By: Ilyasa Baa
Makeni City was hit by a heavy storm on Thursday 1st September leading to the destruction of homes, businesses and one elementary, preschool in the center of town.
The Allison School was one of the worst affected and the damages quantified amounted to over thirty million Leones (NLe 30,000). According to the Proprietor, Abdul Karim Jalloh, the reconstruction exercise commenced in the morning hours of the day the incident took place.
In an exclusive interview with A-Z newspaper at the school on Jalloh Drive, off Field Road, Makeni, he said that what befell his school was unfortunate and an unforeseen setback at this point schools are to be formally open. He expressed that they were working round the clock to complete the ceiling aspect of the reconstruction work so that classes would not be disrupted.
“We have spent over ten million Leones so far and more money is expected to be spent on this work”, he informed this medium. He noted that admission of fresh pupils is still ongoing, adding that the school is being rebranded to cater for the needs of the pupils attending the school. “We have salvaged the problem of early childhood education in this community and its environs”, he stated. He called on parents to volunteer in their little ways to fast-track the reconstruction work by the weekend so that the school, like other schools in the country, opens today Monday 5th September 2022.
Parents and guardians including Mrs. Mariama Jalloh at Field Road who has three kids attending the school told this medium that they were worried by the incident but felt relieved over the rapid response of the school administration. She said she is attracted to the information technology the school is offering.
During the last academic year, the school had a total population of 250 kids. The school has been rated as being one of the best performing schools in Bombali District; it is among the best ten primary schools in the whole country. This branch was established in 2011.
