The news that schools in Kenya will open again on May 13th came after very heavy rains caused big floods. This made the start of the new school term get pushed back. When the government said schools would restart classes on the 13th, moms and dads across Kenya had different feelings about it.
For some parents, they were happy and felt relief to hear their kids would finally go back to school. They knew learning is very important for their children’s future success. The long delay disrupted normal routines and parent work schedules too. They looked forward to getting back on a regular schedule.
But for other moms and dads, the news brought worry and stress. The floods hurt many family finances by damaging homes, farms, businesses or causing job losses. With less money coming in, some parents felt overwhelmed at having to quickly pay school fees, buy uniforms and supplies after the unexpected delay. A few even doubted they could afford to re-enroll their kids at all.
Other parents were just not ready in a practical sense. The floods forced some families to relocate, making it hard to get school requirements organized in time. Kids’ uniforms or books were lost to the floodwaters. Or the delays made caretakers get behind on other vital preparations like gathering receipts to prove fee payments from last term.
Emotions were very mixed based on each household’s circumstances. Those who remained financially stable could breathe a sigh of relief at schools reopening soon as scheduled. But for families already stretched thin, the abrupt notice compounded existing strains. Trying to come up with all the costs on short notice ramped up anxiety.
Most parents accepted the reopening situation as unavoidable given the extreme weather. But they wished they’d received more advance notice to better prepare on a tight budget after the setbacks. Some hoped schools could temporarily relax certain rules or payments. Others hoped the government or community groups could provide any available assistance to get kids back to class.
Overall, while kids going back to their studies represented a return to normalcy for the country, the reality looked quite different through the diverse lenses of Kenya’s families. The general consensus was getting children’s educations back on track remained the top priority despite the challenges. But the specific burdens felt by each household varied based on their unique financial impacts from the powerful flooding.
By Newsmedia
