By Malish Valentine Adolfo – Torit
Three schools in Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria State, have been severely damaged by floods following heavy rains last week. The affected schools include Burgila Primary School, Ponyang Primary School, and Yantira Primary School.
Peter Okech, a health official in Lafon County, expressed concern that students are missing classes due to the destruction of their schools. However, some pupils have resorted to studying under trees to continue their education.
“The schools, like Burgila, are completely flooded, including Ponyang and Yantira. That’s three schools in total. Students are now studying under trees, but those from Yantira have moved to Tari. Unfortunately, they will miss lessons, as they cannot access proper learning facilities,” Okech stated.
He suggested that future school construction should focus on higher grounds to avoid similar disruptions.
“We need to plan better in the future. Schools should be built on elevated areas where floods can’t reach. We should also look into constructing drainage systems to channel water away from the school premises. The community must also be involved in identifying safe areas for building schools,” he added.
Okech made these remarks during a telephone interview with Radio Emmanuel.