Dear editor,

Please allow me a space in your article to voice to my concern. The article about Betikama Adventist College has a number of hookworm parasite is not a surprise. It is a shame for the school authority and its organisation to see the school which teaches healthy living ended up first on the contamination list of schools.

I once attended this college and from my 6 years of experience nothing has changed. The bathrooms, showers and sinks were just as disgusting as hell. The drinking tanks gutters were place over the toilet rooms ceilings so when it rains bacteria from the toilet rooms wash down into the drinking tank. I remember one friend of mine died from meninghites bacteria in 2001, its a fecael related dieases. I never drank from those tanks since they were installed. I was once diagnose with hookworm parasite but it didn't surprise me at all, the dormitory environment was to blame.

The school fees are rising but dormintory status still remains the same as probably 20 years back. What I can see was that the school authority only concern is for the beauty of the school campus. Maybe the school should change to tourism instead. I remember during a monday afternoon chapel talk a foreign visitor comment on how beautiful the campus was...and she was so much impress...In the back of my mind I was just wondering "please go and check the dormitory". The SDA Organisation should come up with new policies and strategies to improve the conditions of those dormitory. Now that most teachers are paid by the government it should not be an argument on money as it was the normal excuse.

I remember there was a student strike in 1997 because of the school breakfast 'cassava and milo' every morning for nearly 6 months. Since then it had changed. I call on the school authority and the SDA church organisation to do more to improve the health condition of the school. We can do it and remember we suppose to win souls and not to infect them with bacteria. We must invest more on the health condition of our schools.

Ynyona Loko

Adelaide
Australia