More than 50 pupils from Barasengo Primary school in Giribe, Suna West, Migori County, have been learning under a tree for the past two years.
The scorching sun, heavy rains and cold has not dampened their spirits. The situation is however likely to worsen when the school introduces class seven next year.
Most of the little ones who are in classes one and two have been exposed to ailments like pneumonia after spending long hours under the tree sometime without proper clothing.
The school’s headteacher, William Okwadha, says the school, which was started in 2006, has a population of 300 pupils.
The school has four teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and four classrooms — which are incomplete.
The incomplete classes are used by pupils from class three to class six.
Okwadha says the partially completed classrooms were partly funded by CDF money from the area.
“Suna West MP, Joseph Ndiege, has donated Sh650,000 which was given to us in two phases. We used the money on the foundation and part of the walling. The money could however not complete a single classroom,” Okwadha told The Nairobian. The walled staffroom was constructed by parents.
He added that former Migori MP, John Pesa, donated Sh150,000 for the foundation of the first classroom in 2008 — the classroom is still incomplete.
“Apart from constant disruption of learning at the school, children also face cases of pneumonia and cholera as they share one mud-walled toilet in the school,” Okwadha said.
The school’s chairman, Zachary Odhiambo Ghati, called on the county government to move with speed and complete the ECDE (Early Childhood Development and Education) classroom which was started over two years ago on July 17, 2014.
“Over 130 pupils in the ECDE section are learning under difficult conditions,” said Ghati. He added that it was impossible for teachers at Barasengo to compete with their counterparts in well-equipped schools.
