The Executive Director for Khulubvi Arts and Cultural Heritage Festival Eric Trinta has said this year’s festival is dedicated to quality of education which has gone down in the Shire Valley districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa due to the effects of climate change.
He made the remarks on Saturday during the commemoration of the second anniversary of the Khulubvi Arts and Cultural Heritage Festival at Nsanje Prison ground in Nsanje.
Trinta said the two districts of the Shire Valley are perpertual victims of either drought or floods annually as such affect the teaching and learning in the schools.
The executive director told ProjectM that once it flooded early this year some schools were used as evacuation centres for the flood survivors which compromised education.
“Once classrooms are occupied by the flood victims, learners have no option but to abandon them,” he said.
On this point, Trinta appealed to authorities to put in place contingent measures so that once it floods learning and teaching should not be disrupted.
“Learners cannot perform well in the national examinations whenever they are disrupted in the course of learning,” he said.
Nsanje District Council Chairperson Rose Makiyi hailed the organising committee for the colourful ceremony.
She said there was a need for concerted efforts for the district to perform well in the national examinations.
“Earlier this year, Cyclone Freddy devastated teaching and learning infrastructure as well as resources,” she said.
The chairperson said some infrastructures are still being occupied by the displaced people which is causing the relocation of the survivors.
Nsanje Secondary School Form Three student Aubrey Landinyu said it was his first time to attend to the Khulubvi Arts and Cultural Heritage Festival which he described as very meaningful.
“I have learnt a lot about Khulubvi Shrine which the United Nations Education Scientific Commission (UNESCO) has recognised as a place of interest, some cultural foods, medicines and in particular the origins of the Sena tribe,” he said.
The cultural festival was spiced up by traditional dances, local bands such as Lucky Stars, acrobatics just to name but afew.
The theme for the festival is ‘ Revamping Education Standards in Shire Valley is Possible Its our Responsibility.’
