A Totally Different Initiative

Canon Dwe Girls School

It has taken me a bit of time to think of what to write first of the many organizations that I have been visiting. But I have discovered that I needed to sort out in terms of the innovative ideas that each one of them have.

This time in Gulu still, I met a group of people who are setting up a community girls school, this I felt was really very good for the community. The rate of girls education in the north has really been very low and traditionally anyway Acholi girls were not supposed to go to school, so the war was just a catalyst to this idea. So many have been sent off to rich relatives in towns and the city as maids or baby sitters for that matter and had no chance at all to go to school, because they sometimes take them from even as early as seven years . So when I see people coming up with such ideas, I feel that they really need our support in any way possible.

The idea of this school is to help promote quality girl child education in the north and the surrounding districts , since it will be a boarding school. It's supposed of be one of the top private schools in the district with very well selected teaching staff and serving children from very poor backgrounds who are not able to go to good schools because they cannot afford it and a few able ones who would pay some fee to help sustain the project. I will have to work more closely with these group of people to learn more about the program. I have had a long talk with the director Mr. Opira -Otto and the secretary Mrs. Gladys Oyat who is a headmistress at a government aided school in Kitgum and they really have great plans. They are in the process of purchasing land right now, close to Koro camp for the school premises.

I felt that this kind of project is long overdue and if put into practice will really help the north as a way of resettling them into normal life again since they are trying to go back home now from the camps, and more especially a good beginning for the girls in Acholiland. I would love to see that these people see their dreams come true through our collective efforts.

Note: Canon Dwe was one of the famous Anglican Church leaders from Kitgum. He is remembered for his great contribution towards the Church development.