Defying a flooded future

Just before the floods began, most schoolchildren were about to start the new term.Just four days into the school year and Lydia Abraham, a grade eight learner, crosses a distance of at least 2.5 kilometres of floodwater with 23 other learners just to make it to class.The learners live at Oimbadalunga village in the Ohangwena Region, which is about four kilometers from their school.Namibian Sun journalists Enzo Amuele and Tuyeimo Haidula joined the children on their walk from school on Monday afternoon.Haidula is 1.55 metres tall. The water reaches her thighs and almost wets her tights. The youngest learner in the group is in grade one and he has to take off his pants to cross.The older ones hold his hands for support as some areas are muddy and slippery.Man-made damsAs the group reaches the middle of the flooded area, the children debate about which side the man-made dams are. This time, they are lucky.Emilia Haiduwa, the headwoman of Oimbadalunga village, is crossing too. She guides them to keep left and warns that on their right are two man-made dams they could fall into.The journalists are shaken after hearing about the dams, but the children aren’t worried.They offer to hold Haidula’s hand and confidently continue to cross.“This is where we passed this morning. Just follow in our steps,” they shout in agreement.Abraham said although she was looking forward to starting the academic year, she worries that she will be crossing floodwater every day to get to school.“There are snakes in the water. We have seen the villagers kill some on Friday and on Sunday. But we have no choice, we just cross with the hope that the snakes are not in our path.”‘Government should help us’Abraham said government should donate a tent so they can find shelter at school until the water subsides.“That way we don’t have to arrive at school wet. It was not easy crossing this morning and now going back again,” she said.Haiduwa joins the conversation while adjusting her skirt to prevent it from getting soaked. Her efforts prove unsuccessful.The headwoman said more rain is still to come and this will worsen their situation.“Unpredictable rainfall has made the floods difficult to predict. This is just the beginning. The water levels will rise. If the learners and villagers can get a boat to help them cross as a temporary measure, this will be helpful.”She said the floodwater usually only subsides in August. It takes longer if the water levels are high.“Imagine we are now in January. For how long should the learners keep crossing the water to access their school? If they can get help fast, it would be a relief to these young souls.“Emergencies can disrupt a child’s education for years. They can miss out on vital learning and are deprived of a safe place to be when they are in very traumatic situations,” she said.‘Take responsibility’Principal Jacobina Munageni said they advise parents to make arrangements with relatives who live in areas which have not flooded.“Those who are not getting accommodation, the parents must take responsibility to bring them to school. Sometimes the young ones stay at home or the older ones take care of them,” Munageni said.In the morning, school starts at 08:00. The learners start crossing at least at 06:00.On Monday afternoon, the journalists and children start crossing at 14:09. It takes at least 30 minutes to get from Engela to Oimbadalunga.After crossing, the older children offer to guide the journalists back to avoid the man-made dams.Once they have passed the treacherous area, the groups part.It is now 15:12. The children wave their goodbyes from across the floodwater.Cuvelai rainsYesterday, the agriculture, water and land reform ministry confirmed that floodwater is flowing to certain areas of north-central Namibia from Angola and the eastern part of the Cuvelai catchment area in Ohangwena.According to executive director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, the ministry - through its hydrological division - has confirmed that good rainfall was recorded in the catchment area since the first week of January.“This rainfall has resulted in flash floods being observed and reported in the floodplains around Ondjiva, all the way to Namacunde areas in southern Angola.”Nghituwamata said the flood crossed the border into Namibia on Friday morning at the Onghala village of the Ongenga constituency.

Defying a flooded future

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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Defying a flooded future

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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