A school in a district of Uganda, where the youth make up 85% of the population, is striving to support pupils who care for their families.
St Gertrude Nakatete Primary School in Masaka, Lwengo district, supports 255 pupils, of which 65 are either orphans or disadvantaged. "The area was affected by HIV and Aids and we have many orphan-headed families," writes head teacher Paul Kanusu.
The school, which is connected to the Nakatete sub-parish church, is also tackling issues to do with poverty and illiteracy. English, Reading and Writing, and Agriculture are three of the subjects on the curriculum, reflecting the importance of subsistence farming in the locality. "The area has a big problem of poverty, high levels of illiteracy, a high percentage of orphanage and poor shelter. The good thing is the area has fertile soils for agriculture but use of ordinary tools like hoes, knives and axes are the order of the day," writes the head teacher. He adds: "People are hardworking, good believers, welcoming and caring."
Eleven teachers and six non-teaching staff support pupils aged 5-15 in a number of other subjects including Science, Maths, Religious Education, SST, Arts and crafts, Drawing, and Games and sports.