Comprehension: Floating School Offers Hope to Lagos' Water-World Slum

A new floating school in Lagos' sprawling water-world slum of Makoko is providing hope to a community where thousands grow up without hope of an education. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Makoko has been called the Venice of Africa.
a. True
b. False

2. 150 floating drums were used for the construction of the floating school.
a. True
b. False

3. The school cost sixty thousand dollars to build.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

It has been referred to as the Venice of Africa.

But in the seething slum of Makoko in Lagos, comparisons with Italy's architectural gem start and finish at the water's edge.

Under threat from both government evictions and flooding, people here live a precarious existence.

Few can aspire to escape a life of poverty.

Jeremiah is one of the few young people who’ve gone on to further education:

"I was born and brought up here so I know what to do how the people live, how they suffer, I feel their pain, I feel their cry and I also know their happiness, I know what they really need in this community and which is not capable for us to do it." 

And what's really needed is education.

There's currently just a handful of small schools to cater for the tens of thousands of people who live here.

But rising from the fetid lagoon, is a possible answer.

A floating school, constructed around 250 recycled plastic drums:

"Living on water is actually a way of life and so the question is then how do you then improve that condition, how do you address the challenges of living on water in a safe, healthy and environmentally sound way and particularly in view of the changing climatic condition and increase in water levels and rainfall due to climate change."

And it’s not just the children who will benefit.

On three floors, this structure is also designed as a community space -- or just somewhere for local fishermen to repair their nets.

The architect would like to see the design rolled out across Makoko -- and even internationally, for use in other waterfront communities threatened by rising water levels. 

Costing only six and a half thousand dollars and funded largely by international  NGO’s there’s room for about 100 school children but head teacher Noah Shemede says many more schools like this would be needed.

"Every child deserves an education wherever they are -- we are on water and that doesn't mean that we can't go to school on water -- we have to. We need more schools to accommodate thousands of children that are at home."

Perceived by authorities as a blight on Lagos' megacity ambitions, this water-world is used to people turning the other way.

But with an architectural gem of its own, finally some attention -- and perhaps a symbol of hope for the people of Makoko. 

Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. b

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