By Sabir Musa

A project worth more than 5o millions shillings under Development Response to Disaster Impacts Project (DRDIP) meant for briquette making at Nyangilia Primary School in Koboko Municipality has not started since the Financial Year 2019/20, creating suspicion among the set beneficiaries. According to Nesta Ondoru, a teacher at this school who is also a member to benefit from the project shares that, they have not been trained since the project was announced. “We are not aware since no one has come to train us”, Nesta reveals, saying that a stove that was supposed to be built for the project at the school is not yet in place. 

According to the School Head Teacher, Racheal Ondoru, the school spends about shillings 250,000 termly on wood fuel and fell down trees to cover the expense. She says, this project would help to address this challenge if implantation starts. “We are suffering because the school is lacking fuel. When we buy firewood her at the school, it goes very fast and the project would help us to save and protect environment” the Head Teacher says. Although a bank account was opened and cheque received earlier, the Project Committee Chairperson, Eric Moses, explains that, it is not clear when implementation will start as there is not clear information. “We are even stuck on where to start though the cheque is already with us. But because it’s a government program, we were asked to wait and it’s okay since there are processes to follow”. Eric Says

However, Community Facilitator for DRDIP programs, Lilias Gire attributes delay to absence of Implementing Partner on ground who are still in discussion with Ministry of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees but is hopeful that the implementation will start after the discussion. “We are supposed to work with Implementing Partners but since then, they are not yet on ground because of a meeting with the ministry, we are yet to get feedback and start the project once the implementing partner comes on ground”, Lilias explains.

This project came after the school had completed implimentation of Institution Greening project where it planted trees and designed the compound. In this briquette making project, a stove will be constructed and beneficiaries including community will be trained on how to make briquette.

COVER PHOTO: A teacher of the school by Sabir Musa