INCREDIBLE! MP Eric Dramviku injects over Shs1.5bn into Terego West projects, just four months in office
The three brand-new Ambulances MP Dramviku donated being parked besides the sewing machines and saloon equipment (L) during the commissioning exercise on Monday
TEREGO – Eric Sabiti Dramviku, the Member of Parliament for Terego West County, has set a record in the history of Terego District by delivering on the expectations of his voters just four months after assuming office.
The MP has injected about Shs1.5 billion into various projects aimed at transforming the lives of the people of Terego West County. The projects were officially commissioned on Monday at Cilio Primary School grounds.
Among the key initiatives was the launch of three brand-new ambulances purchased by Dramviku to strengthen the healthcare system in the constituency, particularly to help expectant mothers reach distant health centres for delivery more easily.
Dramviku also formed and supported women’s savings groups in all 196 villages of Terego West, providing each group with Shs500,000 to boost household incomes.
The MP further presented 55 sewing machines and sets of salon equipment, which were blessed by clergy led by the Rt. Rev. Charles Collins Andaku, Bishop of Madi and West Nile Diocese. According to Dramviku, the equipment will enable school dropouts in his constituency to acquire practical skills at a skills centre he has opened in Katrini, helping them earn a living.
Bishop Andaku also blessed five students whom the area MP is sponsoring in various secondary schools, as well as 14 others undergoing agricultural skills training in fisheries, apiary, poultry keeping, and piggery, among other areas.
“When I entered this leadership race, it was not for pride, but to offer service to our suffering population. Our voters are rural voters and they face a lot of hardship in this constituency,” Dramviku said.
“As I speak right now, we only have one Health Centre IV in the entire district, which has a population of over 350,000 people. My constituency in particular does not have any Health Centre IV. Where we are sitting today, we have a Health Centre III that is condemned; patients are not supposed to use it,” he stressed.
He noted that of the three ambulances he is donating, one will be stationed at the condemned Cilio HC III facility, while the other two will serve the HC IIs of Nicu and Itia respectively.
“So basically, we are doing this not to take pride but to give back to the suffering population that gave us the votes. We are doing this in the health sector, the education sector, and many other sectors.
For example, performance in this constituency in the Primary Leaving Examinations has been very poor. Last year, we were only able to have three pupils who passed in first grade in the entire constituency. In order to avert this, I used my personal funds to hire experts from the National Curriculum Development Centre to train our candidate-class teachers,” Dramviku said.
He added that the training took place at Aripea Secondary School and that the teachers have learned new techniques for preparing candidates.
“Besides that, we were able to introduce porridge in all the candidate classes so that after 3:30 p.m., they can study for another hour in order to close the gap that existed last year. We are quite optimistic that in the education sector this year, we shall be able to record some improvement,” Dramviku stated.
In his homily, Bishop Andaku commended Dramviku for valuing his voters, including extending support to churches.
“In churches, he is doing work. Recently, I came for confirmation at Ayuri Church of Uganda; he gave new sets of instruments to that church. He also told me he had given similar musical instruments to another church. This is the MP!” Andaku said.
“I want to say congratulations to you. Continue trusting in God and continue working for the people! Friends, we are gathered here to join the family in saying thank you to God for protecting him, guiding him, giving him the vision, and giving him the blessings which he is now sharing with us. This is great!” Bishop Andaku concluded.
To Eunice Draleru, a mother of eight from Ipa Village in Beleafe Sub-County, what Dramviku has done is unprecedented in the history of Terego District.
“We have had MPs before, but none of them had ever done what Dramviku has done for us today. Just in four months, if he is able to buy for us three ambulances, give Shs500,000 to women in every one of the 196 villages, buy for us sewing and salon machines, pay for our children in schools, and also support many other programs including school feeding, I am sure he is capable of doing even more for Terego West in future,” Draleru said.
Draleru, who struggled to deliver her eight children due to the long distance from Beleafe Sub-County to Cilio HC III in Aiivu Sub-County, expressed gratitude that young mothers will now be spared the same ordeal thanks to the ambulances donated by MP Dramviku.
During the occasion, Dramviku was joined by fellow MPs Rose Obigah (Terego Woman MP), Wilfred Babanga (Terego East MP), Moureen Osoru (Arua City Woman MP), Jennifer Driwaru (Maracha District Woman MP), Fiona Onzima (Ayivu West County MP), and Lenia Charity (Vurra County MP), among other dignitaries.