MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte — Students in the French territory of Mayotte are gearing up to return to school this upcoming Monday, just a bit over six weeks after Cyclone Chido wreaked havoc on the islands, marking the most powerful storm to strike in nearly a century. Numerous neighborhoods and villages were severely damaged, leaving a trail of destruction across the region.
Teachers returning to their posts this week discovered that many classrooms were either missing roofs or had multiple broken windows. Concerns linger regarding how many students will have access to tables and chairs when they resume classes.
At the Lycée de Petite Terre high school located in Pamandzi, local residents and firefighters are actively working to stabilize the main building structures, using transparent tarpaulin to patch the significant openings in the roofs. Efforts to restore the archipelago’s damaged educational facilities have been in motion since Cyclone Chido hit in December, racing to prepare safe environments for students.
Following another tropical storm this month, the planned return of teachers was delayed, with around 120,000 students expected to return gradually over the next week. Peggy Guillerez, the assistant headmistress, remarked that although the Lycée de Petite Terre, which accommodates approximately 2,000 students, sustained less damage than several other schools, a number of classrooms remain unusable.
“We had constructed a superb student union building, but it has been mostly destroyed,” she noted. “Nonetheless, only 12 rooms are currently out of service, which is relatively minor considering the scale of our institution.” Many educational buildings were left devoid of usable furniture, and some areas remain uninhabitable.
Col. Olivier Bruyère, a firefighter leading the reconstruction efforts, reported that over 60 personnel had been dispatched to secure the site. “We’ve taken out anything that could pose a hazard and are covering every possible opening with tarps to maintain dryness in the buildings,” remarked Bruyère. “We’ve also removed damp, collapsed ceilings and have been reconstructing wooden frameworks wherever feasible.”
Numerous students and instructors are still grappling with shortages of adequate shelter, electricity, and running water, raising uncertainty about how many will return to class. A protest involving around 300 teachers occurred on Thursday, expressing outrage over the conditions students are set to face, and demanding financial assistance for colleagues who have lost their homes.
Cyclone Chido has been recorded as the most devastating storm to impact Mayotte in 90 years, with 39 confirmed fatalities. French Prime Minister François Bayrou cautioned during a recent visit to the islands that the final death toll could soar into the hundreds. Challenges in documenting the casualties and injuries have arisen, as many individuals affected by the storm were undocumented migrants. Additionally, the local Muslim practice of burying the deceased within a day further complicates death toll assessments.
