The first load of school furniture and personal belongings from Nankutwe Combined School has arrived at Luhono via the Kapelwa Kabajani Ferry, marking the start of the relocation of flood-affected schools in the Zambezi Region.
Floods have impacted several schools, including Nankutwe Combined School, which has 181 learners and 15 staff members.
Learners are expected to arrive over the long weekend and will be accommodated at the Shuckmannsburg School hostel.
"With the accommodation, the inspector was saying that they are ready for 181 learners to be accommodated in the hostel. So with staff, we were told there's another block on that side that can accommodate teachers. Otherwise, with classrooms, they said they are going to pitch tents all around this agriculture wire that they gave us," said Acting Principal of Nankutwe Combined School, Harrison Lyamine.
More furniture and learners from other affected schools, including Mpukano and Muzi, will be transported in the coming days.
The flooding has disrupted learning for over 4,300 learners and more than 250 staff members across 19 schools in the region.
Several schools remain surrounded by water or cut off from surrounding communities.
At Namuyundu and Imkusi Combined Schools, learners and teachers are still camping on-site, while in areas like Isiza, authorities are considering the use of floating bridges to restore access.
Learners at Masikili and Sifuha Primary Schools are relying on canoes to reach school, raising safety concerns and prompting plans for relocation.
Assessment teams from the Directorate of Works and Education have visited relocation sites to determine urgent needs such as water supply, sanitation, and electrical fittings, with quotations already submitted for financing.
Education Planner for the Zambezi Region, Sydney Muyaukwa, explained that "we are experiencing challenges in terms of whether we use the normal procurement process, it becomes a bit of a challenge because this is an emergency. So the support that we need now is in terms of how we quickly procure this material."
Schools such as Nankutwe, Mpukano, and Muzi have been closed for over two weeks, with learners missing valuable learning time.
Temporary facilities are expected to be ready by Tuesday to allow classes to resume.
Meanwhile, the bidding process for the embankment of Muzi Combined School is underway through the Central Procurement Board, with site assessments already completed.
"For Mpukano and Nankutwe, we have gone for direct procurement where we are engaging a public entity. We are yet to finalise and sign an agreement, as we are still going through technicalities. That is also work that we undertake to actually do this financial year, meaning that we will be on the ground to actually start with the upearthing," said Otto Imbuwa, Deputy Exec. Director for Administration in the Ministry of Education.
The embankment of the three schools is expected to reduce the impact of flooding and help prevent future disruptions to learning caused by submerged classrooms.