Uganda Revenue Authority has Thursday donated 100 mattresses to St Francis School for the Blind Madera in Soroti district.

This corporate social responsibility initiative is in fulfilment of a promise URA made to the school during the awarding ceremony of the National Post Primary MDD festival in Mbarara last September.

St Francis School for the Blind went toe to toe against 48 able bodied schools for the MDD national school championship. They took the 19th position overall edging out 30 schools, a fete that the David Bigiira Mugisha , National MDD Cordinator with the Ministry of Education referred to as “trully remarkable”.

As the top three schools were awarded with their accolades, a CSR was hinted on by the URA spokesman. Following a successful needs assessment conducted at the school late last year , it emerged that one of the pressing needs was mattresses. School owned mattresses that would remain at school so as to reduce on the luggage students have to carry as they break off or return to school.

The donation has come in at a time when the school has just completed the construction of a new dormitory block, St Anthony of Padua Boys Dormitory.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, the URA Assistant Commissioner Public and Corporate Affairs, Vincent Seruma noted that the gesture is in part an appreciation of the school’s efforts to educate students in a comprehensive manner; academically , technically as well as talent development.

Seruma added that it is the URA culture to give back to the community in homage of taxpayers’ continued compliance to tax.

“It is because of you (taxpayer) that students like the ones here in St Francis are able to receive a specialised kind of education,” noted Seruma.

The School Head teacher, Sister Winfred Mary Agwang said that it is such gestures of appreciation that keep her and her team committed to the cause.

“Once empowered, these students have it in them to be anything that they set their eyes on. It is for that reason that we took part in the MDD competition last year. To show that they could compete and win,” said Sister Winfred.

This marks the second time URA has reached out to St Francis SS Madera having donated brails to the school three years ago.