Weaver’s Nest rebuilds

ALL that remained of a pre-school in Hochland Park on Saturday morning was an abandoned puzzle box and the mangled iron of a playground and security fence.

When the raging flood waters swept through the prefabricated school building and took with it furniture, swings and jungle-jims, the Weaver’s Nest kindergarten was just a year old. “I’m very, very heartsore,” says owner Schuneen Strydom, “It’s not so easy to get everything together again.It’s going to take time”.They were able to salvage some stationery and toys stored in a cupboard.Looters got to the scene early and were even seen taking the adhesive used to stick posters on the walls.But the teachers are not letting the situation get them down and are slowly picking up the pieces.With the help of the Windhoek International School (WIS), Strydom has been able to continue teaching her little pupils.The school offered teaching space to the Weaver’s Nest, and the 10 pre-schoolers have relocated to WIS for now.Strydom hopes that within the next two months she will be able to rebuild her school.”People have been very good to us,” she says.She not only lost her school; her home nearby was also flooded.The Strydom family’s two dogs died while they were evacuating the house.”The biggest thing is the shock when you open the door and you see the water.It’s a disaster.We just tried to get the kids and the pets out,” says her husband, Dirk, whose building workshop was waterlogged when the river spilled over onto their property.But at least the gaggle of geese survived.”They can swim unlike the two quails which also died,” says Kobus Sevenster, a missionary living on the Strydom property.”It all came so quickly,” he recalls.When he went to take a shower just after 20h00, water was already coming through the shower drain and the toilet water started to bubble.”We locked the doors and climbed through the windows,” he told The Namibian.”I’m very, very heartsore,” says owner Schuneen Strydom, “It’s not so easy to get everything together again. It’s going to take time”. They were able to salvage some stationery and toys stored in a cupboard. Looters got to the scene early and were even seen taking the adhesive used to stick posters on the walls. But the teachers are not letting the situation get them down and are slowly picking up the pieces. With the help of the Windhoek International School (WIS), Strydom has been able to continue teaching her little pupils. The school offered teaching space to the Weaver’s Nest, and the 10 pre-schoolers have relocated to WIS for now. Strydom hopes that within the next two months she will be able to rebuild her school. “People have been very good to us,” she says. She not only lost her school; her home nearby was also flooded. The Strydom family’s two dogs died while they were evacuating the house. “The biggest thing is the shock when you open the door and you see the water. It’s a disaster. We just tried to get the kids and the pets out,” says her husband, Dirk, whose building workshop was waterlogged when the river spilled over onto their property. But at least the gaggle of geese survived. “They can swim unlike the two quails which also died,” says Kobus Sevenster, a missionary living on the Strydom property. “It all came so quickly,” he recalls. When he went to take a shower just after 20h00, water was already coming through the shower drain and the toilet water started to bubble. “We locked the doors and climbed through the windows,” he told The Namibian.