By Dominic Nali
Shang’ombo District in Western province stands as a testament to resilience amid relentless drought. This harsh reality the district is going through has cast long shadows over on the education system, leaving children to bear the brunt of drought caused by climate change.
Climate change has played a pivotal role in increasing the frequency and severity of droughts in the district. This to a large extent has resulted in a decline in rainfall, a rise in temperatures and decrease in food production in the last two farming season.
Shang’ombo, a district that is already dry has its economic sectors such agriculture and more important education under pressure resulting from prolonged drought.
Inadequate income, food and nutrition insecurity has resulted in increased malnutrition cases while the scarcity of water has led to poor access to clean drinking water and increased waterborne diseases.
Besides that, drought has also affected the children in the district disproportionately more than adults resulting in children leaving school and engage in daily work as a means for survival.
Manyando Mubita is a grade seven pupil of Mambolomoka in Shangh’ombo district who said it is difficult for her to stay in class on an empty stomach and concentrated.
“I mostly help out my parent with piece work under the cash for work program that government has introduced so that we can have a reasonable amount of money for food at home”, Manyando said.
Manyando narrates that most pupils in her area were at a greater risk of losing out on education because of the time they spend on paid activities at the expense of education.
“Drought has adversely affected our grade progression because of the high food insecurity and inadequate water that has been caused by prolonged drought in the last two years,” she said.
In an effort to respond to these challenges, the Zambia government in collaboration with organisations like the United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) are implementing a range of policies related to climate change, water resources management and disaster management.
A broad-based education programme focused on mitigating the effects of climate change is necessary to raise awareness on the new strategy for drought management, the importance of preparedness, risk reduction and water supply issues.
Sasa Muletambo, the District’s Standard Education Officer, said the school feeding programme is a lifeline programme for many, but has been severely disrupted by the current drought.
She said without the school feeding program, classrooms would remain nearly empty considering the struggles families go through to keep children in school amidst mounting economic challenges.
“The drought effects ripple beyond hunger as many families’ survival in the district takes precedence, forcing tough decisions that rob children of their education and a chance of a brighter future”, she noted.
Recognizing the severity of the situation, local authorities and stakeholders such as UNICEF through the WASH program for example have been implementing strategies meant to caution the impact of drought on education.
Key measures being put in place include the restoration and expansion of school feeding initiatives to keep the children in school.
“Education authorities are working with local farmers and organizations like SAVE the children to secure alternative food supplies and ensure children receive at least one nutritious meal per day”, she said.
This initiative is not only meant to combats hunger but also to incentivize school attendance amongst the children in the district.
Therefore, advocating for a shift in the way education programs are designed will not only ensure that the realities of climate change are fully considered but also guarantee children’s education in the country.-NAIS