Rain leaves Akisim Primary School in ruins
“The chalk we bought is all wet, while most of the textbooks, together with pupils’ registers, are also soaked,” said Mary Arego, the school headteacher. For teachers, the destruction has meant more than the loss of a roof. Their office, which previously provided a place to prepare lessons and keep school records, is now unusable.
A primary for teacher teaching primary four and six mixed under one tree shade. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)
SOROTI - For weeks, residents of Teso prayed for rain to break a prolonged dry spell that had left their crops withering, leaving families at risk of facing hunger.
Their prayers were answered this week when the heavens opened, bringing relief to farmers and communities that had endured the scorching sunshine.
But what should have been a moment of joy quickly turned into distress at Akisim Primary School in Soroti City, where heavy rain accompanied by strong winds blew off the roof of a classroom block, disrupting learning.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening, left three classrooms used by upper primary pupils and the school office exposed as school property, including textbooks, pupils’ registers and other documents, were soaked by rainwater.
A block housing three upper classes and an office that the strong winds deroofed on Sunday evening. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)
For teachers, the destruction has meant more than the loss of a roof. Their office, which previously provided a place to prepare lessons and keep school records, is now unusable.
Teachers have been forced to seek shelter under trees, where dripping branches offer little protection from the rain.
The worst affected are pupils in Primary Five, Six and Seven, whose classrooms were damaged, forcing the school to conduct lessons under tree shade.
The situation has raised concerns about the continuity of learning, particularly for candidates preparing for their end-of-year examinations.
Teachers operating under a tree shade after their office got damaged when strong rains and wind deroofed their office. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)
On Monday (October 12), the weather in Soroti City remained cloudy, with signs of more rain, leaving teachers and pupils anxious about what would happen if another downpour occurred.
She appealed to Soroti City leaders to support the school with tents to enable teachers to continue teaching as preparations for the end-of-year examinations continue.
Arego said the school was struggling to accommodate learners following the destruction, with some classes forced to share the available space.
“We have combined Primary Seven and Six in one class, yet this is a very critical time for the candidates. We hope we are rescued on time,” said Karoli Arorwa, a teacher at the school.
The school is now appealing to the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees to intervene and help restore a safe learning environment.
For the pupils of Akisim Primary School, the rain that brought hope to the communities has also brought uncertainty, leaving them at the mercy of the weather as they struggle to keep up with their lessons.