Zambia (Kalomo): A rainstorm has left destruction in Zambia (Kalomo) ripping off a one by three classroom block at Choonga primary and secondary school in the area.
School head teacher Belden Hamuyube confirms that the incident occurred late in the evening on Wednesday, leaving a classroom block for grade one completely damaged and its roof blown off.
Hamuyube adds that several teaching and learning materials, including desks, were soaked in the process before school authorities retrieved other materials for safekeeping in other rooms.
Media reports that this came to light when Kalomo district commissioner Joshua Sikaduli, in the company of local district disaster management officer Simunyeu and the education authorities, visited the school on Thursday.
In the interim, the school management has been advised to cover up the affected block with a borrowed tent from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) while efforts to rehabilitate the classroom block are being made ahead of term one, early January next year.
“We suggest that you plant trees in the vicinity of the school premises to act as windbreakers to avert such incidents, said Commissioner Sikaduli.
Furthermore, he asserted, “You see, we have Mutala, Tambula, and now Choonga schools whose classroom roof blocks have been ripped off in this rain season; we should put preventive measures by also ensuring that we embrace the concept of accepting standard building materials to avert such occurrences.”
Kalomo has started receiving steady rains in this summer season with the farming community appreciating the rainfall pattern experienced so far.
Farmers seemed happy with the rains and thanked god as it would help in their farming because they were getting a good amount of water. Locals are considering this time rain a good rain, but at the same time, they are scared as last time they faced floods. Many people lost their lives in those floods.