Alfred Okema, the Kiteny Sub County LC III Chairperson told URN on Saturday that only Lokoropwac primary school has a functional borehole. Okema explained that the other schools have neither boreholes nor piped water as they were using giant tanks to harvest rainwater.
Learners in schools Kiteny Sub County in Kitgum district will have to carry water to school when they
resume studies tomorrow.
The sub-county
authorities resolved this following an assessment of the state of the schools in
the area, which showed that none
of the six schools have a functional water source. The schools are Ludum
Oyere, Kwarayo, Morongole, Ladotonen, Lalekan, and Lokoropwac primary schools.
Clean and adequate water is a prerequisite for
school reopening since it is key in enforcing
the Standard Operating Procedures such as handwashing to contain the spread of
COVID-19. Alfred Okema, the Kiteny Sub County LC III Chairperson told URN on Saturday that only Lokoropwac
primary school has a functional borehole.
Okema explained that the other schools have
neither boreholes nor piped water as they were using giant tanks to
harvest rainwater. He, however, says that vandals destroyed all the water tanks during the nearly two years of school closure as part of the COVID019 containment measures.
He says that the education department and area leadership have now agreed
and directed that each learner carries five
liters of water to school for drinking and personal hygiene as they work on the crisis.
//Cue in: ‘’tam ma wan…
Cue out: …dwugu kede
gang.’’//
Monica Acan, a parent in the area who is in
support of the directive, says that
the situation has worsened
because of the dry season. She explains that some learners will be forced to get water
from the school neighborhood because the liters might not be enough for the
whole day.
//Cue in: ‘’kedi ikel
pii…
Cue out: …bedo iye
bojo.’’//
Christopher Arwai Obol, the Kitgum district LC V Chairperson, said that they are aware of the
problems,
adding that they intend to seek alternatives through the district water
department to ensure that water is available in the respective schools.
//Cue in: ‘’I have
been…
Cue out: …water is
available.’’//
Kitgum district work plan for the financial year
2022/2023 shows that only three boreholes will be drilled in the
different areas.
Emmy Daniel Ojara
Freelancer
Christopher Nyeko