Learning in the Shade: How Temporary Classrooms Helped Children Return to School After Cyclone Chido

Cabo Delgado, Mozambique - As the sun rises over Ngoma, a coastal village in Cabo Delgado, its reddish sand glows beneath the scattered baobab and palm trees. Beside a row of roofless school buildings, two large white tents stand tall, their canvas flapping gently in the breeze.

This is Escola Básica de Ngoma, where more than 1,000 children from Grades 1 to 9 once filled classrooms each day. But when Cyclone Chido made landfall in December 2024, it tore through the school grounds, taking with it the roofs of the classrooms.

“The cyclone took the roof off all the school buildings except for one, which was also badly damaged,” said João Luís Teófilo, the school’s 31-year-old director. “The office, desks, books, school materials were all gone or destroyed.”

Despite the devastation, João and his staff reopened the school after the holidays in February. Without classrooms, they held lessons outdoors. “The school opened on time, but with challenges,” he said. “Teachers held their classes outside, under the sun. Students sat on the ground. Many children stopped coming altogether. They were not motivated in this difficult situation.”

Thirteen-year-old Nhamo Juma was one of them.

“During the storm, my house was damaged, our crops were gone, and my school books were destroyed,” she said. “I felt sad because the school had no roof and students had to study outside with no shade.”

For Nhamo and many others, things changed when UNICEF, with support from the Government of Norway and the Today and Tomorrow Initiative, provided two large tents to serve as temporary classrooms. Students also received school bags, notebooks, pencils, and other essential learning materials, a lifeline for families who had lost everything.

“I returned to school when we started having lessons inside the tents,” said Nhamo, smiling. “I am happy to be back with my friends. The tents allow us to come to school and learn again.”

Mauricio Salimo, 18, had also stayed away from school after the cyclone. His home was badly hit and he lost all his possessions, including school supplies.

“My heart was broken when I saw that the school had been destroyed,” he said. “I came back when the UNICEF tents arrived. Studying in the tents is almost the same as studying in the classrooms.”

For João, the school director, the tents have brought more than just shade and shelter. They have restored a sense of dignity and hope.

“The children are much happier now,” he said. “The community is grateful to have received the tents and learning materials. They really help the children with their studies.”

While the school buildings await rehabilitation, the will to learn remains strong. Beneath the white canvas, the children of Ngoma are rebuilding their future, one lesson at a time.