Otuke, Uganda – Tegweng Primary School in Olilim Subcounty, Otuke East Constituency, has received a borehole rehabilitation (UGX 7 million), software activities (UGX 6 million) and two-stance drainable latrines, valued at UGX 65 million, courtesy of the International Lifeline Fund (ILF).
The facilities were officially commissioned today (Thursday, March 20, 2025) as part of ILF’s ongoing UGX 400 million project in Otuke District.
The event was attended by local leaders, education officials, and development partners, who emphasized the critical role of water and sanitation in improving education standards.
In his speech, Mr. Omach Fastino, Head Teacher of Tegweng Primary School, expressed deep gratitude to ILF for their contribution, noting that the improved water and sanitation facilities have led to increased pupil enrollment.
He also acknowledged the NRM government for ensuring security, which has enabled uninterrupted learning.
However, he highlighted several challenges, including the shortage of teachers – with only 11 handling a growing pupil population, inadequate teacher accommodation – making it difficult for staff to reside near the school, classroom destruction due to strong winds – leading to overcrowding, high dropout rates and low parental involvement in school development.
He called upon local leaders to mobilize parents to keep children in school and urged the government to address teacher shortages and infrastructure gaps.
He also appealed to development partners for additional support in reconstructing classrooms and improving staff housing.
Isaac Okello, an executive from the International Lifeline Fund, described this project as a landmark initiative for the organization.
He detailed the accomplishments under ILF’s water and sanitation program, including construction of two five-stance latrine blocks, rehabilitation of six boreholes and drilling of eight new ones in Ogwete and Olilim subcounties.
He urged the district to support the sustainable maintenance of these water facilities.
He also announced ILF’s shift from a March–February financial year to align with the government’s July-start fiscal year, which will improve coordination.
Looking ahead, ILF is exploring nano-skills development and muscle-powered water pumping technologies as part of its commitment to innovation and professional execution.
Otuke Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and Lango RDC Whip, George Abudul, commended ILF for their transparency and cost-effective project implementation.
He contrasted ILF’s work with government projects, questioning why development partners deliver high-quality infrastructure at lower costs compared to government contractors.
“ILF has constructed a borehole and two latrines for UGX 65 million, yet government projects sometimes spend UGX 80 million on a single latrine,” he noted, urging local government officials to ensure value for money in public infrastructure projects.
He also called for strict monitoring of government-funded projects to curb corruption and advocated for continued partnerships between the government and development organizations.
Abudul Warned parents against keeping children at home, stating that those who fail to send their children to school during the rainy season would face arrest.
James Ingoi, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Otuke District, thanked ILF for its role in improving education and water access.
He acknowledged the persistent challenges facing schools, including poor infrastructure and inadequate facilities.
He emphasized the need for more partners to assist in classroom construction, community mobilization to increase school enrollment, implementation of school feeding programs to prevent pupils from studying on empty stomachs and proper boarding facilities for pupils where necessary.
He also revealed that previous requests for better school infrastructure had been submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), but responses had been slow.
He pledged his office’s commitment to working with stakeholders to improve education in Otuke.
Hon. Julius Acon Bua, MP for Otuke East Constituency, shared his personal journey and commitment to clean water access.
He recounted that his first time drinking clean water was in Senior One in Kampala in 1992 and again in the United States in 1995.
Upon returning to Uganda in 2010, he made it his mission to provide clean water to his community, drilling over 90 boreholes before in his constituency.
He urged parents to take responsibility for their children’s education rather than relying solely on external support.
He also stressed the importance of proper documentation when requesting government assistance for development projects.
“Water scarcity is a major challenge to irrigation and development in Uganda. We must do more to address this issue,” he added.
The commissioning of the new borehole and latrines marks a significant step in improving sanitation and access to clean water for pupils at Tegweng Primary School.
