About Dero Kwan

Background.

School education has all but collapsed in the Acoli subregion. This also means that university intake from the subregion is negligible. This is largely the outcome of over twenty years of war and internment in camps; this engulfed and radically destroyed Acoli society.

The tragedy is that the land that once produced so many national luminaries has now become educationally barren.

Gurre me Pongdwongo and Rocco Paco are non-partisan, non-political, non-confessional initiatives, seeking to rally all persons of goodwill to rebuild and restore a broken Acoli society. Dero Kwan is one of the projects being developed under the auspices of the newly-founded Rocco Paco institution.

Dero Kwan.

This is a scholarship programme intended to provide assistance to bright but disadvantaged pupils and students, whose parents are unable to pay required education fees. At the start, those eligible for support will be pupils at upper Primary school (P6 & P7) level, and secondary school students (both O’Level & A’Level). When more funds are available, the scholarship programme will be expanded to include university & tertiary level students. It is hoped that the first batch of scholarships will be awarded in 2025.

Criteria for selection.

In order for a student to qualify for this scholarship, the following criteria need to be met: 

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1. The student must be hardworking, showing promise and performing very well.
2. The student must be honest and striving to exemplify integrity.
3. The parents must be demonstrably unable to pay the necessary school fees.
4. To retain the scholarship, a beneficiary student must continue with hard work and good performance; he/she must also remain an example of good conduct and integrity. 
5. The parents, for their part, should show that they are seriously involved in the upbringing and educational journeys of their children.

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Integrity of the process.

A carefully-chosen Selection Committee will be instituted by the Co-Chairs of Rocco Paco (Hon. Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo and Ambassador Olara Otunnu). They will ensure that the process for selection is completely transparent and of absolute integrity. They will put in place safeguards to ensure that there is no ‘gaming’ of the system. In terms of transparency and integrity, they are determined to ensure that Dero Kwan becomes the ‘gold standard’ for stewardship and probity.

Dero Kwan trust fund.

Dero Kwan has been established, under the law, as a trust fund. The initial trustees of the trust fund are: Hon. Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo and Ambassador Olara Otunnu. They are committed to ensure absolute integrity and transparency in the management of this trust fund.

Sustainability & growth of the trust fund.

It is critical to ensure sustainability and growth for this trust fund, beyond the initial contributions. The target for the current phase of fund-raising is 20 billion (Ug. Shillings). This is far from adequate resources, but is sufficient level for starting the award of scholarships for primary and secondary schools. 

Various options are under discussion, to ensure longterm sustainability and growth for the trust fund. 

Contributing to Dero Kwan.

We are taking the opportunity of fund-raising for Dero Kwan to honour some of our heros , such as Arcbishop Janani Luwum , Blessed Daudi Okello & Jildo Irwa , Okot p’Bitek and Dr Matthew Lukwiya. Contributions to Dero Kwan have therefore been organised into categories ; each category is in honour of a named hero or heroine . The list of the categories and the selected heros is available separately.

The following accounts ( Ug. Shs & US Dollars ) have been established for Dero Kwan , at Bank of Africa , Gulu Branch . The signatories to these accounts are : Hon. Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo and Ambassador Olara Otunnu .

Bank of Africa , Gulu Branch

Account Name: Rocco Paco Ltd – Dero Kwan

Currency Uganda Shillings : Account Number ; 07659660002

Currency US Dollars : Account Number ; 07659660015

 

When sending money by telephone in Uganda , please note the following :

Merchant Name: Rocco Paco Ltd – Dero Kwan

Merchant Code: 766005

 

Kindly follow the procedure below ( both for MTN & Airtel ):

Step 1. Dial *246* 7 #

Step 2. Enter merchant code: 766005

Step 3. Enter amount:

Step 4. Enter phone number:

Step 5. Reason for payment:

Step 6. Enter Pin:

Step 7. End of transaction .