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Monday, January 30, 2006 - Web posted at 7:01:39 GMT Nuuyoma Secondary School in the North without a kitchen since 2004 * OSWALD SHIVUTE at OSHIKUKUPUPILS at the Nuuyoma Senior Secondary School at Oshikuku in the Omusati Region are outraged because the hostel's dining hall and kitchen have not yet been rebuilt after a fire in June 2004. |
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School principal Natalia Nakaambo told The Namibian that food was being prepared at Iipumbu Senior Secondary in Oshakati and transported 30 kilometres to Oshikuku three times a day. This means that the Government bakkie has to drive 180 km every day. Because the dining hall at Nuuyoma was destroyed in the fire, Nakaambo says the pupils have to eat outside in the open air. She said the school held a peaceful demonstration in June last year and handed over a petition to the Circuit Inspector in which they asked Government to rebuild the dining hall and kitchen. She said she also wrote to the Regional Education Office through the Inspector's Office, but was told to wait for an answer. "We are now really sick and tired of eating outside and waiting for food to come from Oshakati every day," Grade 11 pupil Sakaria Sheefeni and his classmate Onesimus Johannes said when The Namibian visited the school on Tuesday. Other pupils complained that the food was cold when it reached them, and was full of sand and smelled of petrol because it was transported on an open bakkie. "We are forced to eat under trees and bushes. This is a bad situation and it seems that the school authorities and the Government are neglecting us," they said. The Elim Circuit Inspector, Hans Nghixulifwa, told The Namibian that he was aware of the problem and doing his best to solve it. "I am in contact with the Director of Education for Omusati Region every day in this connection. I proposed a zinc shelter to be used as a dining hall for the time being, but it seems there is no money from the Ministry to facilitate such a structure," Nghgixulifwa said. There was not enough money in the school's development fund either, he said. The Deputy Director of Education for Omusati, Eline Nghiitwikwa, said her office was in contact with the Education Ministry about the problem. She said an order had been placed for new cooking pots, which would be delivered to the school within days. One part of the destroyed kitchen could still be used, Nghiitwikwa said. She added that she had been assured by the Ministry, that a feasibility study on the construction of a new dining room and kitchen would start soon. "I am just asking the principal, teachers and learners at Nuuyoma to be patient a bit, as things will be normalised again soon," she said. |
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