Pangbourne College donations help school projects in Uganda
A new exam hall has been opened in a Ugandan school thanks to funds raised by Pangbourne College.
In total last year the College donated £13,000 to support projects at Nabugabo Community Learning Centre (NCLC), with £8,000 being used to create the new exam hall.
The new hall, which was ready in time for the planned reopening of schools this month, will enable pupils to take primary school learning exams in a familiar environment. Before, they would have to travel a long way to sit exams at another school.
The remaining money – which came from the Pangbourne Centenary Charity fund, has been used to enable pupils who have recently graduated from NCLC to continue their education at St Kizito, a local secondary school.
The College has worked alongside Pangbourne-based charity HUGE (Helping UGanda Educate), which provides financial and resource support to NCLC, for more than a decade, helping with a number of different projects over the years.
Caroline Bond, assistant head pupil mental health at Pangbourne College, said: “We’re so pleased to see our recent donation pay for this much needed examination centre, meaning children will no longer have to travel miles to sit exams.
“We’re also delighted to see that pupils who have graduated will also benefit from the funds donated, enabling them to continue their valuable education into secondary school.”
She added her thanks to the “Pangbourne community who responded so generously to our request for donations of underwear for pupils at NCLC”.
Melanie Batten, trustee at The Huge Partnership, said: “Ugandan law insists that all children sitting the Primary Leaving Exam [public exams children have to sit before going to secondary school] take them in an authorised exam hall. Before the hall was built, children had to travel a long distance and stay at another school to sit their exams.
“As you can imagine this was expensive and most importantly very stressful for the children having to stay in a strange place to sit exams.
“The building of the examination hall has changed all this, thanks to the funds donated by Pangbourne College.
“The new exam hall is situated opposite the main primary school and is also an excellent space for additional class facilities, community interaction and a quiet place for staff/child wellbeing meetings.”
Before the Covid pandemic, Pangbourne College organised a trip to Uganda every two years, with around 40 pupils spending three weeks in the area, getting involved in vital local projects. The College hopes to arrange its next trip in 2023.
