Pioneer High School was the second school to be funded by the Costa Foundation. The Costa Foundation’s mission is to look after coffee growers, so the school is located in Mityana District in central Uganda, one of the country’s major coffee growing areas.
It is a poor area and before PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools) arrived there was not a single secondary school to serve the 15 local primary schools. That means every year, nearly 300 students had nowhere to continue their education. The Mityana District Education Officer, Nammigadde Lovincer, said this on how important Pioneer High School is for the area:
“The high drop-out rate from secondary schools in this area is a real problem for us. It is the girl-child who is affected most badly. The girls from the Namongo area rarely attend secondary school and when they do, they usually don’t complete. The distance to the nearest secondary school is too far. The route they travel is demoralising and can be very dangerous. Parents are reluctant to put their girls through this…This new secondary school will make a real difference to the whole community. I am sure that parents will enrol their children. The distance is near, the fees are low and lunch is provided. In an area where most people live below the poverty line, the provision of free lunch cannot be underestimated. We are all truly grateful”.
[related_posts]School Director Senjja Abubcaami and Headteacher Francis Kiyanja lead 10 teaching staff and seven non-teaching staff to provide nine ‘O’ level subjects. The school also has an arable income generating project growing beans and maize.
Pioneer High School was funded by the Costa Foundation and received further funding from a donor to construct an extra dormitory and a fence.