NATIONAL: Bulembia Primary School in Kasese district that was recently ravaged by floods on Friday received an assortment of items from a team of local tourists numbering to 480 who are currently on a tour of Western region.
The team led by State minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Martin Mugarra, and a horde of celebrities and beauty queens is on a drive aimed at showcasing the country’s tourism potential and promoting local tourism.
Handing over the items that included books, pens, sets, textbooks and rulers, among other scholastic materials, to the school head teacher Joseph Kule, minister Mugarra commended the pupils for attending school despite the challenges.
“Most of these disasters occur because people fail to conserve the environment. When you grow up, be custodians of the environment,” Mugarra told the over joyed pupils.
The pupils were thrown into a frenzy when the youthful minister introduced renown kick-boxer Moses Golola as one of the influencers on the drive, compelling the minister to offer Golola a chance to address the enthusiastic pupils.
“I am Golola Moses the champion,” the flamboyant kick-boxer said as he encouraged the pupils to read hard and fulfil their dreams.
The school head teacher said Bulembia was one of the best performing schools in the district before tragedy struck.
“When it rains, teachers and pupils run away but we thank the parents who never took their children away,” Kule said.
He lauded the government for extending relief items to the school in the aftermath of the tragedy in 2020 and availing land where the school will be relocated.
The troubled school currently boasts 665 pupils who are served by 10 teachers.
The Tourism ministry and its agencies who include the Jinja-based Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI), the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and the Kasese-based Uganda Wildlife Research Training Institute (UWRTI) recently embarked on a campaign aimed at promoting local tourism and encouraging Ugandans to love their country.
Late last year, the team was in the Mount Elgon region in a campaign dubbed ‘Explore Mt. Elgon region’ and is currently in western Uganda in the drive dubbed ‘Explore the West’. In June, the team is set to leave for the north in the ‘Explore Nothern Uganda’ drive.
