Kitchen staff at the Divundu Combined School in the Kavango East Region are using firewood to prepare food for the learners since September last year.

Chief Matron Emma Kangura says the hostel staff is finding it difficult to prepare food with only two pots for about four hundred hostel dwellers as the electric stoves have been out of order.

Kanguru says the learners at times eat bread the whole day. 

"These children are going through a lot of difficulties, sometimes they eat at midnight and at times they don't eat, it's not that there is no food, the food is enough but we are not able to cook on one pan, and cater for 420 learners, we have to choose what to cook first and wash the pan and continue cooking it is not working for us and we can't send the children home, some come from far places. The hostel superintendent advised that we start cooking outside on firewood. He got us firewood and we only have two big pots and it's not enough for the kids."

Kangura says at times the staff cannot cook when it rains and buying firewood every day is another challenge as they pay N$600 for each load. 

The Ministry of Works and Transport at one stage fixed the element of the electric stove, and Kangura says it only worked that day and went off again.

"This problem started in September, we reported the case but they are not helping, I know they received the message but nothing is being done to the point now the learners are not getting food as they were supposed to. When the school closed we thought they will use that period to solve the problem but nothing was done and when the school opened they did register the learners in the hostel knowing things are not fine."

Contacted for comment Education Director Fanuel Kapapero says lack of funds delayed the fixing of the burned element.

However, he says the element will soon be repaired.