Pupils at Chebonei Primary School in Emurua Dikir Constituency are pleading for urgent help after their classrooms fell into a deplorable state, leaving them with no option but to seek shelter in a nearby church.
The church leadership, moved by the learners’ plight, graciously allowed the school to use its kitchen as a temporary classroom — a situation that both teachers and parents say is far from ideal.
Built in 2008, Chebonei Primary has over the years suffered from neglect, with cracked walls, leaking roofs, and broken furniture painting a sad picture of a forgotten public institution. The sight of young children struggling to concentrate in a smoky church kitchen has left parents questioning where years of development funds have gone.
“We are deeply concerned about the safety and comfort of our children,” said a parent. “They are willing to learn, but the environment is discouraging. We appeal to our leaders to step in before things get worse.”
The school’s condition raises serious questions about the use of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), which is allocated annually to improve learning facilities in all constituencies. Area residents say they have seen little evidence of this support reaching their school.
Community members are now calling on both the county and national governments, as well as development partners and well-wishers, to come forward and rebuild the school. They are urging leaders to treat education as a priority, not an afterthought.
For the pupils of Chebonei Primary, hope remains alive — that one day they will sit in real classrooms, not a borrowed kitchen.
