Thursday, March 28, 2024

Acting President Wina commissions flood proof school

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Inonge Wina
Inonge Wina

Acting President Inonge Wina has today commissioned the first ever flood proof school in the flood plains of Barotse in Mongu district in Western Province.

The newly constructed school is in the middle of the flood plains which is only accessible by land after the month of July to November each year while from December to July the place is only accessible by air and water transport.

The first ever flood resistance school called Malabo which has been constructed by UNICEF at a cost of approximately K3.9 million was handed over to government at a ceremony attended by parents and pupils of Malabo community in the flood plains.

Acting President Inonge Wina commended UNICEF and the contractor for constructing pieces of infrastructure at Malabo school that will respond well to the environment.

She noted that the new school will help over 200 pupils who could not attend school for six months due to floods in rain season.

Mrs Wina encouraged pupils to persevere and ensure that they attend school because education is the foundation for a bright and successful future and urged parents to guard the school buildings jealously.

The Acting President also pledged to donate a set of jerseys and a football to Malabo school.

And speaking earlier, UNICEF Country representative Dr. Hamid El Bashir Ibrahim affirmed his organisation’s continued support to government in the education sector so that rural children especially girls and other marginalised children access decent education.

UNICEF has also built two teachers houses, sunk boreholes and provided 60 desks besides building a 1X3 classroom block.

The school was constructed by Camland construction Limited who during the handover also donated learning materials to the school.

14 COMMENTS

  1. Zambia has plenty arid land better for settlement why these lozis just prefer in the plain. Can’t govt relocate them to some habitable area so that they are out of danger forever.

    • @Sponge Bob : you a smelly munungu. Barotseland is the best place in the world for the Barotse. You are just jealous!

  2. SINCE THEY STARTED CONSTRUCTING THE SCHOOL YOU MEAN NO ONE EVER TOOK A PICTURE OF IT? IT’S FUNNY HOW JOURNALISM IN ZAMBIA SIMPLY DOESN’T LEARN. OUR JOURNALISM IS SIMPLY BRAIN-DEAD. BY NOW EVERY ZAMBIAN AND YONDER KNOWS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA. WHAT ZAMBIANS AND YONDER DON’T KNOW ARE THE DEVELOPMENTS TAKING PLACE IN ZAMBIA AND, THE NATURAL RESOURCES ZAMBIA HAS. ANYONE INCLUDING ZAMBIANS WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT ZAMBIA UPON SEEING WHAT ZAMBIA CAN OFFER. WE ARE TIRED OF LOOKING AT POLITICIANS ONLY WITHOUT OUR JOURNALISTS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MARKETING ZAMBIA AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE THE SCHOOL. BUT, THIS IS ASKING FOR TOO MUCH FROM ZAMBIAN JOURNALISM.

    • I agree with you about photos. In journalism photos add another angle of seeing things. I usually read Lusaka Times from Malawi where I work. We do read about developments happening in Zambia, but no accompanying photos of the same. In the end we remain speculating, building our own ‘pictures’ instead; captions of actual developments can fill these gaps.

  3. Surely we deserve at least a picture of “the first ever flood resistance (or do you mean RESISTANT?) school … constructed by UNICEF at a cost of approximately K3.9 million!”

  4. I agree with you dear colleagues. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the heading was to see what a flood resistant school looks like. And shockingly I only saw Wina’s photo. This is incompetent journalism. LT, can you please show the first of its kind school by photo.

  5. Could not even include a picture of the school under “Pictures this week” but all they know is taking pictures of politicians! I am still wondering what a flood proof school is all about is it constructed in such a way that in can float or an embarkment was constructed then the school built on top? I can only keep on imagining.

  6. Avoid rewritting other bloggers comments that is childish. Don’t turn LT to another zwd where you find 20 comments all talking about the same thing. Say something different or better still stay mute.

  7. We speculate: K3.9 millions spent on one block of three classrooms, and two teachers houses, and a borehole, and sixty desks for about 200 pupils? I know this is UNICEF project, and that being flood proof, it cannot be cheap. But photos tell better stories than words.

  8. I machine flood proof means that the buildings are on stilts. So when the school is surrounded by water, will the school children have the option of getting to school by air, if they do not want to use boats, as the writer implies? (Whoever accesses a school by air other than the President and his coterie of allowance seekers?) And also where will the kids be coming from if their own villages are not flood proof? Could this flood proof school be empty during those periods when the surrounding villages are flooded?

    • check what sponge said and your comment. Think before you blog as in your second comment you appear to be asking exactly the same thing sponge was commenting on. I guess like GBM, it is a question of too much schooling.

  9. I just don’t understand the cost of these facilities (granted I don’t know anything about water resistant buildings). As a faith based organization, we often assist and build schools and clinics. Here are some common figures we use:
    Bore hole: 22,000 each
    Teacher homes: 80,000 each
    1×3 block: 120,000 each
    VIP toilets: 3,000 each
    For the money UNICEF has used, sure do hope there are multiple bore holes, multiple teacher homes, multiple VIP toilets, multiple school blocks. Of course, we count on the community to do their 25% which is often burned bricks, sand, and crushed stones… maybe water resistant costs an extra 2,000,000 kwacha 😉

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