NTOROKO FLOODS DISPLACED SCHOOLS SEEK GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION AFTER THREE YEARS OPERATING IN EMERGENCY TENTS
PHOTO BY KAJUMBA GORRET PUPILS IN TENT LEARNING
Floods that hit Ntoroko district in 2019 after Lake Albert burst its banks left at least one sub-county of Kanaara submerged.
This left service delivery in areas of education and health paralyzed where three primary schools of Umojo, Rwangara and Kacwankumu and Rwangara Health Center III were all submerged.
With the support from UNICEF that provided four emergency tents that enabled these schools to be relocated for children to continue learning.
However, after a period of three years, these emergency tents are worn-out which challenges users.
James Asingwiire a teacher at Umoja who we found teaching primary five said that, the school got four tents yet they have seven classes and due to limited space each tent was divided into two to accommodate all the seven classes and this has caused poor performance of pupils because of noise interruption and pupil cannot concentrate.
Benson Atujune the head teacher of this school told VOICE OF TORO FM that they are challenged mostly when it rains because it enters inside classes.
He also added that teachers also don’t have where to sleep since the school was only considered for learning shelters only.
Parents have also failed to provide basic needs to their children due to poverty caused by floods where they lost all their businesses and properties.
Atujune also called upon the government for urgent attention to provide new tents or relocate the school to a safer place.
The Ntoroko district chairman William Kasoro said that since 2019 when Lake Albert burst its banks, water has not reduced to date despite increasing and there is no hope of this water going back.
The government should find a permanent solution to reallocate these schools and people who were affected to a nearby place.
Over 9,000 people are staying in internally displaced camps in Ntoroko district since the 2019 floods that hit the district.