Jinja College old students fundraise for Shs 3bn dormitory

The old students of Jinja College secondary school under their umbrella body, Jinja College Old Boys Association (JICOBA) have embarked on a drive to raise at least Shs 3 billion to construct a three-storey dormitory complex.

Once completed, the new structure is expected to accommodate over 500 students. The old students who held a special meeting with both parents and teachers on Thursday said that it is their responsibility to champion this cause as it will overly contribute to the improvement of the education outcomes in the school.

Led by their president, Yunus Masaba, the old students argue that their school has existed for 77 years with limited support from the government, which has inconvenienced the learners.

“Jinja College over the 76 years of its existence has had the same dormitories. We have slept there and we have come back and found the same dormitories. The population has more than tripled, but the accommodation has never been increased. As old boys, we felt that there was need to increase accommodation since the boys were almost sleeping on the roof,” said Masaba.

Masaba notes that most of the old structures at the school were constructed by past alumni associations and it is their role to champion the establishment of infrastructural development projects, for the future generation.

Masaba revealed that JICOBA has so far received pledges amounting to Shs 60 million and is currently using social media platforms to mobilize old boys and other well-wishers to embrace their call.

“A school without OBs is meaningless, structures do not make a school. OBs or alumni in this case make the school. Structures that we found here, some of them were contributed to by alumni that came before us. So it is upon us and the onus is on us to build a better school for those who will come. Our children will find better structures… alumni have been known to build all great institutions including Oxford in the UK,” said Masaba.

The head teacher, Michael Dhikusoka says that the school is struggling with space challenges. Dhikusoka says that they were forced to reject over 300 senior one students due to lack of space.

Dhikusoka notes that the school was primarily designed for 400 students, but the numbers have over time tripled to 1,300. He further revealed that the classroom space is no longer enough for the learners and they have partnered with the PTA members to construct a classroom block worth Shs 120 million. 

Dhikusoka further says that they are engaging with ministry of Education officials to help them construct a modern library, and science and computer laboratory. 

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