Parents move to renovate school afflicted by neglect

Parents at Kabiruini Primary School come together to work and renovate the school's dilapidated structures. The institution has been neglected for decades with the poor learning environment exposing the children to jigger infestation among other health hazards. [PHOTO: LYDIAH NYAWIRA/STANDARD]

Pupils of Kabiruini Primary School in Ruguru village, Mathira sub-county have a reason to look forward to the school’s re-opening after their parents renovated their school using their bare hands.

In a spirit reminiscent of ‘harambee’ days, the parents partnered with a sponsor who donated building materials and they organised themselves before embarking on what seemed like a herculean task.

Esther Muthoni was one of the parents who gathered at the school’s construction site and while she may look elderly, Muthoni carried several 20-litre jerricans to the site with ease.

Muthoni is not just a parent but also a grandparent. She explained to The Standard why she was happy to be part of those working to renovate the school.

TERRIBLE STATE

“My four children went to school here and now my granddaughter is in nursery school and to be honest, the state of the classrooms has been terrible for years,” Muthoni said as she took a break, wiping sweat from her wrinkled brow.

School Principal Nancy Kagondu said the school has had several challenges due to the classrooms’ poor state. “The floors were not cemented and there were cracks in the walls and floors, which is a health hazard for the pupils,” she said.

The principal said during the rainy season, children in lower primary classes had to seek shelter in the staffroom to avoid the flooded classrooms.

“Our youngest pupils, in the nursery school section, were the most affected and would also be afflicted by jiggers due to the dusty classrooms,” she said.

Ms Kagondu said the sponsor was a former student who offered to buy the building materials while encouraging parents to take a leading role in the school’s improvement.

“The materials we received are enough to renovate six classrooms and by parents volunteering their labour, they have saved the school some money because we would have had to pay Sh200 per hired labourer,” she said.

The more than 500 parents, who turned up to work, used spades to mix ballast, cement, sand and water then used wheelbarrows and buckets to carry the mixture to the classrooms.

Both men and women participated in this back-breaking work and there was a sense of comradeship as the parents worked, singing and cheering each other on.

Issac Mutura, one of the parents, said the joint effort has helped them realise their goal without waiting for the Government to step in.

CHILDREN SUFFERING

“We are very proud of the work we have done here today. Most of us did not have money to offer but we decided to give our energy as a contribution,” he said.

Mr Mutura said while the parents do no mind receiving assistance from the Government, helping themselves turned out to be more fulfilling.

The project’s sponsor, Nairobi-based businessman Geoffrey Rigathi, gave material worth Sh800,000 and challenged others to support rural-based schools in their home villages.

“I attended this school more than 36 years ago and I was infested with jiggers. When I heard that children here are still suffering like I did when I was young, I felt I had to do something to help them,” he said.