Burundi Eco Ngagara: The infrastructure of the Lycée de la Dignité in a deplorable state

The infrastructure of the Lycée de la Dignité in Ngagara is in an advanced state of disrepair. The walls are starting to crumble. The sheets are aging and allow rainwater to penetrate inside certain classes. Details in this issue

The infrastructure of the Lycée de la Dignité de Ngagara in an advanced state of disrepair.

Donatien Hakizimana, director of the Dignity high school in Ngagara located in district II of the Ngagara zone, Ntahangwa commune in the town hall of Bujumbura regrets that the infrastructure of this school is in an advanced state of disrepair.

In an interview with him on Monday January 23, 2023, he indicated that the roof is old and that therefore when it rains, rainwater penetrates inside certain classes. The ceilings are also in a pitiful state. The walls are starting to crumble. Cracks are observed on these.

And since the windows are small, Hakizimana says the heat threatens the learners. For all these reasons, he asks the government to rehabilitate this school.

He already points out that the Public Works and Job Creation Project (PTPCE) which is currently called the Local Development and Employment Project (PDLE) had promised to rehabilitate this school. This dates back to 2011. It was planned to build classes on floors on a budget of 450 million FBu.

Why does the PDLE not start the work?

Hakizimana then wonders why this project does not start work. And to point out that this school has already paid its contribution estimated at 9 million FBu. According to the director of this school, this amount was paid into the account of the said project.

Hakizimana asks the State to redouble its efforts to rehabilitate this school which dates from the 80s so that learners can study in good conditions. “With our meager financial means, we try to replace the old sheets with holes to prevent rainwater from entering the classrooms. However, the observation is that the rehabilitation of this whole school is imperative“. And, to win the bet, Hakizimana specifies that the involvement of the State is a necessity.

According to him, the management committee of this school met one day to see what can be done immediately to allow learners to study in good conditions. We thought it best to have the whole school painted as a minimum service.

With the support of a civil engineer, he proposed a budget of more than 45 million FBu. Given the socio-economic context in which households are immersed, this proposal has been shelved.

The provincial direction of education in the town hall of Bujumbura affirms that it is observed in this district a lot of schools in a state of disrepair. It asks the ministry having the infrastructures in its attributions to think of the rehabilitation of the public school infrastructures.

Dieudonné Dukundane, Minister in charge of infrastructure, equipment and social housing promises to seek a budget for the rehabilitation of such infrastructure.

It should be noted that the Lycée de la Dignité in Ngagara has 800 students.