Last Thursday, we (us TEX teachers) received our placements for the summer. I was actually surprised to see the words "Your School Placements" in the subject line of the email because last year we received everything at the end of March. I was super excited looking for my name, then felt a slight pang of disappointment. You see, I had imagined my name under Awere or even Anaka, but when I saw Gulu Senior Secondary with the words "in Gulu town" next to it, I panicked. Because of what happened last year, I had mainly decided to go back to Uganda so that I could have the village experience that I was supposed to have had. I was even more disappointed that Awere wasn't even an option this year. Of course, I immediately emailed Catherine to find out if there was any way I could be out of Gulu town.
Catherine did do some stellar work, finding a way to make it happen. However, I had already started thinking about Gulu Senior Secondary (aka Gulu SS) and letting it sink in. The actual reason that I chose to return was because of the wonderful friends I had made that live in Gulutown. I no longer feel like I have to "prove" to myself that I can do a village, because I can--it just hasn't worked out this way. Maybe it's just not meant to be for me to be in a village. Maybe two years in a row of thinking I'm going to a village but really ending up in town is meant to be. Despite my initial disappointment, I am so excited to work at Gulu SS. From looking at my friends' pictures who were placed there last year, I already know the experience will be drastically different from Layibi. And who knows--things may change again. Let me remind myself to not set expectations for this journey, as they will ultimately be shattered and built up to be something better. Besides, I already have a really good boda boda driver and I wouldn't want another munu to steal him away from me.
Here's a bit of info about Gulu SS taken from the IC FB (Photo Creds: Invisible Children)
GULU SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
Founded in 1960, Gulu SS has long been caught in the middle of the conflict. During the Liberation War in 1979, Gulu Senior was used as a frontline for Idi Amin’s military coup. Between 1985 and 1986, the school was also involved in the conflict in which current President Yoweri Museveni overthrew Tito Okello. During this time, soldiers looted the school and used the desks as firewood. The school also became a battlefront for Alice Lakwena’s Holy Spirit Movement (the precursor to the LRA) between 1986 and 1989, during which many displaced people from the suburbs came to loot the school.
There are currently over 1400 students attending the school, 75% percent of whom are total or partial orphans, or considered extremely needy. Many of the orphaned students cannot afford school fees and are continuously forced to take leaves of absence due to their inability to pay these fees. Still, teachers average about 104 students per class. Ninety percent of the students have never used a computer and access to books is severely limited by the lack of a library. The structures are in extremely poor condition, with termite infested walls and floors turning to mud during the rainy season.Previous rounds of fundraising resulted in the complete renovation of the school labs and provided a large quantity of equipment and chemicals. The lab renovation offered an opportunity to create a rainwater harvesting distribution system that has six faucets as opposed to the single faucet they previously had. A six stance girls’ latrine was the first step towards solving the huge sanitation problem for students, with the renovated staff latrines helping the teachers and school administration.
We have supplied the school with a limited amount of core textbooks and we’ve also been able to assist the staff through teacher trainings, psychosocial support for guidance counselors along with financial management, record keeping and computer literacy trainings.
The school development committee has continually advocated for the desperately needed all- purpose library and function hall. With this in mind, we embarked on the largest Schools for Schools project to date: the Gulu Senior Multipurpose Hall will include a large library and auditorium over two stories. The funds raised under Round III will only partially complete the multipurpose hall, meaning the majority of future funds will automatically be applied to this project until complete. If Round IV proves to be successful, this project could well be finished with a year from breaking ground.
Catherine did do some stellar work, finding a way to make it happen. However, I had already started thinking about Gulu Senior Secondary (aka Gulu SS) and letting it sink in. The actual reason that I chose to return was because of the wonderful friends I had made that live in Gulutown. I no longer feel like I have to "prove" to myself that I can do a village, because I can--it just hasn't worked out this way. Maybe it's just not meant to be for me to be in a village. Maybe two years in a row of thinking I'm going to a village but really ending up in town is meant to be. Despite my initial disappointment, I am so excited to work at Gulu SS. From looking at my friends' pictures who were placed there last year, I already know the experience will be drastically different from Layibi. And who knows--things may change again. Let me remind myself to not set expectations for this journey, as they will ultimately be shattered and built up to be something better. Besides, I already have a really good boda boda driver and I wouldn't want another munu to steal him away from me.
GULU SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
- School Type:
- Day School
- Enrollment:
- Girls: 685 / Boys: 989
- Founded in:
- 1960
- Student/Classroom Ratio:
- 180:1
- Student/Latrine Ratio:
- Girls: 118:1 / Boys: 71:1
- KOBS/READ Implemented:
- Yes
Founded in 1960, Gulu SS has long been caught in the middle of the conflict. During the Liberation War in 1979, Gulu Senior was used as a frontline for Idi Amin’s military coup. Between 1985 and 1986, the school was also involved in the conflict in which current President Yoweri Museveni overthrew Tito Okello. During this time, soldiers looted the school and used the desks as firewood. The school also became a battlefront for Alice Lakwena’s Holy Spirit Movement (the precursor to the LRA) between 1986 and 1989, during which many displaced people from the suburbs came to loot the school.
There are currently over 1400 students attending the school, 75% percent of whom are total or partial orphans, or considered extremely needy. Many of the orphaned students cannot afford school fees and are continuously forced to take leaves of absence due to their inability to pay these fees. Still, teachers average about 104 students per class. Ninety percent of the students have never used a computer and access to books is severely limited by the lack of a library. The structures are in extremely poor condition, with termite infested walls and floors turning to mud during the rainy season.Previous rounds of fundraising resulted in the complete renovation of the school labs and provided a large quantity of equipment and chemicals. The lab renovation offered an opportunity to create a rainwater harvesting distribution system that has six faucets as opposed to the single faucet they previously had. A six stance girls’ latrine was the first step towards solving the huge sanitation problem for students, with the renovated staff latrines helping the teachers and school administration.
We have supplied the school with a limited amount of core textbooks and we’ve also been able to assist the staff through teacher trainings, psychosocial support for guidance counselors along with financial management, record keeping and computer literacy trainings.
The school development committee has continually advocated for the desperately needed all- purpose library and function hall. With this in mind, we embarked on the largest Schools for Schools project to date: the Gulu Senior Multipurpose Hall will include a large library and auditorium over two stories. The funds raised under Round III will only partially complete the multipurpose hall, meaning the majority of future funds will automatically be applied to this project until complete. If Round IV proves to be successful, this project could well be finished with a year from breaking ground.
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