Lango schools advised to establish coffee and cocoa demonstration farms

LIRA CITY, September 14, 2025 — Secondary schools in the Lango Sub-region have been urged to establish coffee and cocoa demonstration farms as a means of equipping learners with practical skills in commercial agriculture and enhancing their livelihood prospects.

The call was made by Canon Jane Obeny, the Lira City Education Officer, while speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Secondary School Headteachers’ Union [ASSHU] held recently at Lango College in Lira City.

The meeting brought together headteachers from Lira City, and districts of Lira, Alebtong, Otuke, Dokolo, Kole, Oyam, Amolatar, Kwania, and Apac.

Canon Obeny stressed the need for schools to incorporate agricultural initiatives alongside academic programmes, noting that many learners have limited exposure to life skills beyond the classroom.

“Our findings show that many children are increasingly exposed to the internet and drugs. They see things online, admire them, and imitate behaviours because their minds are already overwhelmed from nursery through to secondary school. They are not given time to rest,” she said.

She challenged headteachers to shift their teaching strategies and prepare students for a broader set of life opportunities.

“For too long, we have focused solely on preparing our children for white-collar jobs, which are now scarce. I encourage all schools to introduce agricultural initiatives. The Government is currently promoting coffee and cocoa growing, and schools must be part of this effort,” Canon Obeny said.

She suggested that even schools with limited land could plant a few coffee and cocoa trees as a symbolic and educational gesture.

“Even if a school doesn’t have much land, at least plant two coffee trees on one side and two cocoa trees on the other. Encourage students to learn how to grow them. This way, if a student doesn’t succeed academically or can’t find a white-collar job, they’ll have a fallback. They can grow coffee or cocoa and earn a living. This will also reduce the number of youth ending up on the streets or engaging in crime,” she added.

Headteachers welcome the initiative

Isaac Ocoo, Headteacher of Lira Secondary School and Chairperson of ASSHU in the Lango Sub-region, welcomed the idea, emphasising the importance of practical skills under the current curriculum.

“The curriculum today demands that learners are equipped with skills they can fall back on. Even if a student drops out, they should know how to prepare a nursery bed and earn a living. That way, they don’t end up on the streets,” Ocoo said.

He praised the value of entrepreneurship and agriculture, revealing that his school already runs successful piggery and horticulture projects managed by students.

“Some school dropouts are doing better than those of us with formal jobs, especially those who learnt practical skills. That knowledge is changing lives,” he added.

Sammy Bob Okino, Headteacher of Lango College, said his school has already been actively producing fruit seedlings and is now ready to take on coffee and cocoa farming.

“We’ve raised 20,000 fruit seedlings, planted many of them, and distributed others to neighbouring schools. We’ve also introduced a superior variety of pawpaw and planted over 1,000 trees. Our next focus is coffee and cocoa — we’ve prepared the gardens and are committed to greening the school,” Okino stated.

Currently, Lango College grows cassava, citrus, avocado, and pawpaw, which support the students’ diet and are soon expected to generate income.

Patrick Gira, Headteacher of Abok Seed Secondary School in Oyam district, also expressed support for the initiative.

“We’ve been using about three-quarters of an acre for vegetable farming to feed students. Now, we plan to expand the garden for coffee and cocoa. Schools must diversify income sources instead of relying solely on parents. This will foster development,” he said.

Government support and agricultural integration

Thomas Okello, the Lira District Production and Marketing Officer, affirmed that the district is already taking steps to integrate coffee growing in schools.

“I’m pleased to report that we’ve already planted coffee seedlings at Barr Secondary School during a recent field day. It’s a great step towards involving both boys and girls in coffee production and developing future farmers,” he said.

The initiative to establish coffee and cocoa demonstration farms comes at a time when the Government is championing agricultural development as a pathway to economic empowerment and self-reliance for the youth.

https://thecooperator.news/govt-in-talks-with-world-bank-to-revamp-160-secondary-schools/

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