SIX villages in eMakhabeleni, outside Greytown, in KZN, rely on one high school.
KwaDinda, Dambe, Ndimakude, Stikitikini and eMadekeni only have primary schools.
Children starting grade 8 are forced to walk long kilometres to Esokheni High School, which is in the neighbouring community of KwaSenge.
Some have to cross the uThukela River to and from the school.
Speaking to Daily Sun, grade 11 pupil Nonhle Dube from eMadekeni said she wakes up at 3am to make it to the morning classes starting at 7am.
“It is not easy. The distance is too long, and there is a place where you walk for about an hour in bushes. There are wild animals there, and it is scary. It’s about 10 kilometres away from school. By the time I get to class, I’m tired,” she said.
How rainy days affect pupils
Nonhle said when it is raining, she leaves her books at school.
“On that day, I won’t be able to do homework. It means I must leave home early the next morning, without having breakfast, to ensure that I do my homework at school before classes begin. I find it difficult to concentrate throughout the day without anything in my stomach,” she said.
Nonhle said she lived with her grandparents and had to take care of them and do the house chores.
“They are too old to do most of the things. I must make sure that they have food when I leave for school, and when I come back, I must cook and do homework,” she said.
Long walk to school
Wandile Thusi from Stikitikini said when he started grade 8, he walked to school for about two hours.
He claimed one of the biggest challenges they faced was that they had to walk through bushes, even in winter when it’s dark, which puts their lives in danger.
He said they had a problem with rain in summer because rivers overflowed, and they couldn't cross.
Wandile said when he started grade 12 this year, his grandmother rented a room for him in KwaSenge to be closer to school.
“But on weekends, I must go home because my granny stays alone. I must make sure I collect enough water and wood for her. Though I should be close to school, I know it is not easy for her because she has to pay my rent and buy groceries for me and herself using her pension money. But she does this because she wants the best for me,” he said.
Akhula Nkambule from KwaDinda said they get mocked by other children because they were sweaty and their armpits were smelly by the time they got to school.
School shoes horror
He said another challenge is that they have to buy school shoes frequently.
“Our shoes get torn. This leads to our grannies buying us shoes twice a year,” he said.
He claims other learners dropped out because of the distance and unsafe pathways they use.
Tired and and cannot concentrate
Nomvula Mbeje from Dambe said she wakes up at 3am in preparation for her three-hour walk to school. The grade 10 learner complained that by the time she got to school, she was already tired and couldn't concentrate.
“After school is another problem. Before doing my homework, I have to fetch water from the river. That means by the time I start doing my homework, it’s already dark. We do not have electricity in my village. I use candles to do my studies. Sometimes, we run out of candles. If I’m lucky, I use the moonlight to study,” Nomvula said.
She said one day, they were chased by a group of men while walking home after school.
“They came out from the bush and started chasing after us. We managed to outrun them. We don’t know what they wanted from us. We are scared that we could be raped or even killed because we walk in the dark,” said Nomvula.
The pupils told Daily Sun they wished the government could provide them with scholar transport.
The KZN Department of Education spokesman, Muzi Mahlangu, did not respond to Daily Sun’s queries sent to him.
