By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
The Entebbe Golf club in conjunction with MTN Uganda on June 22, 2024 held back to school golf tournament with the aim of fundraising money to help in rehabilitation of toilet facilities at St. Joseph’s primary school Katabi in addition to buying sanitary towels and scholastic materials for pupils.
The tournament attracted over 120 golfers who went to different top schools in the country and all the proceeds amounting to over 15million will be used to rehabilitate toilet facilities, buy sanitary towels for the girl child and scholastic materials for pupils.
The Entebbe Golf Club Capt. Serwano Walusimbi who led the alumni of King’s college Budo in the back to school golf tournament said:
“We have joined MTN campaign dubbed yellow care initiative that gives back to the community. It’s main focus is on education and as Entebbe golf Club we thought to give back to the community through proceeds from back to school golf tournament as MTN marks it’s 30th anniversary in Uganda.
“Entebbe golf club thought of schools to benefit from the club and eventually we zeroed on St. Joseph’s primary school in Katabi. The school has a population of over 1000 pupils and its toilet facility can’t serve such a big population and to make matters the toilet facilities are in dire state. We intend to renovate the toilet facility and also give free sanitary pads and scholastic materials for primary seven candidates. Many girls miss school at least 4-5 days every month because they lack sanitary pads and their parents can’t afford to provide them,” he said.
The Head teacher St. Joseph’s primary school, Mrs. Caroline Makoha said Entebbe Golf club coming on board to provide sanitary pads to girls is a big boost to the education of girls especially those who come from poor families and this will help to address problems of absenteeism for the girl-child during their menstrual cycle periods.
She revealed that some of these girls have been getting challenges during their monthly periods and miss classes for at least four days in a month and this adversely affects their performance at the end of term exams or even in the national exams.
Mrs .Makoha added that there is need for a special toilet for girls to avoid sharing the same toilet with boys in addition to providing scholastic materials like pens, books, realms of papers and geometry mathematical sets for all pupils.
Some of the primary seven pupils told this reporter that it’s true the toilet facilities are not enough for them adding that some girls dodge classes when they experience their menstrual cycles and for fear of getting ashamed before their fellow pupils they don’t attend.
