Nankutwe-Nankutwe Combined School in Kabbe South is slowly finding its feet again after months of disruption caused by heavy flooding that forced the school community into a relocation centre.
The school was among those affected in the Kabbe North and South areas, with learners and teachers spending about 16 months away from their normal school environment before returning to the school grounds last week.
In an interview with New Era over the weekend, acting principal Harris Lyamine said the return has brought a sense of normalcy, although the school is still dealing with the effects left behind by the prolonged displacement.
"We are just a couple of days from our relocation centre at Luhonono, which was 16 months back, and we are still having a bit of a challenge here," Lyamine said.
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He said some items were lost during the relocation, including food supplies and other necessities meant for teachers and learners. "Because being relocated is not something easy," he said.
The return to Nankutwe has also presented logistical challenges, particularly for learners who live far from the school. Lyamine said some learners now walk considerable distances to attend classes, while about 30% of those who cannot manage the long journey remain accommodated closer to the school.
"Most of the children now are commuting from their parents. They are now 100% in the hands of the parents," he said.
Despite the difficulties, Lyamine said attendance has stabilised and learners are back in class.
"Otherwise, the situation is back to normal as we speak," he said.
Exams disrupted
The floods and the subsequent relocation also disrupted the school's examination programme. According to Lyamine, some examinations had to be written over the weekend, while others were rescheduled for this week.
The disruption was partly caused by the difficulty of moving three schools -- Nankutwe, Muzii and Mpukano -- back to their respective grounds.
Lyamine said the schools had to share one ferry to transport furniture, tents, chalkboards and other school equipment across the Zambezi River.
"Imagine three schools to be relocated by just one boat," he said, explaining that what was initially planned as a two-day exercise eventually took four or five days.
The delay meant that some learners could not write their examinations according to the original schedule.
Nevertheless, Lyamine said the school has managed to resume its academic programme. "Learners are in the examination as we speak," he said.
Despite it being a weekend, some teachers were in classes invigilating learners late in the evening as they sat for the delayed exams.
Teachers return
The floods also left some teachers' houses damaged. Lyamine said most of the 14 staff members have returned to the school, but at least one teacher is still being accommodated in a classroom because his house was badly damaged. "Some of the teachers' houses, a few of them, are damaged," he said.
Before the teachers returned, efforts were made to prepare some of the houses for occupation. However, the damage caused by the floods remains a reminder of the disruption experienced by the school community. Despite this, Lyamine said the teachers are back and working.
"All the teachers now are here," he said.
Clearing grounds
Back at Nankutwe, situated in the deep floodplains of Kabbe, the school community is also working to clear vegetation and clean the grounds after a long absence.
The overgrown environment has brought another challenge: snakes and other insects have been spotted around the school area.
Lyamine said the situation with mosquitoes has improved, but the school remains cautious about the natural hazards around the premises.
"We are pushing, we are working with the de-bushing and cleaning teams," he said. The presence of snakes and insects is particularly concerning in an area that has been left without people for an extended period.
For the school, clearing the grounds is, therefore, not merely about improving the appearance of the premises but also about making the environment safer for learners and teachers.
Better facilities
Despite the challenges, Nankutwe Combined School has basic infrastructure that provides a more stable learning environment than the relocation centre.
Lyamine said the school has electricity, water, Wi-Fi and flushing toilets.
However, the experience of the floods has highlighted the need for a longer-term solution to protect the school and surrounding community from future flooding.
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Lyamine said the school has approximately 9.4 hectares of land, which has been verified through the relevant authorities.
He believes the land could provide a safer place for the community during future floods, allowing families to remain closer to their children instead of having to travel long distances in search of safety.
One of the biggest sources of hope for Nankutwe is a planned embankment project aimed at protecting the school grounds from future flooding.
Lyamine said a construction team had visited the site and that preparations were underway for work to begin.
The school has also been asked to provide names of workers who could participate in the project.
"That gives everyone a smile. Let's hope this time now it's not going to fail," Lyamine said. For him, the project could go a long way towards preventing the repeated disruption caused by flooding.
"Because it's going to solve all these problems as we speak," he said.
The proposed embankment is therefore seen not only as infrastructure but also as a possible turning point for the school and the wider community.
