Over 745 pupils’ lives and those of the surrounding community at Chipepo High School in Gwembe District are in danger following a break down in the water supply line at the institution.
The school, the clinic, and the nearby community have had no running water for a week now.This came to light when ZANIS and medical officers visited the institution yesterday.
Close to 620 boarding and day pupils are writing the 2010 Grade Twelve Leaving Examinations and lack of water might force the public health department to close the institution if the problem is not remedied.
Deputy headteacher, Huefoot Muchenya explained that the institution had been experiencing frequent water problems and that the institution had been looking for alternative measures to curb water blues.
He said lack of pit latrines at the institution has aggravated the problem adding that the pit latrines at the institution were condemned by the public health department.
The Deputy headteacher explained that the institution awaits the public health department to site where pit latrines could be constructed before it could replace the condemned ones in order for pupils to use toilets as opposed to the use of open bush during a water crisis.
A check by ZANIS revealed that pupils were using the nearby bush to relieve themselves, a situation that could result in diarrheal diseases with the on set of the rains.
A guided tour of the ablution blocks revealed that most toilets have been discontinued and thorny branches have been placed on toilet door to bar pupils from using them.
Mr. Muchenya has assured the pupils that the institution will soon have running water once the team that had been dispatched to Lusaka to purchase a spare parts comes back.
He also observed the need to install a submissive pump at the institution as an alternative measure when the water pump breaks down.
And a medical officer at Gwembe District Hospital has observed that the washing of hands after using the toilet and the preparation of clean food in the school kitchen have been compromised following the water shortage at the institution.
Speaking when he toured the school ablution blocks for both girls and boys and the school kitchen, Dr Habasimbi said the current water problem at the High School is likely to create a bigger crisis due to the huge population.
Dr. Habasimbi has since advised school authorities to bring the matter to the attention of the District Education Board and the District Health Management Board for quick action before disease breaks out.
He observed that there is urgent need to reduce the number of pupils by sending non-examination classes home until the water situation is normalized.
At press time, pupils were seen drawing water from the school borehole but lack of pit latrines was observed to have compromised hygiene standards at the institution.
Water is a source of life. Ministry of education please sort out this problem asap.
46 years of independence, almost 20 years of MMD. I remember some MMD campaign ads back in 1990/91 showing what schools would like like under their leadership. What happened to all those promises? Why promise when you could not deliver, why keep on defending your record when stories like this are the order of the day. It’s a shame that incidents like this take over a week to resolve, RB lives in the air spending tax payers money instead of trying to better education institutions. Shame on this government, shame.
sad srory indeed
In the 21st century? We could as well be living in the middle ages and indeed, the MMD has set us back three centuries.
Chipepo High Sch is located at the shore of Lake Kariba, but I get worried when I hear that the school is having water problems because of the pump that has broken down. The govt is not serious with education. Please consider sinking two or more boreholes at the school so that both the clinic and the learning institution would enjoy clean environment.The govt should channel more money to the High School so that the pupils can learn in a conducive environment.
water and onlly water is the main source of life:(
Poseniko amano mwe!!!!!!!!!! Mwachilamo ukwenda mumulu.
at least one week was not bad for them,i remember i was almost eaten by a reptile when i went to fetch water at lake kariba during my 5 years of sch at that learning center.