Africa-Press – Uganda. The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, has hailed Spark TV, a subsidiary of Nation Media Group, for its community efforts in Busoga Sub-region.
Ms Kadaga was speaking at Kavule Primary School, Namasagali Sub-county in Kamuli District as Agafa Eyo, a news bulletin which airs on Spark TV every weekday at 9:50pm, celebrated five years.
As part of this milestone, Spark TV carried out tree planting and medical camp activities in Kawempe and Kira, both Kampala suburbs, on October 8, before heading to Wakiso and Kamuli districts for similar activities.
“Don’t just look at these as Spark TV trees, but as your personal trees which will boost food security in your homes,” Ms Kadaga said at the weekend.
She urged the residents to plant and nurture the 1,500 fruit trees that were provided to them so that they can benefit their children and generations to come.
Ms Kadaga, who heard that Spark TV is a female target television, hailed women for being at the forefront of almost everything, including their homes.
The minister added that whenever she convenes a meeting, only women show up, while their husbands are busy eating ‘bigodo’ (pork).
“Why should a husband eat ‘the other animal you all know’, while their wives are at home eating greens or sweet potatoes without any sauce?” she asked.
Ms Aidah Nalubega, the Nation Media Group-Uganda (NMG-U) editorial manager, said: “We decided to do community service in Kamuli, starting at Namasagali College, and have brought each household in Kavule Village a fruit tree to plant and enjoy its fruits.”
According to Ms Nalubega, the medical camps and tree planting activations were some of the ways the management and staff of Spark TV decided to celebrate the five-year milestone and give back to the community.
Earlier, Spark TV staff were joined by students of Namasagali College to clean up the (Namasagali) Trading Centre, before proceeding to the school to plant trees.
The head teacher, Ms Proscovia Namuganza, lauded Spark TV for the initiative and rallied former students to save the school.
Some of the former students, Ms Namuganza said include Ms Kadaga, former Vision Group chief executive officer Robert Kabushenga, singers Juliana Kanyomozi and Irene Namubiru.
She said ever since the school became a Universal Secondary Education (USE) school, it has endured several challenges.
Call for assistance
“All buildings need to be renovated and being a USE school, students each pay Shs65,000 for lunch which is not even paid as parents say they are poor.
“Last term, we received a capitation grant of Shs59m from the government, but this term, we only received Shs17m. There was a cut all over,” she said.
Mr Julius Menha, the head teacher of Kavule Primary School, said as their 59 candidates prepare to sit for their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) on November 8 and 9, three girls and two boys haven’t reported since the term begun.
“One of the boys’ parents said his son ventured into sugarcane cutting, while one of the girls’ mothers said the daughter stood no chance of performing well,” Mr Menha said.
Mr Menha expressed concern that after sitting for PLE, candidates are reluctant to pick their result slips.
“Since 2018 when I was posted here, I am stuck with more than 200 result slips, meaning the owners are not interested in advancing their education,” he added.
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