Education

Garissa's Gedi locals appeal for classroom construction

Pupils sit in a mud-walled classroom in Gedi, Garissa. (Handout)

By Abdirahman Khalif | Saturday, June 8, 2024

The children also lack desks and are forced to sit on the dusty ground inside the deteriorating mud-walled structures.

Residents of Gedi Village in Garissa have called on both the County and National governments to construct at least two classrooms for their children. The village has been without proper educational facilities for a long time, leaving children to study in inadequate conditions.

Village elders addressed the media, highlighting their plight. They stated that although they have hired a teacher, there is no proper classroom for the teacher to conduct lessons or for the children to attend.

Keep reading

Currently, the children are studying in old mud houses that are in a state of disrepair. Large portions of the mud structures have eroded, with only a few parts remaining intact, posing more of a risk than serving as viable classrooms.

The children also lack desks and are forced to sit on the dusty ground inside the deteriorating mud-walled structures.

Umar Kunow, an elder from Gedi Village in Garissa County, while addressing the media from the old muddy structures. (Handout)

Musa Burale, a resident of Gedi Village, noted that their children have been learning in these conditions for a long time and are in urgent need of at least two classrooms.

He also mentioned the need for one additional teacher, as they have already hired one themselves.

"We request the governor and the Member of the County Assembly to provide at least two classrooms and a teacher," Musa said.

Umar Kunow, another elder from the village, echoed Musa's sentiments. He noted that the community has been paying a teacher from their own pockets and now seeks government support to hire another teacher.

"All along we have been paying this teacher from our pockets. Now we need the governor to support us and hire another teacher for us," said Umar.

Gedi is a new village located in Nanigi ward, Garissa Township Constituency, Garissa County. The majority of the residents are pastoralists, relying on domesticated animals such as goats, cows, and camels for their livelihood.

These animals provide meat and milk for the community. However, a significant number of people have left the pastoral life and now reside in small villages where they engage in small businesses.

Abdi Ali, another villager who spoke to the media, noted that the classrooms they are requesting are specifically for Early Childhood Development (ECD). He pointed out that ECD is currently the most lacking educational resource in their village.

"The classes we want are for ECD. All these children here are yearning for education, and that is what we want to give them," Abdi said