MASINDI, April 23, 2024 – As one of the ways to combat sugarcane fires, cane stealing, and poaching in Masindi district, Kinyara Sugar Limited has embarked on sensitising the community through music, dance, and drama [ MDD ], with local schools competing to be crowned the best solution providers.
On Saturday, 19 schools including seven secondary schools and 12 primary schools from Masindi district participated in the Kinyara Inter-School Music, Dance and Drama Challenge which was held at Kinyara Social Club where they exhibited several skills, as well as creativity in addressing local challenges.
The schools participated under their umbrella organisation dubbed Kinyara Assisted Primary Schools Association [KAPSA].
The competitions were held under the theme, “The challenges of sugarcane poaching, stealing and eating amidst Kinyara Sugar Limited support to the community”.
During the competitions, the learners exhibited high level of communication skills, showcased the different ways of fighting cane fires, poverty, and cane poaching through MDD. Cane poaching is when a sugar factory buys the cane from out-growers contracted by another factory.
The learners also demonstrated how sugarcane can be grown, and maintained with the best agronomic practices alongside food security. They further illustrated how the cane is poached, set on fire, and what can be done to combat the vice.
“Kinyara Sugar aligns with all development programmes in Uganda. That’s why we promote education, health and road improvement. We are also doing this to reclaim and maintain our culture through education and this can be done through MDD,” said Aldon Walukamba, the company’s Corporate Communications Manager.
He added that the sugar company and the community are losing a lot through cane poaching and stealing, adding that this is affecting the livelihoods of households, hence leading to school dropouts.
“That’s why your seeing children dropping out of school in this area and the only way to fight this bad vice [cane poaching] is by using children through such competitions. We also brought leaders here such that we get solutions to these bad vices,” explained Walukamba.
Marion Nyakato, who was the chief adjudicator announced St. Kizito SS in Kabango town council as the overall winner among the secondary schools category followed by Budongo Seed School in Nyantonzi Sub-county.
Among the primary schools category, Kabango Primary School in Kabango town council were crowned the champions followed by Kinyara Sugar Primary School from the same town council.
Awarding the certificate of participation, Ravi Ramalingam, General Manager Kinyara Sugar Limited commended the community and the sugarcane out-growers for the support rendered to the company, adding that the company aims to grow with the community at large.
Sanyu Phionah, Chief Administrative Officer Masindi commended the learners for the skills demonstrated.
“What has been done today must be sustained because what has been done today has sunk in these people’s brains and it can’t be erased. Many things have been demonstrated including unity, conflict management, the new curriculum, governance, accountability, and good organisation,” she noted.
She further commended the company for the good partnership with the locals, noting that if it wasn’t for the company, Masisndi district would be in crisis in some aspects.
“Kinyara has supported us in education, health, environmental conservation, and also in roads. It has indeed contributed a lot in improving our academic performance,” Sanyu noted.
The Masindi Resident District Commissioner, Emmy Ngabirano said the MDD competition helped in talent identification, which he said should be continued up to the university level.
“I have seen confidence building, exposure, physical fitness, and creativity being demonstrated. I was happy to see children being taught how to invest in cane growing and maintenance alongside food security. I promise to continue protecting the investor and the farmers against cane poaching,” he said.
Meanwhile, students and pupils appreciated Kinyara Sugar Limited for organising the MDD competition, saying it provided the a platform to provide solutions to the challenges facing the sugar sector in Masindi and the rest of Bunyoro Subregion.
“Through MDD, we students have been able to provide solutions to challenges such as cane stealing, cane poaching, and fire. We commend Kinyara Sugar for organising this MDD competition, and I suggest it should be an annual event,” a student from Bwijanga SS told this reporter.
https://thecooperator.news/masindi-cane-farmers-kinyara-sugar-works-feud-deepens/
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