Dokolo, Uganda | A 14-year-old girl who nearly abandoned her education after giving birth shortly before sitting her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) has resumed school in Dokolo District after receiving financial support from Joseph Jones Ogwal Omara, the Member of Parliament-elect for Dokolo North.
Kia Priscah, the seventh child in a family of eight, scored Division Two with 14 aggregates in the 2025 PLE at Nakinyama UMEA Primary School. Despite delivering a baby girl just eight days before the national examinations, she managed to sit the exams and perform well.
Her father, Ojeba Tonny, a peasant farmer and resident of Acungapenyi Cell in Kanchung Western Ward, Agwata Town Council in Dokolo District, said the family had nearly lost hope of continuing with the girl’s education due to financial constraints and the responsibility of caring for the newborn child.
Ojeba explained that Priscah reported to Iguli Girls Secondary School on Monday, March 9, 2026, after receiving a full school fees package of sh250,000 for Term One from the MP-elect. He noted that he had already lost hope about his daughter’s education after she gave birth at a tender age, saying the responsibility of caring for both the girl and the newborn had greatly strained him financially.
He expressed gratitude to Ogwal for supporting his daughter’s education, adding that the assistance would help restore her future and enable her to develop her academic potential.
Ojeba further noted that the support was the first of its kind in his family and called on other leaders to emulate Ogwal’s example of assisting vulnerable families without considering political, religious, or social backgrounds.
Denis Odyek, the political assistant to the MP-elect, confirmed that Priscah’s school fees for the first term had been cleared to a zero balance and that she would continue receiving support throughout her Ordinary Level education from Senior One to Senior Four.
Odyek said supporting education for disadvantaged families is one of the key pillars in Ogwal’s manifesto and advised parents to work hard to improve their household welfare while ensuring that children receive proper guidance whenever they return home during school holidays.
Ogwal, who was elected on the ticket of the National Resistance Movement, campaigned on improving basic service delivery in Dokolo North, with a strong emphasis on strengthening education and healthcare services.
His education agenda focuses on expanding access to quality learning, empowering young people through education and skills development, and working with all stakeholders to promote inclusive development across the constituency. Local leaders say such interventions are crucial in ensuring that vulnerable girls remain in school and are given a second chance to rebuild their futures.
