A revolutionary idea is helping students of Suubi Secondary and Vocational College in Lubanda, Lwengo District of Uganda, contribute to the payment of their own school fees by bringing five eggs a day to school.
According to a report by The Monitor (Uganda), the school gives each student five Kuroiler egg-laying chicken to rear in their various homes.
The school then buys each of the eggs at Shs250 each (approximately N13), thereby helping to offset their school fees.
One of the students benefitting from the initiative, 14-year-old Form One student, Vincent Luwaga, said the chickens are given to them as loans.
"It is an idea that was introduced by the school director, David Ssemwogerere," Luwaga said.
"We keep five Kuroiler hens and we bring an average of five eggs daily to the school administration as payment for school fees."
He said the parents were fully involved in the arrangement.
"The school administration visited our homes and involved our parents in the idea.
"An expert in poultry keeping came to the school and taught us the basic skills of looking after the chicken.
"They graze freely around the home like local chicken.
"We were told to supplement their feeding with maize bran and layers' marsh.
"They were quite mature and within month, they began to lay eggs."
Ssemwogerere said the five hens are valued at Shs50,000 but each student has to pay back a total of Shs60,000, with the Shs10,000 meant for further loans.
"The loan is payable within one year," he explained.
"We intend to get an incubator so that we can produce the chicks at the school.
"We want the students to know that they don't have to get free things.
"It's a chance for them to learn about loans and servicing them
The school bursar and project officer, Shanita Namaganda, said fees per term is Shs140,000.
"Poultry keeping makes it easier for them to meet their scholastic needs," Namaganda explained.
"Kuroiler hens will normally scratch the ground for insects and as long as they have water to drink they will keep laying the eggs."
The project is so far a success.
One Ugandan Shilling equals 0.054 Naira.