Rising water levels of Lake Kwania swallowed up the only land access route to Bata Island in Adeknino sub-county.
Children as young as 4 years old are commuting to and from school in unsafe canoes.
Primary 4 pupil, Opio Tobias recounted how the canoe bringing his fellow pupils was full so he and 3 classmates swam in dangerous and infected waters rather than wait 2 hours for the canoe to return.
Okwir Tonny, Chairperson LCI of Bata Island in Awelo Parish, Adeknino sub-county said,
“There are 280 households currently in Bata Island. 200 of them are pupils studying at Abalang Modern Primary School board limited seats on leaking canoes. It is a perilous commute that has already claimed 5 lives; all women and children.”
Omara Peter, Headmaster of Abalang said, “200 out of 1,200 pupils attending this school reside on Bata Island. They face the danger of waiting hours to climb onto leaking boats. They arrive to school after 11:00am, already tired and perform poorly as a consequence.”
According to Harriet Hope Ocen, District Councillor Adeknino sub-county, residents of Bata Island have no local access to health facilities which contributed to premature deaths of residents.
She urged the Government to arrange health camps at Bata Island as a first step to building a health centre.
Dokolo District Chairperson LCV, Peter Ogwang, and CAO Grandfield Oryono Omonda confirmed plans to prioritise bringing public services particularly health to Bata Island in next year’s budget.
Miles away, Ayeke David, Chairperson LCI of Aoa village, Kwera sub-county, said, “37 out of 80 households in the village have been cut off by floods. 28 pupils commute to Apyenyang Primary School on leaking canoes.
Even further away in Agwata Town Council, residents from Agerinono, Akwote ‘A’, Acung Apenyi, Awany A, and Akwote ‘B’ cells all appealed to Government, national and international organisations to offer emergency aid.
Dr. Rosemary Alwoc-Ogwal visited communities negatively impacted by climate change.
“In 2005, the late Hon. Cecilia Atim Ogwal and I drove all the way to Bata Island. Today, you can only get to Bata Island by boarding a canoe in a poor state of repair. Hundreds of our children face danger every day as they go to school. This morning, 4 of our children risked swimming in contaminated water rather than wait 2 hours for the canoe to return.
It is rainy season and these children regularly find themselves unable to return home due to the danger of the canoe overturning and more passengers drowning.
According to Alwoc, flood water is contaminated with human waste and is breeding ground for wildlife. I have attended funerals where the cause of death was snake bite or an attack by crocodile or hippo. We also have high malaria prevalence from increased mosquito activity.
”As a nation we should ask ourselves whether it is acceptable for our children to become ill or tragically die because of the commute to school” she explained .
The El Niño weather pattern has intensified, as a result, over 20,000 of our farm land gets flooded annually. Many crops we planted this season and last season dried up in the field. A famine is looming in the horizon.
”This is why the Hon Cecilia Atim Ogwal Foundation committed to implementing Dokolo District’s ambitious long term nature restoration and disaster risk reduction project” Alwoc said .
She added that at the moment, 60 academic institutions signed up for support. We encourage all academic institutions in Dokolo to sign up with the District Education Officer enabling the survey of available land for fruit trees planting to take place. In the meantime, we’ll continue liaising closely with District leaders to lobby for support for appropriate emergency aid.”
