FCA hands over newly constructed school facilities in Ugandan refugee settlement

Finn Church Aid’s staff tour the newly constructed Yangani Secondary School with members of the local community.

Finn Church Aid built the infrastructure in Bidibidi refugee settlement under the Lasting Education Achievements Responding to Needs (LEARN) project with funding from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migrations (BPRM).

FINN CHURCH AID (FCA) has handed over newly constructed secondary school infrastructure and facilities to the local government and beneficiaries in Bidibidi refugee settlement, a move that will improve education prospects for both local and refugee youths in the West Nile Region of Uganda.

The school structures were handed over by the FCA Yumbe Area Manager, Mr Michael Tayebwa, to Ms Jesca Ongiertho, the Deputy Chief Administration Officer, Yumbe district.

Among the facilities handed over was a completely new school called Yangani Secondary school. FCA also supported four existing secondary schools with new structures. FCA constructed three classroom blocks, two staff accommodation blocks, one administration block, a library block, and sanitation facilities for Yangani Secondary school.

Yangani Secondary school was built in response to the lack of secondary education opportunities in refugee settlements.

The project also included two classroom blocks, two staff accommodation blocks, one administration block, one library block and sanitation facilities for Kado Secondary school; two staff accommodation blocks and sanitation facilities for Yoyo Secondary school; and one block of sanitation facilities for Highland and Nipata Secondary schools.

The new library at Yangani Secondary school.

“Bidibidi has few schools that provide secondary education, and the distances between them are significant. By strengthening secondary education, we enable refugees and youths from the host community to attain higher education”, Tayebwa says.

Finn Church Aid built the infrastructure under the Lasting Education Achievements Responding to Needs (LEARN) project with funding from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migrations (BPRM). These, according to FCA will increase access to safe and inclusive secondary learning environments for refugee and host population learners in Bidibidi refugee settlement and surrounding areas.

The LEARN project, now reaching the end of its second phase, aims to increase and improve equitable and inclusive quality education for refugee and host community children and adolescents in Bidibidi, Palorinya, Kyaka II and Rwamwanja refugee settlements.

Finn Church Aid promotes access to and delivery of quality education and systems-strengthening, closely linked with Uganda’s National Education Response Plan and Education Sector Strategic Plan. Access to education is promoted by supplying scholastic materials and teaching instructional materials and improving learning environments through the construction of school infrastructures, such as teacher accommodation units, classrooms, latrines, and teacher remuneration.

Learners will use single-seater desks at Yangani Secondary school.