By Anthony Zoka
A sign of relief to Dzanikeni residents of Rabai Kilifi County as area member of Parliament, Anthony Kenga, hands over a plot for upgrading of Dzanikeni nursery to primary school 19 years down the line after initiation of the ECDE school.
Residents admit children have been forced to walk long distances to access primary school education as land problems in the area had become a stumbling block for the development of Dzanikeni ECDE.
According to Irene Mbosha, the new development in the area will open new ways for other development projects in the area.
βOur children are walking long distances to Mikomani Primary school while others are forced to school at Vishakani in Kaloleni Sub County, facing the risk especially during rain seasons due to the presence of seasonal rivers.β Noted Mbosha.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Stanley Moto, who expressed dissatisfaction on the way children in the area were undergoing harsh conditions to access education.
βAs a teacher I understand what education can do to a community. That’s why we welcome such acts because we want to change our society around by investing more on education.β Said Moto.
He added calling on the need to address other underlying issues that deny residents’ quest for education among them poor road network and absence of bridges connecting the areas for safety of learners.
Addressing residents, Rabai MP, Anthony Kenga, assured residents of his commitment in addressing educational challenges to children in the area.
Kenga maintained the need to have all children access education within their locality adding that plans are on to improve the learning environment across the sub county.
βToday am handing over my land for the expansion of this school and this will be the start of other development projects in this area. I will donate this land to the school committee, and in the next one month through NG-CDF construction will commence as we source for more partners to develop our new school.β Noted Kenga
However, Ruruma location chief, Joseph Boza, urged residents to volunteer donating land for public use to foster development.
Boza warned that communities risk losing development projects due to lack of land, calling on residents to consider welcome development projects by giving out land.
βDevelopment projects from the government and development partners cannot be initiated on air, we have been unable to upgrade this school for long but now that we have land, this is a wakeup call to us.β Advised Boza.
