Teso North schools gets Equity Bank support

Busia, Thursday, May 18, 2023

KNA by Absalom Namwalo

Lack of adequate infrastructure in public primary schools has continued to hamper education in many schools across Teso North Sub-county.

This was evidenced when Equity bank donated over 100 desks to Kalalarani and Elalai primary schools where the two schools seemed overwhelmed by high population forcing half the population of learners to sit on the floor.

The bank’s donation aims to support the government’s efforts to improve the learning environment in schools across the country, cementing its position as a committed partner to education prosperity in the country.

Speaking to the press at Kalalarani primary school, Equity Bank marketing director David Nyamu urged the parents to support learning in schools by complementing little effort from the government through parent’s association to improve the level of infrastructure.

“Equity Bank education initiative is aligned with the government priorities of ensuring free education for all and 100 per cen transition. We remain committed to changing lives through education in this country.  The desks are made within the community the schools are located, hence providing an opportunity to empower the community too,” said Nyamu.

He added that, “let us support the schools as parents even just by constructing a single classroom or desks to improve the status of our school. If we want good results, we must invest.”

The sentiments were echoed by Teso North MP Oku Kaunya who urged the government to ensure CBC transition is supported fully for its success and to reduce resistance from the public.

“I have great ties with Equity Bank and am very impressed with their efforts to support the community surrounding them. The bank has supported education greatly in this area with over 200 students in Teso North benefiting from Equity wings to fly scholarship since its intervention,” said the MP.

Kaunya noted even though the government has employed over 35,000 teachers, the number is still low based on the expectation and population in schools.

“Most schools have one teacher handling a grade 7 class which is unrealistic and unacceptable to the Kenya child,” said Kaunya.

Kalalarani head teacher Wekesa Aggrey applauded the gesture by the bank to support the institution as the school has numerous challenges.

The school with over 387 pupils with only 5 classrooms, has forced the principal to subdivide a single classroom to host 3 classes with grade 7 and class 8 sharing one classing divided by plywood.

“The school is already overwhelmed with the population and sharing a single room by 3 classes is a big challenge to learning where concentration of students is disrupted by learning in the next class,” noted Wekesa.

Wekesa noted that for instance music lessons in grade 3 affects math’s or English lessons in grade 1 or 2 as most students will want to join music even though it's in a different class under one roof

Last month the ministry of health had issued a notice of closure of Kalalarani for lack of enough toilets. It took the intervention of area MP through NG-CDF to construct 6 toilets to allow learning to continue in the school.

The bank also donated a water tank to Malaba township primary school that for many years has been facing a water crisis.

Courtesy; K.N.A