Wanacel Foundation has stepped up efforts to promote students’ welfare through mental health awareness, menstrual hygiene education, and academic support, reaching learners at Chegere Secondary School in Apac District.
The organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Patricia Aceng Ogwang, said the organisation visited the school on Thursday, November 5, 2026, where it distributed sanitary pads to female students and conducted mental health awareness sessions for both boys and girls.
The engagement also involved training learners in self-esteem, life skills, educational motivation, safeguarding, and referral support aimed at equipping them with knowledge and skills to navigate challenges associated with adolescence and their education.
Aceng emphasised the importance of the students pursuing higher education, urging parents to prioritise their children’s schooling despite financial constraints.
She cautioned students against taking shortcuts in their academic journeys, encouraging them to remain focused and committed to achieving their educational aspirations.
Chegere Secondary School Headteacher Moses Ongwara welcomed the foundation’s intervention but highlighted infrastructure and staffing challenges affecting the institution.
He said the community-founded government secondary school, established in 1989, lacks adequate classrooms, an administration block, teachers’ houses, a dining hall, library facilities, a boys’ hostel and a perimeter fence, while some existing buildings are dilapidated.
Ongwara said when he assumed office in April 2025, the school had only 12 teachers, but the number has since increased to 17 following the Ministry of Education and Sports’ deployment of five additional teachers.
He said enrolment had also risen from 156 students to 405 within one year, reflecting growing demand for education at the institution.
The headteacher further revealed that the number of Senior Four candidates had increased from 37 in 2025 to 90 in 2026, putting additional pressure on the school’s available facilities.
Students welcomed the foundation’s visit, saying the sessions had provided valuable knowledge on mental health, reproductive health, personal safety, and the importance of education.
Racheal Atim, a Senior Three student, said the engagement had equipped learners with knowledge about mental wellness and personal safety while encouraging them to pursue education to higher levels.
Angwech Tabitha, a Senior One student, said the lessons had helped learners understand adolescent changes and reproductive health, particularly the importance of protecting themselves.
Another student, Wacha Pius, said the foundation’s messages of encouragement had positively inspired learners, expressing hope that the organisation would return to the school for further engagements.