Hinterland primary students trek miles with logs for “hot meals”
Students of Kato Primary carrying logs from the jungle to the school
By Rehanna Ramsay
As regional and international bodies remain committed to stamping out child labour, “bare feet and oft times hungry,” primary school students at Kato, Region Eight, are forced to carry logs on their backs, for the supply of “hot meals daily.”
“The logs are then taken to what can be considered as an unhygienic area of the school used for cooking and distribution of meals. Lack of adequate storage is the basis for dried meat and fish being stored in sacks that are then placed on the floors. The solar panels used to generate electricity are non functional.”
These were the assertions of an executive member of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Mohamed Nieem Gafoor, who said that the discovery was recently made by a team from the RDC during a visit to the area.
It was pointed out that the logs are used as firewood to prepare meals for the school feeding programme, the initiative launched by the Ministry of Education several years ago.
The school, located at Kato village sub-region one of region eight, houses more than 300 children, with some being subjected to fetching wood from the northern jungles of Paramakatoi, which is a more than one and a half hour journey on foot.
“These little boys and girls go all the way over the hills clearing the savannahs and into jungle to cut these logs and bring them back to the school for food to be cooked. This happens at least three times a week during school hours. They do it on foot and sometimes without shoes because they need the meals.”
Gafoor said he is on a quest to expose unfair and inhumane treatment leveled against residents of the mining district. He explained that “this type of child labour has been going for quite some time but has not been addressed by anyone, especially not the regional administrative body”.
“It is the duty of the regional executive office to supply funds for fuel and transportation for the feeding programme. Tractors and trailers are supposed to carry the wood, not children. Let the eyes of the public be the judge,” Gafoor stated.
He said that due to the inactivity and lack of cooperation of the regional administration, several sectors of the community have been severely lacking.
“Education, health, roads and transportation are just some of areas that are suffering in the region because of this sort of behaviour by the governing committee. I made several recommendations at meetings to the administration, but those were ducked. They (administrators) are not taking our concerns to the relevant government authorities for progress to take place.”
However, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsawack said that the Kato school feeding programme was not the responsibility of his administration.
“The school feeding programme comes under the Ministry of Education and it is controlled by the Parent-Teacher body of the school. I am not sure what kind of arrangement they have there.”
Harsawack further stated that “the work of regional administration and education department are distinct from the functions of the RDC.”
When contacted, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam said that he is unaware of the issue, but promised to look into the matter.
Last year, $1.2 billion of the National Budget was spent on the National School Feeding Programme. Additional funds were allocated this year, under a $28.7 billion Education Ministry allocation, where over 51,000 nursery and primary students in hinterland and riverine communities are expected to benefit.
