Kaperop primary school in Turkana county paints a picture of an abandoned institution where learners and teachers persevere many challenges in their quest for education.
The school, which was started four years ago, has no single structure and lacks basic facilities like classrooms, pit latrines, and even water.
The school’s headteacher, Joseph Namuya, disclosed to Citizen TV in a short documentary, which aired on Sunday, that they had to convert trees into classrooms, staffroom and kitchen.
Namuya gave a quick tour of the school where he showed how the pupils were being taught in classrooms that had roof and walls made of sticks.
The staffroom, which is situated under a tree in order to provide shade, has four stones which serve as seats for the teachers and a plastic chair for the headmaster.
When it rains, Namuya explained that the school is forced to shut down completely and no learning takes place. The children are sent back home.
The school also has a dedicated watchman who takes care of children in case of insecurity. He usually alerts the headteacher whenever he suspects trouble and then asks the children to leave.
Nonetheless, the headteacher is grateful to the parents who he says have really struggled to help set up the skeleton structures.
He also revealed that he is motivated by the children’s thirst for education, who despite the hardships, make sure that they show up for school every single day.
Furthermore, he expressed concern with the pupil’s attendance, which he noted was affected due to the insecurity in the area. He, however, hoped that the situation would improve and that the kids would return to school.
Here is the documentary courtesy of Citizen TV:
