ministry would support the children with all the basic needs to ease their stay in school until they finish primary education.
However, since then the children have not received any support, except mattresses and school uniforms donated by the Cooperation and Development (CND) partner, and delivered by the district.
The children were captured and repatriated with the only clothes they had on and the school management advised them to wash their clothes at night and wear them during the daytime.
Mary Namer, one of the children now studying at Lotome Girls’ Primary School said that they lack scholastic materials and necessities such as mosquito nets and bedsheets.
Namer said some children were not given mattresses and are sharing, while others sleep on the floor.
Judith Adiaka, another pupil, pleaded with the teachers to allow her to see her parents whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, saying it was affecting her concentration in class.
Martha Nabok, the head teacher of Lokodiokodio Primary School acknowledged the conditions the pupils are in and revealed that two escaped from school, but they were later tracked down by the security forces.
Nabok said that they have also initiated fellowship programs to counsel the pupils and help them overcome stigma.
Joyce Nakoya, the Napak District Education Officer said the school is facing several challenges ranging from the water crisis, limited resources to care for the children, and a shortage of teachers.
Currently, there are only 13 staff against more than 900 pupils.
Nakoya appealed to development partners to support pupils with menstrual hygiene management facilities to help girls whose increasing number is affecting the school’s budget.
She expressed fear that the children may escape from school if the situation worsens.
Nakoya appealed to the government and development partners to support the district in ensuring that pupils remain in school.
Denis Okori, the Napak District Resident Commissioner, noted that lack of resources has always affected the quality of education in the region.
Okori revealed that they have secured food from the World Food Program to feed the pupils and are engaging other partners to support them with other scholastic materials to keep them at school.
He added that they are tracing the families of the children before designing strategies for integrating them with parents in the future.
