BWERA COMMUNITIES RISE AGAINST POOR SOCIAL SERVICE DELIVERY

Communities in Bwera, Kasese District have engaged stakeholders and government leaders in finding lasting solutions to dangers associated with poor water sanitation and poor academic performance of schools.

Bwera, Mpondwe and Lhubiriha community members gathered on Tuesday 29^th 2012, with their local leaders and civil society organizations to discuss and establish ways of improving the use of Maizi marungi water project and Education service delivery in rural primary school. The dialogues took place at Bwera sub-county head quarter in the morning and Kalongoire Catholic Church in the after noon.

There has been an out break of cholera and other water related diseases due to poor water sanitation in the area, which has threatened people’s lives and contributed to individual deaths. Dr. Gatare S. Alphonse the medical superintendent of Bukonzo West Health Sub District reports; 4 cases dead at the Cholera Treatment Center out of the 256 registered at the center since October 2011. Most community members attributed this to poor maintenance of the Maizi marungi water source that experiences lack of routine cleaning and regular water treatment. Since the project monitors are not paid, they don’t have the courage of cleaning the dirty stones at the main supply point, one of the community members said. He said that a debt of shs 10million is standing UN cleared which is part of the monitor committee payment.

However, the Town Clark Mpondwe Lhubiriha town council Masika Eve reported that, the source of this new Maizi Marungi Scheme is 11.5kms a way from main supply point at Kihondo with 436 connection points, a reserve tank at Bwera hospital, water kiosics well maintained, cleaned and treated for safe use and the worker are paid for their services.

On the other hand, increased number of parents, children, teachers, and other stakeholder attended the neighborhood assembly meeting known as “Ekyaghanda Kyabataka” to discuss Education issues that affect performance of children at PLE.

Mrs. Kapere Janet a community member attributes poor performance of children at PLE to; chasing children from classes that make them miss lessons, sexual abuse of girls by their teacher that makes girls develop fear for those teachers, then parents involving children in house work that reduces their revision time. Kabajasi Dan a parent added that, most teachers sleep in bars, attend classes while drunk therefore they can’t teach well.

Though the deputy District Education officer Kasese District Mr. Baluku Mustafa attributes the Child’s academic failure to weaknesses of both parents and teachers, there is need for the entire community, Government Leaders and stake holders to join hands to improve the Education standards of children in rural schools.

It is a role played by the CSOs in Bwera in mobilizing the community to raise their voices and air out community problems for leaders to take action. These CSOs include KALI and BIC which have guided and facilitated the formation of community Parliaments Known as “Ebyanganda Byabataka” where leaders, stake holders and members of the community meet to discuss community issues and find ways of solving such issues based on Health, Education and Agriculture etc for improved service delivery. And the participation of the community has realized increasing members day after day which shows people’s concern to cause change.