"Now I can come to school even when it rains"
Friday, 22 October 2004
"Now I can come to school even when it rains"
Danny Rowan visits a Primary School built by Concern in Mozambique
“We feel proud that we have such a beautiful school in our community” beamed Bento as we gazed at the brand new school building in front of us. “Even one year ago we could not even dream that we would have a school like this for our children.”
Bento Hilario is a member of the school council for Nahene Primary School, on the outskirts of Nampula city in northern Mozambique. Just over a year ago Nahene was selected by Concern and the local Department of Education to receive a brand new school building. Bento explains why the new school was so necessary, “Before the new school was built our children were educated in terrible conditions. All the pupils were crammed into two tiny classrooms made of mud and sticks. The roof was made of straw and it leaked badly in the rainy season. As a result we could not send our children to school when it rained.”
In the last year, a lot has happened to give the people of Nahene a sense of purpose about their children’s education. The new school building consists of three large classrooms furnished with seats, desks and of course, a blackboard. The teachers now have their own staff room and vastly improved outhouses have been built. “We get a lift every time we look at it, and the big advantage is that our children can now receive a proper education.”
Fourteen year old Angelique Alberta is one of the children benefiting from the new school. She explains how it has made a difference to her, “In the past we could not learn as much. There were too many students in the class and we had few materials and often we could not come to school due to the weather. Now I can come to school when it rains!”
Both students and teachers are benefiting from the improved conditions which have helped create a better environment for learning. Angelique explains, “Having this new school has made me a lot more serious about my education. Everyone feels this way; we have all seen the work that has gone in to this place.”
The materials for the construction of the school were sourced locally. The labour was provided by the local community who also repaired the access road to the school in order to make the area more accessible and stimulate economic activity in the area. The involvement of the local community is designed to create a sense of local “ownership” of the school. It seems to have worked, as Angelica explains, “My father helped to build the school, so he is very proud that me and my brother are at school here.”
