St. Joseph's College, Ombaci

Last updated

St. Joseph's College Ombaci
Location
St. Joseph's College, Ombaci
Ombaci
,
Arua

Uganda
Coordinates 03°03′44″N30°56′11″E / 3.06222°N 30.93639°E / 3.06222; 30.93639
Information
Type Public middle school and high school (8–13)
Motto“Primus Inter Pares” (“First Among Equals”)
Religious affiliation(s) Catholic Church
EstablishedJanuary 1, 1943;81 years ago (1943-01-01)
FounderFr. Pietro Simoncelli
HeadmasterCharles Ondoga
Faculty56 (2020)
Number of students900 (2020)
Athletics Rugby, football, track, tennis, volleyball, basketball
Websitewww.ombaci.ac.ug

St. Joseph's College Ombaci is a boys-only boarding middle and high school located in Arua City in the Northern Region of Uganda. [1]

Contents

Location

The college is located in Ombaci, Ombaci Ward, Ayivu Division, Arua City, in the West Nile sub-region, in northwestern Uganda. The school campus is approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi), by road, northeast of the central business district of Arua, the largest city in the sub-region. [2] The geographical coordinates of the college are: 3°03'44.0"N, 30°56'11.0"E (Latitude:3.062222; Longitude:30.936389). [3]

History

The college was founded in 1943 by the Comboni Missionaries, as a technical school, to skill returnees from World War II in technical vocations such as automotive mechanics, brick laying, masonry, carpentry and the like. In 1960, Ombaci College was converted into a secondary school. During the 1970s and 1980s, Ombaci rose to become one of the top five secondary schools in Uganda, under the leadership of its first headmaster, Father Marco Lino Mich, then later under Hercules Abiriga. [4]

The Ugandan civil wars, from 1979 until 1981 and from 1981 until 1986 adversely affected academic standards at Ombaci. Despite the challenges, the headmasters Augustine Juruga, Andresile and John Adrionzi posted impressive academic results. The period of the early 2010s saw a drop in performance. Credit is given to Andrew Tumwesige, who was headmaster from 2012 until 2018, for turning the school around. [4]  The current headmaster Charles Ondoga has continued on the positive trajectory of progress. Under him the schools academic standards have already reached the past peaks of 1980s when the school competed nationally.

List of Headmasters:

  1. Fr. Pietro Simoncelli (1943-1957) Born 17/6/1891 Died 26/7/1964
  2. Fr. Luiji Ponzoni (1957-1966) Born 28/7/1913 Died 7/9/1987
  3. Fr. Lino Mich Marco (1966-1983)
  4. Mr. Hercules Abiriga (1983-1994)
  5. Mr. Adrian Andresile (1994-1996; 1997-1998)
  6. Mr. Andrionzi John (1996-1997)
  7. Mr. Juruga Augustine (1998-2010)
  8. Mr. Akuma Santos (2010-2012)
  9. Mr. Tumwesige Andrew (2012-2018)
  10. Mr. Ondoga Charles (2018- todate)

Prominent alumni

Ombaci Massacre

On Wednesday, 24 June 1981, six months into the second reign of Apollo Milton Obote, UNLA soldiers arrived at the Ombaci Catholic Mission and adjoining secondary school. They began to indiscriminately kill civilians, women, children and the elderly; by shooting, bludgeoning, stabbing, lancing, stomping, kicking and exploding ordinance (rocket propelled grenades). [5] [6]

The exact number of people killed is not accurately known. Credible sources have quoted a number as "over 80". [7] Another credible source reports that the secondary school grounds contain a mass grave for 97 victims. [4]

A large number of survivors, estimated at about 400 were still alive in May 2019, living with physical and mental injuries as a result of the assault. [8]

Challenges

One main challenge is that infrastructure built in the 1940s by the Italian priests is outdated and old. This includes classrooms, dormitories and staff houses. [4]

Ombaci has only 50 teachers out of the required 65. Of the 50 teachers, government pays salaries for only 34. Sixteen teachers are paid from by the school, from the school fees collected. It would be ideal if all 50 teachers were paid by government. More ideal would be if government provided for salaries of all 65 required teachers at the college. [4] Efforts have been put to renovate the existing structures since 2012 to date with support from the founding fathers the Comboni Missionaries, Parents and Old Boys Association.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arua District</span> District in Northern Uganda, Uganda

Arua District is a district in the Northern Region of Uganda. Like many Ugandan districts, it too shares its name with its administrative center of Arua. The name Arua is said to be derived from the Lugbara name for prison (Arujo) and prisoner (Aru), since the white settlers had a detention center at Arua Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulu</span> City in northern Uganda

Gulu is a city in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arua</span> Place in Northern Region, Uganda

Arua is a city and commercial centre within the Arua District in the Northern Region of Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Nile sub-region</span>

West Nile sub-region, previously known as West Nile Province and West Nile District, is a sub-region in north-western Uganda, in the Northern Region of Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Cosmas Adyebo</span> Prime Minister of Uganda from 1991–1994

George Cosmas Adyebo was a Ugandan politician and economist who was Prime Minister of Uganda from 1991 to 1994.

