As schools reopened on Monday for the second term learning programmes, leaners in Ijara Sub-county of Garisa, are facing myriad of challenges, including submerged classrooms, breakdown of general infrastructure and threat of outbreak of waterborne diseases.
In Korisa and Hara Boarding Primary Schools students are facing acute shortage of clean drinking water following a total collapse of boreholes that serve the two institutions and the neighboring communities.
According to the Head teacher, Hara Primary School, Mr Ahmed Ali, there will be challenges to cater for the over 800 pupils in the school without clean water for food preparation and for their own hygiene.
However, Mr Ali said the Institution is working closely with both County and National government officials, particularly the Water Department in Masalani, to assess the damage of water pump and find ways of operationalizing the submerged water system once again.
The Head teacher, Korisa Primary Schools, Mr Abdi Dumale, observed that water trackin
g is the only alternative means of getting clean water to keep the school running until the floodwater is cleared and the borehole repaired.
‘It is very hard to manage the water crisis here with a population of 632 boarders and teachers, I appeal to individual well-wishers, donors organization and both levels of government, to come to our aid, so that our student resume learning,’ Mr. Dumale appealed.
Ijara Sub-county Water Coordinator, Eng. Noor Mohamed, assured that everything possible was being done to ensure that clean water is availed to schools and communities facing water crisis.
‘Water tracking is inevitable, we are going to use water bowsers to take water from Masalani town, to the affected schools,’ said Mr. Noor.
Korisa and Hara Boarding Primary School are situated over 20km away from Masalani town along Masalani-Gamba tarmac road towards Tana delta in Garsen, Tana River County.
‘Most of the boreholes are along the Eastern side of River Tana, where the flooding has destroyed the facilities,’ E
ng. Mohamed Noor.
Ijara Sub-County Director of Education, Mr Ibrahim Odowa, confirmed the challenges facing schools re-opening, adding that he has written to the County Director of Education in Garissa and the National Government Constituency Fund (NG-CDF) Office through School Management Committee, on the situation at the ground while seeking assistance to address the problem.
Source: Kenya News Agency