Figure 1

There are over 1,500 students attending Namwendwa Primary School but there are currently only 7 classrooms. The classrooms are vastly overcrowded with up to 100 students per class. These rooms do not have glass or metal shutters and some are without doors. Overall the classrooms at Namwendwa Primary School are overcrowded and ill equipped, making them extremely difficult for teachers and students to work and learn effectively. For this reason, the need to complete the current classrooms and construct more classrooms has to be a priority. 

Prior to 2009, 3 classrooms also only had a dirt floor and the school was having a huge problem with termites. This was causing one of the rooms to be almost unusable and a lot of the students were contracting jiggers (worms in the feet) because of the dirt floor. In January 2009 One Village recognized that cementing the classrooms had to be a priority. One Village employed local people to undertake the work. The classrooms were cemented and ready for use by the commencement of the school term. During the year the Ugandan committee will continue to work with local laborers to assemble shutters and doors, furnish all rooms with desks and chairs; and paint blackboards and walls. 

Figure 2

The Ugandan government also has a policy that there should be no more than 60 students per class. All class sizes in Namwendwa currently exceed this but the government will not allow for more teachers until there is sufficient teaching space. Considering this, if One Village is able to construct more classrooms, the government will provide for more teachers, and class sizes will therefore be reduced. Even if the government does not follow through on this policy, Namwendwa Primary already has sufficient teachers that the class numbers could be reduced if more rooms were available.   

One Village plans to commence building more classroom blocks when the current classrooms are fully furnished.