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Gulu is one of four districts constituting the Acholi Sub-region. It lies 332 km north of the capital of Kampala and consists of four counties: Kilak, Achwa, Omoro, and Nwoya. It has historically been seen as the most important and influential of the northern districts. It shares borders with seven other districts as well as the Sudan. The 2002 census put the population at 479,496. The district relies heavily on agriculture. The district was adversely affected by the 21 year insurgency by the LRA. Most of the population were consigned to Internally Displaced Persons Camps. Over the last two years there has been a semblance of peace and communities have taken advantage and are returning to their homes. The opening up of Sudan has also offered Gulu and the entire northern region as a whole greater economic opportunity. Gulu is strategically located along the main highway running from Kampala to the north. Speaking to New Lives Newsletter, Hon. Norbert Mao, Chairman, Gulu District called upon other local authorities to be assertive and focus on service delivery to communities especially in areas that former IDPs are returning. He adds that local governments should be able outline their priorities from the grassroots level. Bringing Hope to the Visually Impaired Gulu Primary School was started in 1914 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS). In 1969, the school for the visually impaired was built as an annex. The school for the visually impaired started with three pupils and one teacher. Today, there are 35pupils and 8special needs teachers. The total enrollment of the school, including the non-visually impaired is 1534 and a staff of 34. Proposed Improvements NUREP plans to improve on the following at Gulu Primary School; a) Completion of the wall fence b) Kitchen and dining hall construction c) Dormitory According to Rev. Johnny Ochola, Head Master Gulu P/S, when the wall fence is completed, security at the institution will improve, so will discipline and overall performance. He adds that the capacity of the current dormitory is small due to increased enrollment. The new dormitory will enable the children to have a convenient place with good accommodation and therefore make them perform better and increase access to education by the visually impaired. “The present dining hall is already small and extensions will allow spacious facilities for the students”. “The second phase”, he says “is to ensure that boarding facilities are availed to the non-visually impaired children so that both the visually impaired and the non-visually impaired can be at school together”. Rev Ochola extends outright appreciation to the Government of Uganda and the EU for the support to Gulu Primary School, and looks forward to more support in future in areas such as scholastic materials, Braille machines. There are other old buildings that urgently require renovation. Health Center set for Renovation NUREP, together with the local government in Gulu district have identified Awach Paibona Health Center II for the following renovation; a) Fencing b) VIP latrine construction c) Shelter for delivering mothers d) General renovations to the health center. It must be noted that some health centers in Acholi sub-region were constructed at the height of the insurgency and are presently un-utilized. They are thus in dire need of rehabilitation. Regional Office team reports progress According to Ms. Beatrice Arach, Deputy Regional Co-ordinator NUREP Gulu Offices the team has made significant strides in meeting its early objectives. Ms. Arach whose office is in charge of personnel, technical and strategic planning also focuses on monitoring. Key priority areas in Lango and Acholi sub-regions have been identified in consultation with the local government and district technical staff. The regional office team has also undertaken sensitization of communities regarding the NUREP programme. The regional office’s development officers are central actors in the community sensitization process. Today Project Implementation Committees are being set up in the two sub-regions. The regional office is cognizant of the fact that the programme is needs based, this perhaps explains why at the end of the programme it is expected that the community will have developed sufficient capacity to respond to the challenges occasioned by the conflict. Despite the major strides made, there are challenges facing the team. It was difficult to project the situation on the ground from the outset. Ms. Arach has a message to the district leaders and communities “ Without your guidance and support, the programme can not succeed. NGOs as key actors in this programme need to support communities and partner with the district leadership to succeed”. |
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