KABBE NORTH - At least nine schools in the flood-prone Kabbe area have been inundated by heavy floods, leaving learners and teachers fearing drownings or being bitten by snakes, which have found the swampy schools’ field a haven. 

Lack of transport, conflict with deadly snakes and a lack of accommodation for learners and teachers are some of the challenges the school communities in this area highlighted.

Many residents of Kabbe North and South in the Zambezi region have been cut off and are unable to reach town for basic essential services and goods due to the rising Zambezi River, which currently stands at close to six metres. 

Kabbe is frequently affected by flooding as it is on low-lying land, only two to five metres above sea level.

With the assistance of the Zambezi Regional Council’s disaster risk management team who availed a police hovercraft boat, New Era managed to visit the nine affected schools last weekend to assess the situation and speak to the affected parents, learners and teachers. 

The affected schools include Namiyundu, Nankuntwe, Mpukano, Muzii, Kasika, Mbalasinte, Ivilivinzi, Ikaba and Nsundwa. 

A teacher at Muzii, Likando Mwalyana, complained about poor sanitation and deadly snakes.

“We started seeing these floods in early January. Every now and then, we are affected by big snakes in our houses,” he said, before everyone scattered after a snake was spotted near a classroom.

He said they lost a learner at Muzii, who drowned while they were looking after cattle. 

“Here at Muzii, you can die if you fall sick because there is no transport. You can die if you are bitten by a snake at night. The school management has to call around the village looking for transport, and the clinic is 60km away in the water again. We are stuck here. The school needs a boat. We need to be provided with fuel if something happens,” one teacher added.

Hendrick Simataa, who paddles a long distance to charge his phone at the school, also shared his challenges.

“We thought it was the regional council who came to visit the school, but it’s New Era. They were supposed to earth up the school, but the certificate is about to expire with no work done. The money was availed, so we are waiting for them. This is not good at all,” Simataa noted. 

The teachers live in makeshift mud houses on the school premises, while some learners are housed in well-worn tents, which expose them to dangerous creatures such as crocodiles and snakes which can enter at night.

Despite the dangers involved, learners sleep on the floor, as they have no beds or mattresses.

Most of the affected schools also do not have community hostels, which forces learners to paddle in the floodwater every morning to school and back home. 

Since many learners live and paddle over six kilometres to schools, high absenteeism is rife. 

In an attempt to avoid lost learning and teaching time, some parents have relocated to the school premises, and made temporary shelters to stay with their children.

“We don’t want the schools to close, unless the situation gets out of hand. We just need help. Learners have no food in the tents. They need new tents and matrasses. There are dangerous snakes around us. We fear for our lives,” Trudy Musole narrated.

Tungulu Tungulu, a grade nine learner at the Nankuntwe Combined School, said paddling to school every morning was a challenge which forced them to relocate to the school.

“We are fearful of snakes and crocodiles; we are not concentrating. We need food. We need proper tents so that we can protect ourselves from deadly reptiles,” he pleaded.

Albert Mukasa, a teacher at Nankuntwe, said it’s a challenge when it comes to accessing basic services such as health facilities.

“The only solution we can ask at this moment is the embankment of the area. Accommodation is a challenge. You can see our area is very small, and it can be flooded. Our learners are accommodated in these old tents, which don’t close. We need a permanent structure as a community hostel,” he stressed.

Bodikal Haluka, a teacher at the Namiyundu Primary School, said due to the heavy floods, they are cut off from all basic services.

“We are badly affected. As you can see, the water is close to the school. Even a crocodile can just be here at night. Snakes are affecting us. They used to come here because it is the only land available due to floods. We need the government to earth up the school to avoid this conflict with dangerous animals,” Haluka reacted. 

 A concerned parent, who has since moved to the school premises with her children, said “we don’t have a school boat. We used to get help from the community, and we pay N$50 each for a boat trip from the village to Luhonono, where we hike further to Katima Mulilo at a fee of N$80. It’s costly for us. We need a school boat, which could be cheaper for us,” he said.

The chairperson of the school, Joseph Mwinga, said they have an old banana boat, but it has no engine. This forces them to paddle, and it’s risky as it can capsize in strong winds.

Theo Mbai Mbai, a teacher at the Mpukano Junior Primary School, said although the situation looks stable, they do face challenges.

“We share the available land with snakes. Like in this house, there is a big snake. We are struggling to kill it. It’s a big brown snake,” Mbai said while pointing at one of the mud houses meant for teachers where the snake now resides.

“Three weeks back, all of us as teachers were sick. We had to organise a health extension officer in the next village to send us medicine. She helped us, but in case of an emergency situation, it is a challenge. The water level rose so fast, compared to last year. Learning and teaching are taking place. Children paddle to school every day. Those who live far are accommodated here, although we have no community hostel. We need tents so that we keep our learners at school,” he continued.

All in all, learners are coming late to school due to transport problems. Some paddle even 10km to school, and absenteeism is rife.

Another challenge the schools face is mosquitoes, with teachers and learners fearing contracting malaria. 

Kasika, Mbalasinte, Ivilivinzi, Ikaba and Nsundwa also face similar challenges.