Xinhua/KAMPALA, Jerusha Okedi, 11, knits a table mat in the art room of a school on the shores of Lake Victoria in central Uganda, under the close supervision of her teacher Jackie Kazalwa. Kazalwa is supervising a number of students in the room.
The Entebbe-Changsha Model Primary School was established to help children develop skills outside of the traditional school curriculum.
The Changsha municipal government in China donated funds to build the school, which was dedicated by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in 2009.
Changsha, the capital of China’s Hunan Province, funded a school renovation project in 2019, as requested by Entebbe.
“They came in to help the girl and boy child of Uganda so that they can have education and skills that are needed today,” Robinah Nakamya, the headmistress of the school, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Art and design, computer studies, home economics, and sports are among the skills mentioned by Nakamya. Her office is decorated with trophies that the school has won in various sports competitions.
She described the school as a blessing to the Entebbe community and stated that the school is becoming overwhelmed by the number of students who want to enroll.
According to Nakamya, after renovations were completed in 2019, the number of students increased to 850, up from 250 previously.
John Bosco Izachary, a parent who has three children at the school, told Xinhua that he chose to take them to the school because of its increased academic performance. “It has improved a lot, in Entebbe here, it is one of the best schools academically,” Izakary said.
As students arrive for their mid-morning classes, the lake breeze cools what could have been a hot day. The computer laboratory, located next to the art room, is where students learn computer skills.
Kazalwa believes that the skills gained through extracurricular activities are valuable to children even if they drop out of school.
The school is one of many achievements that have resulted from China and Uganda’s decades-long diplomatic ties. The two countries will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations next month.
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