Teacher Paul Kyando regularly reports on the current situation at Ilembula Secondary School in emails, most recently in October and December 2022.
KAMWENE! (9th October 2022)
I hope that you all are fine and well. Here at ILESS teachers and students are fine as well. Teaching and learning is going on, and despite the short midterm holiday we decided not to allow students to go back home, instead we advised them to stay here in school so that they can have enough time to prepare themselves for the upcoming national examinations in early November, especially Form II and Form IV. The idea was also fully supported by their parents, because being in school gives students regular contact with teachers. Therefore teachers also had to remain in school for the whole short holiday to help students.
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT & WEATHER
Right this period in Ilembula we still experience high insolation as we do approach the rain season estimated to begin by the next month, it is also hot here especially during night, no need for heavy blankets and jackets.
Most of the vegetation has dried and the trees have shaded their leaves to protect themselves from excessive water loss. This year especially, the weather has been very hostile, we have experienced a very short rain season and a long dry season, something which is directly connected to global climatic catastrophe. We are all fighting – as you can see in the pictures.
SCHOOL GARDENING
It is common here in ILEMBULA during dry seasons we do experience water shortage, therefore the gardening process is always tougher. Though we have worked hard to make sure the little water we have is also used for growing vegetables for students. Therefore currently students are able to have vegetables from the school garden, the water from the borehole has been supportive somehow in our gardens. This is different from the time we were depending only on water from “Wangiwasa” (Wanging’ombe Water and Sanitation Authority) which is very competitive.
Madam Yezebel Mwilange (Headmistress) and Madam Sinayi Tweve (SchuPa teacher) are on the front line in making sure the garden is growing and are working very hard with the help of other teachers; our Schupa students are also active in this.
SCHOOL AFFORESTATION
We are also working hard irrigating the trees we planted during the rain season in order to keep pace with harsh insolation, and we hope that with the upcoming new rain season many trees will survive. Again, the water from the borehole is helping us in this. We hope that in the future we will have another reliable source of water which will make every student to be able to “own” even 3 trees in school. Currently because of water shortage students are given only 1 tree to take care and sometimes they cannot do it effectively.
KAMWENE! (3rd December 2022)
It is our great hope that you all are fine and able to carry out your duties as usual.
Here at ILESS, teachers, students and all workers are fine
End of exams, start of rain season
Our students started their annual exams on 25th November, completed on 1st December and the school is expected to close next week on 8th December for annual holiday. All students will be going home.
The rain season has already started with intensive planting activities to keep pace with little amount of rain forecasted for this season by the Tanzania meteorological authority.
New buildings – (mostly) paid by the government
This year again the government has provided us the money for building two classrooms and one teachers office. We have received the sum amount of TZS 40.000.000 (about 16.500 €) for the project.
The building activity has already started from Monday this week (28th November).
The total costs required for the completion of two classrooms is about TZS 46.000.000 (about 19.000 €). The additional costs (TZS 6.000.000) is supposed to be supplemented by the parents and the community within Ilembula Ward usually by engaging in various works such as digging foundation, soil filling, stone & concrete filling.
This week for instance the villagers from three villages Kasagala, Kanamalenga, and Igelehedza were here for soil filling and stone filling.
Next week other villagers will also be here for more hand works.
The building activity is going on and is set to be handed over on 25th this month!
