When nature becomes 100th problem in West Nile’s education crisis

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OPINION

By Walter Akena

If there are ninety-nine problems facing schoolchildren in Uganda, children in West Nile have a hundred and more because nature has joined the list of the onslaught. In a region already grappling with poverty, poor infrastructure, teacher shortages, and high school dropout rates, climate-related disasters have added a devastating new layer to an already fragile education system.

In Amor East Parish; Pakwach Town Council, the situation has reached crisis levels. Four years ago, heavy rains caused the River Nile to burst its banks, washing away homes, gardens, and the only road connecting the villages of Patwe, Owere, Panyagoro North and South to Amor Primary School—the only school in the Parish.

To access education, children now rely on handmade boats, an improvised but costly solution. Each trip across the river costs sh1,000, meaning that a pupil needs sh2,000 daily to travel to and from school. Over a school term of 80 days, that adds up to sh160,000—excluding school fees and learning materials. Given that most families in the area already live on the edge, with crops destroyed by the same floods, this cost is simply unaffordable.

The situation is even dire as the lure of quick money from rowing boats has caused some children to drop out of school entirely. During a recent Civic Engagement Meeting (CEM) in Amor East Parish, we had the opportunity to take a boat ride to Patwe Village, the meeting’s venue.

While on the boat, I seized an opportunity to speak with our captain, a Senior Three student from Nam Secondary School. He explained that he had dropped out of school to row boats for a living, earning between sh8,000 and sh10,000 daily—far more than his parents could afford to keep him in school. “My parents are poor and struggling to keep me in school,” he told me. “If I have this opportunity, why should I continue with school?”

The impact of these disruptions is already visible at Amor Primary School, where enrollment has dropped by 40% over the past four years. If this trend continues, the region will face an increasing cycle of illiteracy and deepening poverty.

The data paints a grim picture. According to the West Nile Primary Schools Head Teachers’ Association, the number of pupils sitting for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) has steadily declined—from 46,456 in 2022 to 41,341 in 2023, and further down by 2,455 candidates in 2024. The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) listed West Nile among the poorest-performing regions in the 2024 PLE results. Alarmingly, Obongi and Madi Okollo districts—each registering only 3 and 4 first grades respectively—were the worst-performing in the country, alongside Bukwo.

The gender impact of this crisis is deeply troubling. With many girls forced to stay home, the risk of early marriage has risen sharply. In communities where education is no longer an option, some families now see marriage as a way to survive.

The 2024 Uganda Census reported 47,529 cases of child marriage in West Nile alone—making it the third-highest region in the country. Simply put, climate-related disasters are doing more than just disrupting education—they are fueling harmful cultural practices such as early marriage and widening the gap of inequality.

This challenge is not isolated. Following the collapse of Umunda Bridge in August 2024 in Nebbi District, critical access to schools and health services was cut off. As a result, school children from Umunda Village now rely on a longer and riskier route that passes through the Democratic Republic of Congo—yes, a foreign country—to reach Goli Mixed Primary School in Boma East Village.

Similarly, in Terego District, the destruction of Onzoro Stream Bridge has left children from six villages unable to reach Erea Primary School. From Zombo to Moyo, Pakwach to Koboko, these challenges repeat, each more desperate than the last.

In spite of such a gloom, this does not have to be the reality for West Nile’s children. It’s time for a set of decisive actions. The government must prioritise investments in climate-resilient infrastructure—bridges, roads, and schools that can withstand seasonal floods.

Emergency education response plans, such as mobile learning centres and temporary shelters, should be developed for hard-to-reach areas. Local governments must be empowered with the technical and financial resources to address infrastructure breakdowns swiftly and effectively.

Communities in West Nile are not standing idle. During the civic engagement meetings facilitated by ACODE and WENDA, a cross-section of residents in the area showed their readiness to collaborate in finding solutions. What they need most now is concrete action from those in power—a proof that their voices matter and that their children’s futures are worth saving.

If there are ninety-nine problems facing schoolchildren in Uganda, let us not allow nature to become the 100th that breaks the system. The children of West Nile deserve the same opportunities as their peers across the whole country—safe access to school, quality education, and a fair chance at a better future. Anything less is a betrayal of their potential.

The writer is a research officer at the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment