By Yero S. Bah
A heavy windstorm and rains had over the weekend destroyed Kampassa Lower Basic School situated in Foni Jarrol District, West Coast Region.
Mr. Saja Kolley, the President of Kampassa Youth Association and a member of the Sport Committee at the District level, explained the incident occurred on Saturday 15, August 2020 when heavy rains accompanied by a strong windstorm uprooted the eucalyptus trees planted in the school grounds which eventually fell on one of the classroom blocks causing massive damages to some parts of the roof.
He informed this medium that the youth of the village, in partnership with the Village Development Committee (VDC), had since cleared off the fallen tree, noting the villagers did not wait for anybody in clearing the mess caused by the fallen tree in the school.
The Youth President said some of the school authorities are natives of the village and that makes it easier for them to get wind of the unfortunate incident that the primary school is currently in.
“As I said, the Vice Principal is a native and some other senior members of the school were with us during the work,” said Kolley.
Kolley estimated the cost of the damages to the classroom block and another unfinished classroom building, which needed some welding finishing touches, at D150,000 to D200,000; but he decried that as a village they have huge financial challenges in fixing the problems.
“We are looking for financial support from anyone who wants to give his [or her] support,” the Kampassa Youth Development Association President told Mansa Banko Online.
The youth leader acknowledged that he had posted it on social media and the natives of Kampassa from home and abroad, are pledging their support to the course, and divulged that he had already gathered twelve (12) packets of corrugated iron sheets from the grassroots donations. Hopes are high as they want to contribute before external support comes in to compliment local efforts, as Kolley stated.“We are seriously working to fix some parts before school reopens in September,” he added.
Kolley also disclosed that he’s effectively using some social media platforms such as the Mankana WhatsApp group, their village WhatsApp group as well as FARD WhatsApp, an association in Foni which supports development efforts in the area, whilst calling on all potential supporters to give a helping hand in order to fix the current problem of the school, so that pupils could go back to the classroom come September.
One resident, who wants to remain anonymous, argued that the affected communities are all “frustrated” with these horrible and dilapidated conditions of the primary school, though the mobilization of resources to repair the damaged building is already underway.
The said villager maintained that the entire school needs a facelift as the current conditions of the Kampassa Lower Basic School are least impressive.
