Dear Editor,

Hello, the Ross Gazette, I am Jesse Sakira, a Ugandan from Namutumba, Ross’ twin town. I have just completed my University program at Kyambogo, a Ugandan University, am a writer and an editor and I was inspired by the headlines of the Ross Gazette newspaper recently about the Anniversary.

Namutumba is a town-district in eastern Uganda with a population of about 20,000 people. It is commonly known for its extensive farms of rice and maize. Unlike in the past couple of decades, the town has increasingly embraced education, with a huge emergence of primary and secondary schools.

Namutumba is twinned with Ross-on-Wye. As you arrive in Namutumba, you will be welcomed with a signpost showing the sisterhood writing, ‘NAMUTUMBA TOWN IS TWINNED WITH ROSS-ON-WYE, UK’ and the flags of Ross and Namutumba just below. The two towns have established a huge friendship with both the governments and schools’ exchange programmes.

The mayoral offices of Ross-on-Wye have helped Namutumba on different projects. I happened to see litter cans in Namutumba with donation labels from Ross-on-Wye. John Kyrle High School has an exchange programme with Kisiki College. Students from JKHS visit Kisiki college. Seeing them play a football game is fun. They also teach students of KCN different skills, such as making loom bands. They also share knowledge and different experiences.

Ashfield Park Primary School also has a fond friendship with Namutumba Primary School. The partnership has seen Namutumba Primary School fenced through funds collected from projects at Ashfield Park. Furniture has also been availed at Namutumba PS by the good friends of Ross and parents send gratitude to the Ross people. A few students have also been blessed with sponsorships from friends in Ross and this has helped them keep in school.

Jesse Sakira

Namutumba