Masheheni primary disaster in waiting, warns BoM chair

An abandoned pit latrine at Masheheni primary school in Magarini, Kilifi county / BRIAN OTIENO

A collapsed classroom at Masheheni primary school in Magarini, Kilifi county / BRIAN OTIENO

Some of the remaining classrooms at Masheheni primary school in Magarini, Kilifi county / BRIAN OTIENO

Masheheni Primary School in Magarini, Kilifi county, is supposed to be a pillar of knowledge and a source of hope for the most vulnerable in society.

However, it is now a disaster waiting to happen.

The school, with more than 1,000 learners, is in distress.

Dilapidated buildings crying out for repair, few latrines that threaten to collapse and insufficient desks and classrooms that force more than 100 learners into a single small room, have unfortunately become the norm at the school.

Board of Management chair Saidia Thoya is now calling for help.

“Our children are desperate for education, but education must also be pursued with dignity,” Thoya said.

The school has existed for more than 60 years.

He said the dilapidated buildings leak during the rainy season, sometimes forcing the school to close. As a result, quality education has become a mirage for many learners.

“We have now reached desperate levels. We are calling on any well-wishers out there to come to our rescue,” Thoya pleaded.

“We have seen companies come to the rescue of learning institutions like ours through their Corporate Social Responsibility. We will be grateful if they also shine their torch on our school,” the BOM chair said.

He said some classes have been forced to accommodate up to 200 learners, lowering the quality of education.

“The few teachers are working hard, but it is impossible for them to operate optimally under such strenuous conditions. Results and performance will definitely suffer,” Thoya said.

Sarah Mjonjo, a parent at the school, said their children are forced to sit on the floor due to a lack of sufficient desks.

“And during this rainy season, the floor is always muddy, and you know some of these children do not understand what it means to buy soap and wash their clothes,” Mjonjo said.

She noted that the situation in most households in Masheheni is so dire that parents prioritise food over other basic items.

“If I get the little money I earn, will I think of buying soap to wash clothes, or will I buy food for my children to eat? This makes the children sometimes go to school in dirty clothes throughout the week,” she said.

Mjonjo said they cannot afford to repair school uniforms when they tear because of sitting on the ground.

For Furahia Bahati Mwele, another parent at the school, the latrines are the most urgent concern.

She said the fewer than seven latrines cannot serve the more than 1,000 learners.

“Most of the time they are dirty from being overused. Children often suffer diseases because of the latrines, which becomes expensive for us as parents.

“We cannot take the children to hospital, which is far away. We depend on herbs and pray that God heals them. They miss classes whenever they get sick,” Mwele said.

According to Teachers website, there are 18 government teachers and 18 BOM teachers at the school.

With 1,150 learners, including 608 boys and 542 girls, the school has a shortage of six teachers.

It is ranked 377 among the most populated primary schools in Kenya.

The school has 22 classes, but some are not being used because they are in a state of disrepair and pose a danger to the children.