Pupils learn in cow shed, church verandah after roofs blown away
The damage caused by strong winds that blew away the roof of four classrooms at Laibocha primary school in Tigania East, Meru County.
Dozens of pupils at Laibocha Primary school in Tigania East, Meru County are studying in the institution’s cow shed after a strong wind blew away the roofs of four classrooms last Friday.
The PP1, PP2 and Grade Four learners had been left without learning space following the mishap, forcing the parents to relocate the animals so that normal learning could continue.
The school board of management's vice chairperson Cecilia Kendi said they had accommodated two groups in the cow shed, while the remaining class was using the verandah of a nearby church.
Anxious parents held a meeting at the institution on Wednesday where they appealed to the government and well-wishers to help them rebuild the damaged classrooms.
Ms Kendi recalled how a whirlwind swept across the village and blew away the roofs of the three classrooms and a store, causing panic among the school fraternity and the community.
Luckily, the 66 pupils who use the classrooms had just finished their midday lessons and gone out for lunch when the fierce wind struck.
The flying iron sheets and timber were trapped by electricity cables, knocking down some but fortunately, power had been disconnected for some time.
ECDE teacher
Ms Karimi Kaluma, an ECDE teacher at the institution who had minutes earlier taught in one of the damaged classrooms was still reeling in shock and expressed gratitude after the close shave.
“We thank God that this incident happened just as we had left the classroom and we were heading for lunch. The electricity cables could also have started a fire but fortunately didn’t have power as it could have started a fire. We are coming back on Monday and we do not know how we will resume learning,” she said.
The school head teacher Jeremiah Maingi said the institution was now facing a challenge to accommodate the learners and appealed to the government and well-wishers for assistance.
“We only had one extra classroom but it was occupied by the junior secondary class. We appeal to the county government and our MP to assist. We also extend our invitation to old students of the institution to help us. The parents cannot manage to bear the burden on their own,” he appealed.
Ms Kendi said the local NG-CDF had in the past assisted them to build four classrooms.
“The classrooms are extensively damaged and would require to be rebuilt. We require about Sh3.2 million to repair the damage,” she said.