Lugbara, or Lugbarati, is the language of the Lugbara people. It is spoken in the West Nile region in northwestern Uganda, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Orientale Province with a little extension to the South Sudan as the Zande or Azande people.

Ombaci, also Ombachi, is a neighborhood in Arua City in the Northern Region of Uganda.

Namilyango College is a boys-only boarding secondary school located in Mukono District in the Central Region of Uganda, whose history and excellence in sports and academics have made it one of the most prestigious schools in Uganda. It is Uganda's oldest secondary school, founded in 1902 by the Catholic Mill Hill Fathers.

The National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) is a state-owned corporation in Uganda. It is the commercial arm of the Uganda People's Defence Force. NEC was established in 1989 by an Act of the Parliament of Uganda. Its investments and activities include agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, services, and defense industry projects and companies.

The Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic minor basilica dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary located in Lodonga, Uganda. The basilica is under the circumscription of the Diocese of Arua. The basilica was dedicated on May 26, 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's College Kisubi</span> Public all boys high school (13-19) school in Kisubi, Wakiso District, Uganda

St. Mary's College Kisubi (SMACK) is a private, boarding middle and high school located in Wakiso District in the Central Region of Uganda. Established in 1906.

Muni University (MU) is a public multi-campus university in Uganda. It is one of the public universities and degree-awarding institutions in the country, licensed and supervised by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE).

Saint Luke's Hospital, Angal, commonly known as Angal Hospital , is a private, community hospital in Angal Village, Nebbi District, West Nile sub-region, Northern Uganda.

Nile University (NUU) is a privately owned institution of higher education in Uganda. It is accredited and licensed by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE).

St. Aloysius College Nyapea is a boys-only boarding middle and high school located in Zombo District in the West Nile sub-region, in the Northern Region of Uganda. In the 1960s and 1970s the school was a seat of academic excellence. However, it fell on hard times in subsequent years, and as of 2018, was "a shadow of its former self. As from 2019 the former students of the college under the umbrella organisation, St. Aloysius College Nyapea Old Boys Association have introduced both infrastructure development initiatives and students busary schemes aimed at helping the under privileged and poor prospective students with strong academic interest to be sponsored for secondary education. As of 2023, more than 70 students have been enrolled under the scheme. The old boys involvement has led to the college enrollment more than doubling. They are now working with other institutions and people who believe that education is a potent tool in improving people's quality of life to support more prospective students while being cognizant of the social responsibility they bear to the surrounding communities as well".

St. Joseph's College Layibi is a boys-only boarding middle and high school located in the city of Gulu, Gulu District in the Northern Region of Uganda.

Zaitun Driwaru, is a Ugandan school teacher and politician. She served as the District Woman Representative for Yumbe District, in the 10th Ugandan Parliament (2016–2021).

Mvara Secondary School is a mixed, co-educational secondary school in Arua District in the Northern Region of Uganda.

St. Joseph's Hospital Maracha, also Maracha Hospital, is a hospital in Maracha District, in the West Nile sub-region of the Northern Region of Uganda. It is a private, community hospital, serving the district of Maracha and surrounding communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raphael p'Mony Wokorach</span> Ugandan Roman Catholic Prelate

Raphael p’Mony Wokorach, M.C.C.J. is a Roman Catholic prelate and professed member of Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, who was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Nebbi, in Uganda, on 31 March 2021. He was appointed the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Gulu on 22 March 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Rimiliah Amandu (29 September 2018). "St Josephs' College Ombaci gears up for platinum Jubilee". Arua: West Nile Web. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Google (22 April 2020). "Driving Distance Between Downtown Arua And St. Joseph's College, Ombaci" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. ↑ Google (22 April 2020). "Location of St. Joseph's College Ombaci" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Harold Acemah (30 September 2018). "St Joseph's College Ombaci celebrates 75th anniversary". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  5. ↑ Ismail Anguliga (22 February 2006). "This Is The Truth About The Ombaci Massacre". New Vision . Kampala. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  6. ↑ Owen Erima (19 June 2015). "The untold story of Ombaci Massacre in Uganda—meet Veronica Eyotaru, a survivor". Owen Erima. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  7. ↑ Shifa Mwesigye (19 May 2010). "BODY 2 SOUL: Village boy who taught self to be East Africa's best". The Observer (Uganda) . Kampala. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  8. ↑ Felix Warom Okello (30 May 2019). "38 years later, Ombaci victims yet to get justice". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 21 April 2020.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.