Visiting Imke of Wild Geeze in 2022.
Imke of Wild Geeze, The Netherlands, visited the Morkiswa Community Skilling Institute in Tororo.
You can make the difference!! Read their stories below!
We are a Dutch ANBI certified foundation
Morkiswa
Students stories
Regina Aberei, 20 y.o.Course: Final year Tailoring course
I am in the last year of my studies in Morkiswa Community Skilling Institute. When COVID 19 was announced, we were all forced for home in mid-March 2020. We were very shocked and depressed by the news of school closure. I was very traumatized by end waiting of school opening.
During the COVID 19 holidays, my mother gave birth to her last born and shortly afterwards after being diagnosed with diabetes. As a result COVID 19 and poor medical care, my mother died with symptoms of the virus. Apart from death of my mother, COVID 19 slowed down businesses. There is widespread poverty. People are scared of the future.
The death of my mother is adversely affecting my fees payment; leave alone the pain of losing a mother due to death. She was the bread winner and the one paying my school fees and the other children.
On the other hand I am very afraid that we might not complete the course. My single father is now finding it hard to go looking for money and taking care of us the children and alone. He has so far managed to pay only half the required fees without registration for examinations. The basics the a girl requires in school like sanitary pads, tissue papers, clothes, stationary, etc., are all now very hard to find.
After this training, I want to study higher so that I can be a trainer. I love to impart knowledge to other young people. I hope I find school fees for doing a higher course that can help me earn more money and be able to join training institutions. As my mother already died, there is need that I earn well and help pay school fees for my siblings.
We hope we can find support elsewhere to enable us survive
Ganda Lydia. I come from Bukedea district, 60 km away from the Morkiswa, doing a two year fashion and design course. I joined Morkiswa after senior 4. I love my course and my school. I am in my final year.
Although school fees are affordable, I still find it hard to pay. Both of my parents are unable to pay fees because they are too poor. My brother who is a primary school teacher is the only one who tries to help me with school fees. But the saddest thing is that due to COVID 19, schools were closed, my brother lost his teaching job. He is not working up to now because he is not teaching final year pupils. He’s not earned nay money since March 2020 when schools closed.
When schools opened to final students last month, I had no fees to pay. In fact I called the director of Morkiswa and told him that I will not be reporting because of school fees. The only option he had was to sell a goat at Ushs 170,000 that I used for reporting to school. The Ushs 170,000 is enough for only registering me for examination. No tuition still not found till today.
Several of my friends still can’t report to school because of school fees. COVID 19 has affected incomes of many parents. Prices of food items fell because of low demand. Parents can’t afford transport expense to reach better markets.
Here at school our sanitation systems: toilets and bathrooms are traditional pit latrines and open bathrooms. We use water troughs for taking baths. Drainage is very poor. Our dormitory area smells because of nearby latrines.
After construction of a new dormitory, we now have a large compound. The dormitory is clean and we can exercise social distance in the dormitory.
In future I want to work in a fashion and design industry to gain more experience. Afterwards when I grow older, I will start my own firms in which I can make clothes and sell, and also train other young people to get knowledge and support themselves and their families.
MAFABI BRIAN
I am a final year National Certificate in Electrical Services student. I am 22 year old from the slope of Mountain Elgon in the Eastern Uganda.
We are all together 9 children born to his father and mother. My father runs a small shop of cosmetics in a nearby trading center. I am last born in the family. My eldest sisters got married at an early young age. They did not study well due to lack of school fees.
My brother was graduated in electrical installation. Up till recently, he was working in Southern Sudan as an electrician. But when COVID 19 started, he lost his job because his employers ran out of funds and could not sustain workers. He was bread winner at home and was paying school fees for me.
My 4th brother studied electrical installation but lost job in Mbale town due to lengthy lockdown where he was working.
Because of the same COVID 19, the cosmetic business collapsed. My mother was hit by a running motor cycle when police were chasing cyclists in a COVID 19 curfew time. Her leg got multiple fractures. Due to these circumstances is is very unclear if I will complete the school fees.
The effect of COVID 19 on students’ school is huge. Students overall are struggling to pay school dues because some parents or relatives lost jobs or business or died, …
ISIMAI PHILIP
I am a building student. My brother who was paying my school fees also lost a job in Kampala city as a result of a lengthy lockdown due to COVID 19.My parents sold cows and goats as well as food products to take care of the family in terms of soap and medical services. My brother and other teachers in the area. I come from have resorted to odd jobs. They burn charcoal, make bricks, hawk merchandise and dig in peoples’ gardens for incomes.Girls in my district got married prematurely. The future of several girls was ruined. In fact we at Morkiswa we have the proof out of 31 students who enrolled in term one, only half of them reported this term. The other half got married somewhere.
Fishponds for the school
To provide more income, especially in this time of Covid-19, the school started with 4 fishponds. We have decided to stick fish as follows: Pond 1: 1000 Tilapia, Pond 2: 500 Tilapia and 500 catfish, Pond 3: 2000 catfish, Pond 4: 500 tilapia and 1000 catfish. Gross Total: 2000 Tilapia and 4000 catfish.
For safety reasons the ponds are secured with fenced and a small house for the security. The school needs food and other supplies for maintaining the ponds.
Mission:
An empowered community initiative prevailing knowledge and skills to the youth, orphans, women, children, elderly and the less privileged persons in the community.
Goals: To contribute towards social economic empowerment of youth, orphans, women, children, and the less privileged persons in our community
Girls Dormitory:
Since a few weeks the girlsdormitory is in use after hard working the past few months. Our thanks goes to the funding parties who made this possible. We are always in need for funding small projects.
Examinations november 2019
Every year in november there are examinations for students
