[Video] Graveyard as Playground: The Unseen Hazards Facing La Cluster Schools Children

In an unsettling revelation from La, Ghana, pupils of the La Cluster of Schools find themselves in a rather eerie and unconventional playground – amidst the graves of a local graveyard.

This peculiar situation has brought to light concerns over the wellbeing and safety of these children who, day in and day out, play, eat, and even take their leisure time on and around the dilapidated tombs.

Reuben Ako, a pupil from La Salem JHS, captures the essence of the situation with his candid admission of the graveyard’s spooky ambiance in the early mornings, prompting him to arrive at school late to avoid the discomfort.

Elizabeth Quaye from La Enobal JHS and John Quaye from La Enobal Basic School echo this sentiment, expressing their unease with the proximity of their activities to the graveyard, highlighting the limitations it imposes on their sports and recreational activities.

The irony of innocence playing amidst reminders of mortality is stark, but the underlying health hazards this scenario poses cannot be overstressed.

Graveyards, especially those in a state of neglect, can become breeding grounds for microorganisms, including harmful fecal coliforms, thus posing a significant risk of contamination and disease to these unsuspecting young ones.

The scenario is further complicated by the proximity of food vendors to the graveyard, who, despite the unsanitary conditions, have set up shop to cater to the students, unknowingly exacerbating the risk of disease outbreak.

Suggestions have been made by vendors like Janet Adoley Addo and Abigail Adjei to clear the area for the construction of a cafeteria or canteen, facilities that the school sorely lacks, to mitigate these risks.

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The community surrounding the La Cluster of Schools recalls a time when a fence surrounded the graveyard, intended as a measure of safety.

However, this fence paradoxically attracted criminal activities, leading to its eventual removal by authorities in a bid to ensure public safety.

This action, though well-intentioned, has left the graveyard more accessible and inadvertently turned it into a playground for the local schoolchildren.

Responsibility for the state of the graveyard is a hot potato, being tossed between the La Presbyterian Church Bethel Congregation and the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA), with both institutions reluctant to take definitive action.

This blame game does nothing to alleviate the risk to the children of La Cluster of Schools, who continue to be unwittingly exposed to potential health hazards.

This scenario underscores a broader issue of public space management, community safety, and the prioritization of children’s welfare.

It beckons urgent action from both the church and local government authorities to collaborate on a solution that not only secures the historical and cultural integrity of the graveyard but also ensures the health and safety of the children who have become its most frequent visitors.

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