WAKISO, February 18, 2015- Many schools in Uganda incur high costs of preparing meals for their students and pupils every year. In addition, because they rely heavily on firewood to cook food, their chefs and students face health risks associated with smoke. To address the problem in St. Aloysius Bukasa Primary school, Centenary Bank today donated an energy stove worth shs3 million to the school.
According to the Centenary Bank Wakiso Branch Manager, Grace Kyomuhendo, the Bank is committed to improving the environment within which schools educate children.
“Our role as a bank is not only to save and lend money to our customers but also to see that the community within which we operate grows with us. It is upon this front that we are donating an energy stove worth shs3 million, to St. Aloysius Bukasa Mixed Primary School with the hope that it will not only reduce the cost of preparing meals for the pupils and teachers at the school, but also reduce the rate of air pollution and environmental degradation arising from the use of firewood.”
This is part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility programme where it reaches out to the needy in different communities.
Centenary Bank’s Wakiso Branch manager hands over an energy stove to St. Aloysius Bukasa Mixed Primary school’s head teacher, Mrs. Naggawa Elizabeth Tusaba as the Wakiso District Education Officer- Mr. Kiyingi Kinobe Fredrick (in grey suit), the Chairman School Management Committee- Mr. Michael Ssengiri Kasota (wearing spects) and the Bank’s Supervisor for Corporate Affairs- Christine Birungi look on.
“Our greatest desire is to see that the 728 pupils in this school study in a clean and conducive learning environment with effect from today,” Kyomuhendo said.
The energy stove donated comprises three major parts that include the fuel magazine, combustion chamber and the chimney pipes. Firewood is placed into the fuel magazine from which it feeds into the combustion chamber where it burns. The chimney pipe is connected above the combustion chamber to provide the updraft (upward movement of air) needed to maintain combustion, thus having the ability to retain heat for up to 5 hours while cooking. Smoke in circulation is also reduced as the exhaust gases pass out of the kitchen via the chimney. This stove saves up to about 65% of firewood used in cooking large volumes of food.
In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Naggawa Elizabeth Tusaba- the school’s head teacher called upon other corporate companies and the government for support to improve the school’s facilities and improve the education system.
Students of St. Aloysius Bukasa Mixed Primary School led by their head teacher- Mrs. Naggawa Elizabeth Tusaba and Mr. Kiyingi Kinobe Fredrick (in grey suit), the Chairman School Management Committee receive the energy stove donated by Centenary Bank.
“I want to welcome and thank Centenary Bank for heeding our plea for support to our school. The bank’s contribution will save us a lot of resources because other than the health concerns, it is very expensive to maintain this kitchen as firewood is costly. We use 6 trucks of firewood per term at shs200, 000 a truck. This cost is contributed to by parents who are low income earners and can barely afford school fees,” Mrs. Tusaba said adding that;
“As a school that has been operational for the past 76 years, we are proud and honored to build such bonds with companies and individuals that will push us to the next 76 years of service to our country.”
In the recent past, Centenary Bank has reached out to the Wakiso community by donating a 6000 liter water tank to St. Theresa Primary School, Bbika in Wakiso and empowered over 186 youths with financial skills to help boost their businesses, under the bank’s CenteBusinessLife corporate social responsibility programme.
