By Buziwe Nocuze
Residents of Hombe in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape built a school for their children, but it desperately needs more resources, such as furniture and desks.
The community began building the school in 2020 because learners had to walk long distances to schools in other villages.
They named the school after their late Chief Majuba, who suggested building the school.
Majuba Secondary School principal Mlungiseleli Mahlungulu said the school opened last year with 177 learners in Grades 8 and 9.
“We got the learners from one of our feeder schools, Hombe Junior Secondary School, but the number quickly increased. We had to stop taking in more pupils,” Mahlungulu said.
By this year, the school’s enrollment has increased to 620.
“Each family contributed 10 bricks. The school is up and running, but we are struggling. We have eight feeder schools that also have many learners. We don’t have equipment or desks. We have nothing,” said Mahlungulu.
The school has nine employed non-staff educators and three qualified teachers who volunteered to help while waiting for other jobs.
“So far, we are getting nutrition and cash payments, and some textbooks for Grade 10, which is very little compared to the number of learners we have at the school,” said Mahlungulu.
The school is not fenced, has no playground, and has only one 250-litre water tank.
“Teachers, non-staff educators, and learners are all using one tank. We don’t have machines, and we share desks in our office. Some of our learners use bricks to sit on because we don’t have furniture,” said Mahlungulu.
Eastern Cape Education Department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said: “There are nine teachers allocated using the previous year’s learner numbers. Due to learner enrolment that skyrocketed this year, the school will be allocated more teachers in September.”
Mtima said the school is supposed to have furniture sourced from the schools that realigned and released Grades 8 and 9 to the newly established school, as well as other resources, including books.
Pictured above: Majuba Secondary School
Source: Buziwe Nocuze
